Water for Elephants

One of my all time favorite books is Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.  I have loved this book for years, and when I heard the movie was coming out, I was a bit worried.  Obviously no movie is better than the book, but some do a great job of sticking to the story and using exact quotations from the novel, which is what I usually prefer over the directors interpretation of the story and adaptations.

Thus, when I saw Water for Elephants (the movie) last night, I was very pleased.  It followed the book closely and used quotations from the book, which was amazing.  The actors were great, as well.  Reese Witherspoon was beautiful in her portrayal of Marlena and her costumes were spectacular.  I wasn't surprised that she did such a great job, she is a phenomenal actress.  I was surprised at how well Robert Pattinson portrayed Jacob.  I didn't think I would like him in this movie, but he grew on me throughout the film.  He has that boyish charm and innocence that was perfect for the role of Jacob. 

I highly recommend this movie, it is so romantic with lovely life lessons from which everyone can learn.  However, I extremely recommend that you read the book, because the themes about life and humanity come across better, and the romance resonates better from the page, as you read the exact words and phrases that make Water for Elephants  a timeless favorite.