When books are created into movies, the readers can do one of two things: Acknowledge the fact that the movie will be entirely different from what they’ve imagined or trash the director’s vision until they are blue (or red) in the face.

In most cases people choose to separate their interpretation of the novel and enjoy the on screen adaptation of their favorite story.

But in the case of the movie Water for elephants I was thoroughly disappointed. Perhaps it was the fact that I had just finished the book a month before seeing it on the big screen or that the preview enhanced my idea of the film, regardless my mind was full of complaints while watching it.

The story line is about a boy named Jacob who is recently orphaned and finds out his once wealthy family was actually in debt. He escapes town and doesn’t stay to get his degree. Lost and angry, he jumps aboard a moving train in the hopes of going somewhere he isn’t familiar with.

The book deals with drama, tragedy, death and romance, but the movie doesn’t portray enough of this emotion. Although there is certainly on screen chemistry between Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon, the director made it seem as if they had known each other for four days and immediately fell in love.

Another flaw was the cut of a major character, making another one seem more involved than he actually was. The last thirty minutes of the movie did not follow the original plot. It seemed as if the director decided to play it safe, but he didn’t have to.

Whoever decided not to follow the original story left the audience of readers bored and unsatisfied.