Description: Based on the award winning novel by Laurie Halse Anderson, "Speak" unfolds a story about Melinda (Kristen Stewart), a smart and spirited high school freshman who retreats into self-imposed silence after she is raped one night at a party. Feeling isolated from her classmates and from her preoccupied mother Joyce Sardnino (Elizabeth Perkins), Melinda retreats further in an attempt to escape the torments of high school. It is only through her work in art class with the help of her compassionate art teacher Mr. Freeman (Steve Zahn) that she begins to reach out to others and eventually finds her own voice and inner strength. A feature debut of director/co-writer Jessica Sharzer, "Speak" resonates with stubborn honesty and sardonic humor as we follow Melinda on her journey from traumatized isolation to a brave and final triumphant disclosure.
Amazon.com: Speak is an unexpected gem. Adapted from the popular novel by Laurie Halse Anderson and first broadcast in 2004, the film features an excellent lead performance by Kristen Stewart (Panic Room) as Melinda Sordino, a deeply troubled teen facing her first year of high school and all its attendant perils, including student cliques (here called "clans," such as "the Marthas--very Connecticut, very prep"), hostile teachers (with the exception of Steve Zahn's art instructor), and so forth. Melinda appears to be just another misfit, alienated, shunned, and sullen ("the most depressed person I've ever known," as one classmate puts it), burdened with clueless, hopelessly self-absorbed parents (Elizabeth Perkins, D.D. Sweeney) and her own introverted nature. But there's much more to it than that, and director Jessica Sharzer, who co-wrote the screenplay, deftly balances flashbacks of the traumatic event that turned Melinda into a virtual mute with her pained attempts to deal with its aftermath; the two stories, past and present, unfold together, keeping us involved all the way to the film's unsettling but cathartic conclusion. Powerful, moving, and well-acted (the adult roles occasionally veer toward stereotype, but the kids' performances are consistently good), Speak is a compelling and admirable piece of work. --Sam Graham
speak review The movie was in perfect condition! And, this movie was wonderful. It was sad, but Kristen Stewart truly acted the part. This is a great movie for girls. I know some girls that live at a group home that will LOVE to see this. It shows that you can truly heal from something so traumatic.
usual book-movie comparision This movie was good, if you've never read the book, the book is so much better so if you are thinking of buying/seeing this movie do it before you read the book, please.
Movie and Book Comparison "Speak" is a thought provoking and impacting book, and it would seem doubtful that a movie could actually do it justice. The does do a decent job of transitioning the book into a movie. There were some slight differences in details, like the book cites New York as the setting and the movie cites the Midwest. There were also some bigger differences that were more noticeable, for example, the book says Melinda is around a size 10 and the movie portrays her very slender- this is just a detail though and doesn't really affect the structure of the plot. The biggest difference that is probably noticed is that the book does a better job at describing the severity of Melinda's emotions and thoughts. The reader gets a better understanding of the pain Melinda was in emotionally. It's true that books are better than their movie, but overall this movie measured up.
Item received in great condition The DVD I ordered arrived quickly and in excellent condition. I was very pleased.
Review of movie Speak This is a wonderful movie based on the book, Speak. I would recommend it to anyone who has read the book, and especially to those who have not. My only complaint was when I received it, the dvd was moving around inside the case because the middle clasp that holds it in place was broken. So now my dvd will not securely stay inside its case.
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