Top 10 Differences Between Where the Crawdads Sing Book & Movie
#10: Kya’s Childhood
Top 10 Differences Between Bird Box Movie & Book
In the book, Kya’s traumatic upbringing is explored in detail. Pa is an alcoholic gambling addict who often mistreats his wife and children when he’s drunk. One day, Kya’s Ma decides she’s had enough and leaves her family behind. One by one, each of Kya’s siblings follow, while she stays at home with Pa until he, too, abandons her. The film doesn’t offer as much context for Ma and the kids leaving, the reason being Pa’s violent behavior. It also doesn’t fully explore Kya’s strong bond with her older brother Jodie which is an important part of her life.
#9: Tate & Kya’s Relationship
Several details about Kya and Tate Walker’s relationship were changed from book to film. When the two have their “feather moment” in the film, it’s not really clear how old they are at the time. In the book, Kya is 14 years-old, while Tate is 18. We can see why the filmmakers would want to alter that age gap. However, they don’t give the characters new ages. Another aspect from the book left out of the film is Jodie advising his sister to forgive Tate, after he broke his promise to return on the Fourth of July. The siblings do have a reunion in the film but the two don’t discuss Kya’s love life.
#8: Kya’s First Period
Top 10 Differences Between The Shining Book and Movie
One pivotal moment in Kya’s life that was left out of the movie is when she gets her period for the first time. It’s Tate who has to explain to her why she has stomach cramps. He previously brought her a pamphlet on the subject, along with other reading materials, but this is still a shock to her. And having to experience this coming-of-age moment with a boy, let alone one she’s crushing on is mortifying. Mabel later comforts her, further explaining what’s happening with her body. This intimate moment speaks to Tate and Kya’s current and future relationship, while also showing just how isolated Kya’s life has been.
#7: Kya Going to School
Top 10 Differences Between Crazy Rich Asians Book & Movie
After everyone in her family leaves, Kya is found by a truant officer, who forces her to attend school like the other kids. Her peers tease and humiliate her and older authority figures say that she doesn’t belong. This is her first and last day of school. But that’s what happens in the book. In the movie, it’s Mabel Madison who encourages Kya to go to school, along with some kind, encouraging words from Tom Milton, her future lawyer who plays a more significant role in the movie than in the book.
#6: The Reality of Racism in the South
Top 10 Differences Between the Moxie Movie & Books
Both the book and the movie have Jumpin’ as an integral part of Kya’s story. When she’s abandoned by her father, Jumpin’ agrees to buy mussels from Kya for his store in exchange for much-needed supplies. Part of their connection stems from how they’re both ostracized by the people of Barkley Cove. However, the movie doesn’t go into as much depth about the racism that Jumpin’ and his wife Mabel face as a Black couple in the South. In the book, Kya witnesses locals throwing rocks and harassing Jumpin’ and decides to intervene. The exclusion of such scenes, which deeply affect two of the story’s key characters, is an odd and arguably disappointing choice.
#5: Tate Helping with Kya’s Literary Career
In both the book and movie, Tate encourages Kya to publish her work, even giving her a list of publishers to contact, and sends samples to a publisher for her. But when he gives that list to her changes between mediums. In the book, it’s after Tate graduates from college, and she’s had a relationship with Chase. In the movie on the other hand, Tate gives her the list before he leaves for school. It may seem like a minor change but in the book’s version of events, the list is part of the way that Tate begins to reconcile with Kya after having hurt her.
#4: Chase’s Engagement Reveal
Top 10 Greatest Chase Movies of All Time
Chase Andrews really is just the worst in both mediums. He’s selfish, disrespectful, violently mistreats Kya, and ultimately attacks her. One of the most upsetting moments in the story is when it’s revealed to Kya that Chase, a guy she deeply cares for, has become engaged to another woman. The book has her finding out via an engagement announcement in the newspaper. In the movie, she sees the couple together in town and actually sees Chase’s fiancée in person. Either way, this is a painful discovery for Kya. In both versions, Chase is just as much of a scumbag.
#3: Kya’s Funeral
Top 20 Book to Movie Adaptations of the Century So Far
When Kya dies at the end of the book, a funeral is held in the marsh. The whole town is in attendance, along with Jodie and his family, and Tate’s cousins. Kya is buried on her own land with her headstone reading: “The Marsh Girl.” Sadly, the movie left the funeral scene out altogether. In the movie, we see her death on the boat and Tate running to find her and discovering her lifeless body. But then the scene transitions into Tate back in the shack, going through her belongings. “Movie Kya” just didn’t get the same send-off as “Book Kya”.
#2: Chronology of the Story
Top 10 Shocking Differences Between the Harry Potter Movies and Books
Novel to film adaptations often require changes to the narrative structure, so this modification isn’t too surprising. The first chapter of the book begins with Kya as a kid and follows her as she gets older, leading to the events with Chase and her trial. In the movie, one of the first things to happen is Kya’s arrest for Chase’s murder. We see her life play out in brief flashbacks, which ultimately leaves important, or at least interesting, details out of the story. Her trial also doesn’t happen until much later in the book, whereas the movie dives straight in.
#1: The Double Twist Ending
Top 10 Differences Between Im Thinking of Ending Things Book vs Movie
The ending to “Where the Crawdads Sing” has, not one, but two big reveals. After Kya’s death, Tate finds some of her things hidden under a floorboard, including poems by the prolific writer Amanda Hamilton, who Kya talks about a lot in the book. Turns out she was the published poet using a pseudonym. Twist number two: Tate also finds Chase’s missing necklace and a poem about predatory female fireflies. So, it’s heavily implied that Kya did kill Chase. The movie keeps part of the second twist, revealing the necklace inside a journal of sketches, which is a little less obvious. There’s no mention at all in the movie of Amanda Hamilton though.
