ENDER - The End of Card?

“In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it’s impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves. And then, in that very moment when I love them.... I destroy them.” A.E. Wiggin

This is a bit late in coming, but wanted to chime in with my thoughts on this book adaptation. Card is probably one of the best known LDS authors (not counting that mom in AZ) and has a TON of material that could be made into movies. I read an article with Card saying this film was like an audition to Hollywood for his other books. If this one makes it, others can follow. Which makes sense, movies on this scale need to be bankable and have some built-in measure of success or following before being made. So... does this movie do the book justice and create a huge market for adapting Card's works into film?

The short answer is NO.

According to Box Office Mojo, this thing cost $110M to make and after the first couple of weeks (where most the bling is made) it only made about $63M world wide. That's basically a death knell for adapting the rest of his works since this was regarded as his best or most popular book. Some say the gay rights activists killed the momentum of the film. HOGWASH. Are you serious? They may not like Card, but hardly have the time or inclination to do serious boycott/damage to the film. The target audience for this movie was not the gay community. Like politics, you need to energize your base and win over new/swing supporters. The base is not large or outspoken and off the cuff it looks like another sci-fi movie with explosions.

This movie in my opinion was as good as one could hope for. The production values were strong, acting was good enough, music and effects worked nicely. Can't recall anything super-awkward or silly. However, many including Card had thought this book un-adaptable since its written largely in between the ears. It did an OK job of showing you what happened on the outside, but it failed to really convey Ender's personal struggle and genius, which are what makes character and the book so popular... and that is what the rest of his books typically rely on as well. Perhaps this movie really needed another 30-45 mins to explore battle school and give Ender more time to develop on screen?

I was particularly disgusted that many of the "fart" references from the book failed to make it into the film. 

So its sad that no more Card works are coming to the cinema anytime soon. I wish they would, but my tastes don't match the budgets, electoral college or the popular vote. This flick is definitely worth a rental and may get you interested in a bunch of other books that I loved, so I guess this can't be all bad for Card and his portfolio after all.