Two collegiettes™ went to see 50 Shades of Grey. One read the book, and the other did not. Heidi Kranz and Dottie Kramer talk a bit about the characters, a few scenes and whether or not they recommend the movie. Heidi read the book and Dottie did not.
Christian
Heidi: Okay, so I felt like E.L. James made Christian sound like a god in the book that would be absolutely impossible to recreate. As gorgeous as Jamie Dornan is, he wouldn’t make every woman’s jaw drop as soon as they saw him. When I read the book, I didn’t like Christian. I liked the idea of him, the money, the car, and the gifts; they all sounded great, but I could never handle the way he treated Anastasia. If the bastard brought me a CONTRACT to sign before we could have sex, I would be out the door in a heartbeat. But in the movie, he had this sweetness about him and an openness that made you want to like him. Christian is supposed to be heartless in the first book.
Dottie: Let’s start his annoying flaws. He decided it was time for her to lose her virginity. Obviously she wanted to, had no complaints, and was a willing and eager participant, but the way he phrased it was annoying. “I must fix the situation.” Dude. Come on. There is nothing wrong with anyone at any age choosing to abstain from sex. Then he showered her with gifts that were obviously too much (A MacBook? A car? Seriously?). All because he wanted kinky sex from her. Giving gifts to get sex is wrong. That shouldn’t have to be stated. He insisted that she would get the birth control of his choice from the doctor of his choice. That’s kind of a personal issue that he could, if she had chosen, have been included in. But he in no way gets the final say over the issue, especially since he only wants a sexual relationship with her. After she read the sex contract and said “buh-bye” to him, he broke into her apartment and proceeded to have sex with her (again, she was a willing and eager participant, but just because she can overlook the whole breaking-and-entering part doesn’t mean I can). I completely understand that there are days where someone touching you is the last thing anyone wants. But all the time? No touching, and she can’t initiate sex? And what was with the stalking her to her mother’s house? Call it whatever you want, Mr. Grey, but you weren’t invited to Georgia. Just showing up counts as stalking. Sometimes, girls just need a little mother-to-daughter bonding, and you weren’t invited. In Christian’s defense, he was upfront about all of these facts: that she would just be a sex toy, that he wanted things to be kinky, that he wasn’t going to have sex in his bed or sleep in the same bed as her, etc. But still, show a little bit of human compassion.
Anastasia
Heidi: Anastasia was played pretty well. You could feel that she was introverted and awkward toward the beginning but a little more open toward the end. Of course, that happens in the course of nearly every relationship, but Anastasia was a little too calm about some of the issues Christian brought up. What girl doesn’t even react when a guy jumps on a bed with you and takes a bite of your toast? Hands off my toast!
Dottie: Now on to her flaws: she obviously wasn’t upfront about what she wanted. She said she would be down for just casual sex but at the end (SPOILER) she told him she loved him. That is the opposite of casual, Miss Steele. When he broke into her house like a crazy sex freak or stalked her to Georgia when she was with her mom, she didn’t tell him to leave, or call the cops—she continued to willingly have sex with him. Have a little bit of self-respect, Anastasia.
The Relationship
Heidi: For starters, ladies, THIS IS NOT A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP! Anastasia is fighting for Christian’s love and attention while he is just seeking refuge in her lady part. Anastasia is the kind of person to sit back and take it, and Christian completely takes advantage. I like how Anastasia stands her ground a bit more in the movie than she does in the book; she even comes out of her shell. But Christian never opened up as much as he did in the movie. Anastasia had to fight him on every aspect of their relationship. I mean who wants to put up with someone who can’t open up to you?
Dottie: Their relationship utterly infuriated me. A relationship should be equal and based off communication, and he never talks to her. Also, they wanted different things and didn’t discuss what their problems were. It was one of the least healthy relationships I’d ever seen. They didn’t need a play room; they needed a therapist.
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The Sex
Heidi: The movie made the sex scenes as tasteful as possible for a near-porno. You could get a sense of the BDSM without needing to see every little detail. It was almost a relief to not have to read Anastasia’s dialogue when she talks about “her sex” or the three-word sentences, usually with one varying adjective.
Dottie: The sex was hot, but because I’m not into BDSM, it was a little scary to watch. It’s fine if two people are into the same type of sex experiences, but it’s just strange watching what is normally a romantic, tender act overly physicalized.
Bar Scene
(Anastasia and Kate go out for a night on the town after finishing their finals).
Heidi: What drunk girl doesn’t make a call to her boo when she’s been drinking? Totally believable, until Christian traced her call (which you wouldn’t know just from watching the movie) and showed up to play prince for the night. José did get a bit hands-y, but I thought it could have been a lot worse. Especially when the book said that Anastasia felt like he was going to trap her in a position she couldn’t escape. Christian didn’t overreact in the book to what José did, but it felt like he did in the movie.
Dottie: She got drunk. Shocker. News flash: college students drink. Her friend was out of line, but she didn’t ask for his help. She could have handled the situation. Or her girlfriend, who was already there, could have helped. It’s creepy that Christian just showed up to the bar and took her to his room.
His Parent’s House
(Anastasia was invited to a dinner at the Christian’s parents’ house to celebrate Mia’s (Christian’s sister) return from France).
Heidi: There are so many things that I loved about Christian’s family, but you didn’t get to see that at all in the movie. Mia is this lively, overbearing little sister that is annoying and fun at the same time. Christian’s parents are the most caring people in the world, and they are so curious about Anastasia. I doubt anyone who just watched the movie could say they felt that from the characters, if they even remember their names. Another HUGE aspect left out of the movie is the fact that Christian wanted to play a “game” with Anastasia and placed these metal balls in her lady part throughout the dinner. Apparently it felt great, I’ve never tried it, and after reading a way too detailed article about a college girl that tried it with her boyfriend, I don’t think I ever will.
Dottie: Are they boyfriend and girlfriend? Are they just hooking up? I’m so confused. And is he trying to make a move in front of his parents? Really? That’s gross. He has no right to be mad that she wants to go see her mom. Their talk is so strange; he shouldn’t act so confused that she wants him to treat her like a decent human being. This scene made me like him less and less.
Final Scene
(Anastasia and Christian spend another night together and Anastasia asks Christian to show her how he would ‘punish’ her if she signed the contract).
Heidi: This scene is heart-wrenching. I wanted to smack Christian and Anastasia at the same time. The only major difference in the movie was that the fight led to the spanking and right after the spanking, she left. She couldn’t get out of there faster, and rightfully so. But in Christian’s defense…she wanted to know. And she would have found out sooner or later, right?
Dottie: So she’s in love with him. He beats her, and she’s in love with him. If this isn’t an abusive relationship then I don’t know what is. I don’t like this at all. If I didn’t know that Hollywood and the book industry already made the sequel to this, I would’ve been so proud of my girl for walking out of a crazy abusive relationship and striking out on her own, but sadly, I know that’s not what’s in store for Christian and Anastasia. What I do hope is in store is couples counseling.
Final Thoughts
Heidi: I think that it has to be one of the best movies that was made from a book in regards to accuracy and similarity. I mean, they were pretty close. Would I recommend people go see it? I would say only see it if you read the book. And if you already saw it, you should definitely read the book.
Dottie: I don’t think I’d recommend this movie. The sex was hot, but they are an awful couple, this movie wasn’t well written, and it made me feel bad about dating and life at the end.
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