This one was a little different than the past Book Vs Movie experiments I’ve done – mainly because Frank was a real man, who played real cons and cashed real “fake” checks… as convoluted as that sounded in my own mind reading it back, it made this one just that little bit more personal.
I always liked this movie – probably primarily because Tom Hanks is amazing, but nevertheless when I found out Frank had written a book, and that was what inspired the film, I was IN! And that was BEFORE I also found it to be a Spielberg film with Leo in it and all kinds of other fun stuff.
So without further ramblings on my part, let me jump into some of the differences between the book and the film:
A big difference that I noticed (and you can actually get confirmation from if you read the Q&A with Frank at the back of certain copies of the book) was that they changed quite a few smaller details. Things like names, aliases, the timeline of events, and even prison time that Frank served in real life in Sweden were altered or omitted altogether.
I LOVED the film giving us some of the FBI part of the chase, whereas the book really only focussed on Frank and his experiences (totally makes sense when you factor in that he’s telling HIS story, and not the story of the FBI or cops who wanted to arrest him). It seemed to be exagerated though, how close they came to catch him time and again. In the book he does admit that it FELT like they were always ready to catch him, but he never saw any actual evidence of that fact… and there certainly wasn’t a moment early on where the Feds interacted with him and he pretended to be a cop too – though that did come later on in his criminal career when he ended up arrested back in the US.
Frank and his family was also something that was changed quite a bit. Firstly, they omitted his real life siblings and gave his mother an affair when in the book he outlines more of the reasoning for the separation of his parents as her wanting to be more independent and working… which, or both to be true is really none of my concern.
Aside from the little changes, and the addition of the Fed storylines, it was also downplayed quite a bit at how much of a “ladies man” the real Frank was. The movie gave him a few girls to date but in the book he made it very clear that he was a bit more of a hound dog. Girl obsessed, as he continued to reassure the reader.
Frank and his Dad had such a nice relationship on screen in this film, and it’s almost too bad to crush the bubble. One thing that I almost wished to be either true, or included in the book, was that Frank continued to write his Dad while on the run, and even snuck visits in. If the book in the entirety is to be believed (without additional context) when Frank left, he didn’t really ever contact his family until he had been arrested and extradited back to the US. The idea that he was trying to get back all the money that “they” took from his family was nothing to do with it – he just wanted money to survive and get girls.
I also noticed Frank Sr. was given a bit more con-ish ways in the film, and gave some sort of potential reasoning as to why Frank Jr was so good at the con. The substitute teacher bit was nowhere that I could recall in the book, but it was funny and continued to build foundation at why Frank might have tried to go the route that he did.
I loved that the book made it very clear that most of Frank’s cons actually required quite a bit of research. He hit the library more times that I do, and was always studying up the best he could before really diving in too deeply to the scenarios he attempted. It was less of him falling ass backwards into something, and more of him really trying to sell it by knowing what he could before jumping in.
A few moments in the film did feel odd – like the laundry mat scene with the Fed that really comes out of nowhere, and goes nowhere… but some of the nods to the book were nice. For example, Frank asking the pilot questions and one of them being about asking what kind of equipment you’re on. There was a fun story in the book where Frank didn’t understand the question and made a fool out of himself. Without telling the story, they gave the little recognition to the funny anticdote, which I appreciated.
That mouse story was something they kept calling back to in the film, but really I didn’t know why it was there. There was also the flash forwards with Tom and Leo as they headed back to the states, and it was fun to see Carl always asking throughout the film how Frank managed to ‘con’ his way through the Bar exam. No ‘ask me to stop’ moments in real life, and no help for Frank from the US as he served his prison sentences in Europe.
The Christmas calls, I have to say was one of my favourite additions. Not touched on in the book, I liked these moments as they linked Carl and Frank together in a more personal way. That gave foundation for the ending… which come to think of it was also different.
The book ended a lot earlier than the film did in Franks story. As he was put into a US prison, he managed to con his way out by pretending to be an undercover agent determining how humane the prison system was. It basically ended with Frank having conned his way into appearing as a Fed himself – though if you read past the final scene in the book you get a bit more general information in what happened to Frank after this.
The Film took it all the way to Frank being pulled out of prison, “White Collar” style to have a deal with the FBI. Working his time off by working for them, and catching forgers… yeah it’s pretty much Neal Caffery, and I’m totally here for it!
Even though there were a ton of changes, the film got the heart of the book right… and isn’t that the main thing? Any way to do it, Frank’s story is something amazing.
It is kind of surprising HOW MANY movies are actually based on novels. I had no clue that Father of the Bride was based on a book that was released in 1949! I will admit, I have only seen the Steve Martin version of the film, though the earlier make would be fun to watch also. When I realised, I decided it simply HAD to make it onto my list of Book vs Movie reviews.
It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these, and this is the first time I’m doing a more in depth blog post about it, so let’s get into things!
For a change, this book didn’t feel like it had been condensed for the movie. Normally, you get the distinct feeling of a compressed storyline for film, which is totally understandable. You don’t often get the time constraint for a novel, whereas a movie takes place in 1.5-2 hours. Even though not all the same antics take place, you don’t feel like the story missed out on several key factors. I think the main reason for this, was because the book was actually quite short. It was only 230 pages, and covered a lot of wedding aspects.
Which leads me to the next point, not every moment in the book was copied in the film/s, BUT the main points and themes were. I will admit that in the book, I missed certain film elements (which I will cover next), but for the most part the gist of the story was taken across into a film format. It’s a good example of a movie doing WELL by the book – though I have only watched the Steven Martin movie for this comparison, so I couldn’t say about the others.
One thing that I will say, is that I MISSED Franck! One of my favourite element of the film, was Martin Short’s portrayal of the difficult to understand and over the top wedding coordinator. The closest we got to this character in the book, was a snobish caterer – but he wasn’t nearly as interesting.
In terms of the characters we did still have, there were some notable changes. The names for one thing. Though the last name “Banks” was the same, all the first names (and the surname for the fiancé) were different. Not such a huge deal, but different none the less.
Also, the character of the daughter (Annie for the movie, and Kay for the book) was a lot more immature, whiny, and bratish. I didn’t like her in the book, but not because she was an unlikable person – we didn’t actually develop her character outside the wedding, so it would be hard to like or dislike her at all – just that she seemed so unsophisticated as a supposed adult.
Because this book was written in the 40s, the language is more “old world” and uptight. This is always a challenge for me to read, as it isn’t my preferred style. I also noticed that there was A LOT of italics used (somewhat like me using CAPITALS a bunch so far in this post.. but worse). The writer, Edward Streeter, seemed obsessed with italics.
A great feature in the book, were the illustrations. Almost every page or two, there was an image of Mr Banks and party in the various antics from that or the previous page. It gave the book a light and humorous feel which was quite nice.
Finally, and most important (in my view) was the theme of Fathers and Daughters in the context of weddings. This is where, I believe, the movie did a much better job than the book. The whole story is focussed on a father helping his daughter and wife put together a wedding. The character of Mr Banks, in both iterations, was somewhat frustrating. They were worried about the money, the damage, the number of guests, and making the day special for their daughter. Though they were different in many ways, that was a constant. However, I feel like the character in the book lost the heart that Steve Martin put into Banks for the film.
It really did come down to how much he loved his daughter, and wanted her to have the best in life and in her wedding day. There were a lot more comedic and neurotic moments in the film, which I think were best placed in the film with a comedic timing. Though I admit it was better for that format, I do miss that element in the book. Less prudent and sensible, and more neurotic and falling into pools is what I say!
Okay, so let’s do an overall thoughts to finish this post off. I think, though the book had some great points, the movie wins hands down. It had more heart, more humour and more Franck! I did enjoy seeing some of the different points and aspects the book take (particularly from the perspective of a 50s style wedding), but the film just had something the book did not.
Suite Life of Zack and Cody (then the Suite Life On Deck) was a big show when I was growing up. But now that THEY have grown up too, where do I imagine the twins and kooky characters are today?
Zack Martin became a television personality after an executive saw his footage on the S.S. Tipton. He has become very successful and very loved (especially among the female viewers), and still hasn’t managed to settle into a stable relationship – something that doesn’t bother him at all. He manages to embarrass, prank, and humiliate his brother on a regular basis, only this time it’s in front of a national viewership.
Cody Martin started working to cure Cancer and is very close to a breakthrough. He also gives his knowledge and expertise to teaching college students, and spends the rest of his days with his, and Bailey Pickett’s three kids. They adopted two, and used IVF for the third, and love all of them very much.
Carey Martin got a late break in her career, and travels the world in her new genre, Country Music. The audience is very receptive, and she loves the new direction that she’s gone in. She regularly checks in with her kids, but mostly on hears back from Cody.
>>>Get a copy of my ebook KIDNAPPED Entanglement >>>here
London Tipton doesn’t bother with college, and after 8 years dental school Todd St. Mark comes back. Their Fathers both make up and join forces, and the hotel empire is HUGE. London and Todd can now be together, then eventually inherit the whole fortune. Todd does dentistry on the side, and London hires Mr Mosbey to run things for her….
Mr Mosbey and Ms Tutwiler are happily married, until they have twins of their own and it’s Mosbey’s turn to find out how hard it is to wrangle twins! He tries to run the Tipton/St Mark empire whilst keeping his own kids out of trouble.
Maddie Fitspatrick went to the Peace Corps and met a Doctors Without Borders doctor. They are still travelling the world to help those less fortunate, and come back to the USA every so often to visit London and Todd.
Esteban is now the Tipton hotel manager and happy with seven kids, while Arwin and Kirby (who is now landlocked) both work in the same hotel causing minor mishaps.
Woody had a glow up, and became a male model – he is living his best life.
Did you enjoy seeing my thoughts on where everyone would have ended up? I’d love to hear where YOU imagined it?
I LOVED this movie, and I still do… but when I found out it was first a book, I had to add it to the Book Vs Movie pile!
Estimated Reading Time: 6min
I have a confession. I am secretly the Princess of Genovia…Okay, no. That’s Mia Thermopolis. But after finally reading The Princess Diaries and comparing it to the Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews movie, I discovered there were far more differences than I expected.
In fact, one of the first things that surprised me was that the movie doesn’t just adapt the first book. It actually pulls material from multiple books in the series. I reached what felt like the middle of the movie and realised I had already reached the end of Book One. So let’s talk about the changes.
As always, spoilers ahead.
The Book Is Actually a Diary
This sounds obvious, but it’s something I never really thought about until I picked up the novel. The Princess Diaries is literally written as Mia’s diary. Every entry comes directly from her perspective. Some days have multiple entries, some days are skipped, and the entire story unfolds through her personal thoughts. As someone who read quite a few diary-format books as a teenager, I actually enjoyed this style. It also makes the title make a lot more sense.
In the movie, the diary itself isn’t a huge part of the story. Outside of a few moments, including the ending, it almost fades into the background. In the book, it’s the entire framework.
Mia’s Dad Is Alive
One of the biggest changes is Mia’s father. In the movie, he’s already passed away before the story begins. In the book, he’s very much alive. The reason Mia becomes heir to Genovia isn’t because her father died. It’s because he has recently undergone cancer treatment and can no longer have children. That means Mia is the only heir. It completely changes the dynamic. Unfortunately, it also introduces a character I didn’t particularly enjoy. Mia’s father is stiff, snobbish, and deeply entrenched in royal life. While I appreciated seeing another side of the story, I definitely preferred the movie’s approach.
The Grandmother Is Nothing Like Julie Andrews
I need to talk about Grandmère. Because wow. The movie version played by Julie Andrews is elegant, strict, and occasionally intimidating, but she’s still charming. The book version? Not so much.
She mostly speaks French, expects Mia to speak French, insists on being addressed a certain way, and generally treats everyone around her as though their feelings are an inconvenience. She isn’t elegant. She’s entitled. And honestly, she was one of the most frustrating characters in the entire book. The movie took a difficult character and transformed her into someone audiences could actually enjoy spending time with. That was a very good decision.
Where Was Joe?
One of my favourite characters in the movie is Joe. His friendship with Clarisse adds so much warmth and humour to the story. So imagine my disappointment when I discovered he doesn’t exist in the book. Instead, there is a driver and bodyguard named Lars. Lars does his job. That’s about it. He lacks the personality, humour, and charm that Joe brings to the film. I missed Joe the entire time I was reading.
The Book Introduces an Important Character
One of the biggest additions in the novel is Tina. She’s the daughter of an extremely wealthy man and constantly has a bodyguard with her. Because of that, most students think she’s strange and avoid her. When Mia learns she’s a princess and suddenly has security around her as well, Tina becomes one of the few people who understands what she’s going through.
I actually loved this part of the book. Tina was kind, supportive, and brought an interesting perspective to the story. I understand why the movie simplified the cast, but Tina is one character I genuinely missed.
Being Called a Freak Matters More
The movie briefly touches on the idea that Mia is considered weird. The book explores it much more deeply. Characters like Tina help establish why being labelled a freak feels so devastating in that school environment. It’s not just a throwaway insult. It’s a social identity. The book spends more time examining how teenagers treat people who don’t fit in, and it adds another layer to Mia’s struggles.
The Supporting Characters Were Very Different
Several characters received expanded roles in the book. Mia’s teacher spends more time in the story. Lily is significantly more unforgiving. Michael and Lily are both portrayed as exceptionally intelligent. Josh is still terrible. In fact, Josh might somehow be worse. The book also spends more time exploring some of the less appealing aspects of his personality, making his actions feel even more selfish. The overall result is that many of the supporting characters feel rougher around the edges than they do in the movie.
The Makeover Isn’t What You Remember
One of the most iconic scenes in the movie is Mia’s makeover. The dramatic hair transformation is unforgettable. In the book? Not quite. Instead of transforming her hair into the sleek style from the movie, they simply cut it very short. She ends up with something much closer to a pixie cut than the glamorous movie makeover audiences remember. As a result, the scene doesn’t have quite the same impact.
The Movie Made Everyone More Likeable
A theme kept appearing while I was reading. The movie made almost everyone nicer. Mia remained likeable in both versions, but many of the people around her were far harder to enjoy in the book. Her father was less sympathetic. Her grandmother was significantly worse. Lily held grudges longer. Several relationships felt harsher and less forgiving. Meanwhile, the movie softened many of those rough edges without losing the core story.
Book vs Movie: Which Was Better?
For me, the movie wins. There were elements of the book that I enjoyed, particularly the diary format and the addition of characters like Tina. But overall, the film made smarter choices. The relationship between Mia and Clarisse worked better. Joe’s addition was fantastic. The decision to make the grandmother elegant rather than unbearable was a huge improvement.
And most importantly, the characters were simply more enjoyable to spend time with. I still liked Mia in the book. I just didn’t like many of the people around her. The movie fixed that.
Have you read The Princess Diaries or only seen the movie? Which version did you prefer?
The Batman Files is not a traditional novel. It is presented as an in-universe collection of Batman’s personal records, designed as though Bruce Wayne himself compiled a complete archive of his life, work, and investigations as Batman.
It reads like a fictional dossier that has been “leaked” from Gotham’s most secret files, blending storytelling with visual artefacts, schematics, and case documentation. The concept sits somewhere between a graphic novel companion piece and an elaborate world-building experiment.
The Core Concept
The book is framed as a survival archive. Batman has documented everything about his career, anticipating that one day someone else may need to take up the mantle.
Rather than telling a linear story, it presents fragments of his life: how he became Batman, how he operates, and how Gotham’s criminals, allies, and systems interact with him. The result is less a narrative and more an assembled intelligence file on Batman’s entire existence.
Format and Structure
The structure is deliberately non-linear. Instead of chapters, the book is built from different types of documents that mimic real investigative and personal records.
These include journal entries written in Bruce Wayne’s voice, police reports, newspaper clippings, and classified-style files. There are also schematics for gadgets, including detailed breakdowns of the utility belt, Batmobile designs, and early iterations of the Batsuit.
Interspersed throughout are psychological profiles of villains, maps of Gotham, and personal reflections on key events and relationships. The reading experience is closer to examining an archive than following a story.
Visual and Design Elements
The strongest aspect of the book is its visual presentation. Every page is designed to feel like a physical object pulled from Batman’s personal collection.
There are handwritten-style notes, torn pages, stamped documents, and diagrams that look like they belong in a classified military file. Gotham itself is shown through sketches and architectural plans that reinforce the scale and tone of the world.
The attention to detail in the artefacts creates the illusion that Batman’s universe exists beyond fiction. It is designed to feel authentic, as though the reader has gained access to restricted material.
Narrative Voice
The narrative voice shifts depending on the type of document. Bruce Wayne’s entries are introspective and methodical, while other sections adopt a more clinical or observational tone.
This layering of perspectives helps build a fuller picture of Batman’s world, but it also means there is no single consistent narrative flow. The book is built from fragments rather than a continuous storyline.
As a result, it functions more as a character study and world compendium than a traditional story.
Strengths
The most successful element of The Batman Files is its immersion. The book does an effective job of placing the reader inside Gotham’s ecosystem through artefacts rather than exposition.
It expands Batman’s mythology in a way that feels tangible, especially through its visual design. The schematics, case files, and mock documents add depth to the world in a way that standard prose often cannot replicate.
For fans of Batman, it offers a detailed and creative expansion of the universe that feels like stepping inside the Batcave itself.
Limitations
The same structure that makes the book visually engaging also limits its readability. Because it is not a continuous narrative, it can feel disjointed when read from cover to cover.
Some sections assume prior knowledge of Batman lore, which may make certain entries feel unclear or underdeveloped without context. The lack of narrative progression also means there is no traditional pacing or character arc to follow.
It works best as a reference-style experience rather than a book to be read linearly.
Overall Experience
Reading The Batman Files feels like browsing a curated exhibition of Gotham’s history through Batman’s perspective. It is more archival than narrative, more visual than textual, and more immersive than plot-driven.
Its success depends heavily on interest in Batman as a character and enjoyment of world-building artefacts. Without that foundation, it can feel more like a novelty item than a novel.
The Batman Files is an ambitious experiment in fictional documentation. It transforms Batman’s life into a physical archive, blending storytelling with design to create an immersive artefact rather than a traditional book.
It is strongest as a collector-style companion piece for fans of Gotham, offering depth through presentation rather than narrative structure.
It’s Christmas time again (I CAN’T believe it!), so it’s time to dust off the old Christmas movies and tv episodes.
So, which ones made my list – and which didn’t quite make it? Here’s the video, and below that is some quick info about each show if you hadn’t heard of it before:
The Vicar of Dibley – a female Vicar surprises a small village and is a large, loving life lady who finds out just how crazy her village really is.
I Love Lucy/The Lucy Show – Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance play best friends in both of these shows. With funny slap stick disguises and disasters, Lucy is always dragging Viv along on another adventure.
Home Improvement – a tool obsessed father balances his local cable home improvement show, and his family life with often hilarious overlaps.
Friends – 7 friends in their twenties navigate living in New York City in the 90s. Almost too close, they are always involved in each others lives, and there’s never a dull moment.
The Big Bang Theory – four smart scientists join forces with a pretty waitress across the hall. While they try to fit in, she tries to stand out as an actress.
The Nanny – a Jewish cosmetics saleswoman ends up falling into being the nanny for a rich widowers three kids. There’s romance, growing up, and lots of sparkly outfits along the way.
Smallville – we get a look into Clark Kent before he becomes Superman, while he grows up in Smallville. With a young Lex Luthor also around, Clark has to try and become who he’s destined to be, but also have a teenage life.
Psych – a hyper observant slacker drags his best friend into a business to be Psychic Detectives – even though he has no psychic abilities whatsoever. Falling into the job instead of going to prison, they fool the entire police department and help them solve crimes with over the top dramatics and silliness.
Remington Steele – with the world not ready to hire a female detective yet, Laura invents a pretend male superior that she can use as a front man. When a real con man shows up and publicly takes on the mantle, they have to work together as they move forward with their new partnership.
Brooklyn Nine Nine – following a group of police officers in the Brooklyn 99 precinct, we get short, witty episodes of what crime solving would be like if it had some amazing comedic talent as the ones who solve crimes and keep the streets safe.
My honourable mentions were
Melissa and Joey – a former stock broker gets caught up in a scandal and resorts to becoming a nanny for his former boss’ two kids just to make ends meet.
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air – a kid from West Philadelphia is sent to live with his rich uncle and aunt in Bel Air. There he tries to keep his nose clean, check out the girls, and do the best he can with plenty of laughs and raps to go around.
I KNOW I missed some, so what ones didn’t I get that you love? Share them and Merry Christmas!
Jackson Stewart wasn’t blessed with the same musical talents as the rest of his family, but by gosh he made up for it with………. something
Okay, so we ALL know about Hannah Montana (at least I hope you do):
Girl has dual identity because girl wants to live normal life AND be a pop star. Girls family and friends have to keep the secret and help her from being found out.
But whatever happened to the minor characters after the screens stopped rolling. We can all guess what happened to Miley/Hannah (and no, I’m not taking into account the real Miley Cyrus – just the character), but what about Jackson Stewart, her big bro!
I like to think that Jackson ended up owning his own chain of beach kiosks and is a very successful manager. Rico partnered with him long ago, and they both own the chain together… which leads to some very interesting business meetings.
>>>Get a copy of my ebook KIDNAPPED Entanglement >>>here
Jackson ended up finding the ‘love of his life’ and they have two kids together. They’re very happy in Malibu where he runs his empire and keeps in touch with his famous sister. He now houses his dad – Robbie Ray – but even though they’ve swapped who pays the mortgage, Robbie Ray is still ‘The Boss’. Jackson’s wife doesn’t mind.
What are your thoughts on where Jackson ended up? Do you agree, or maybe you saw things in a different ending for him… Share below!
If you want to read my book, head to the link >>>here for the KIDNAPPED Entanglement eBook, OR get the paperback direct from me for the cheapest price!
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