Plot Summary: Bella is moving back to Forks, WA to live with her father Charlie while her mom follows her new husband on the road for his baseball career. While Bella is initially wary of the move and the small town of Forks, things look up when she makes new friends and meets the mysterious Edward Cullen. Edward tries to keep her at arms length, but neither of them can fight their attraction, even when Edward's family secret is revealed. He's a vampire (albeit it a "vegetarian" one) and her blood is like a drug to him. With risks like these, can Bella and Edward overcome the odds and be together? As they begin to try to figure it out, trouble comes to town in the form of a group of vampires who don't obstain from attacking humans, and things look even worse for our heroes when one of those vampires, James, decides he wants a taste of Bella too. The hunt is on and nobody's safe.
Critical Evaluation: Based on the international best seller of the same name by Stephenie Meyer, this film was a huge phenomenon. The film adaptation knows its audience (teenage girls), and takes its tone and vibe from what it thinks that group wants. The result is a broody, often campy movie that sometimes takes itself too seriously, but provides a hilarious escape from reality for a few hours. Some of the aspects of the novel (like the fact that Meyer's vampires literally sparkle in the sun) create ridiculous images when translated to the silver screen, but the teen angst is palpable and you are never in any doubt, from the first moment on, that Edward and Bella share a GREAT love and their romance is meant to be in this film. While it certainly won't win any awards for cinematic excellence, this movie will be a popular with fans of the novel.
Viewer's Annotation: Bella is new in town and finding there's a lot more to Forks, WA than she thought. There's more than meets the eye with Edward and his family, can their attraction conquer their differences?
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Drama
Rating: PG-13
Interest Age: 13+
Challenge Issues: Vampires/Paranormal Romance
Challenge Response: In response to challenges for this title, I would reference my library's policy on collections and point to the popularity of the film with teen patrons. Further, I would touch on how the book is so unbelievable that it is clearly fiction and won't influence teens to action.
Why is this Included: Twilight has sparked an international phenomenon in young adult literature and spawned countless imitators. Love it or hate it, Twilight is a force to be reckoned wih as can be seen by this film adaptation that made instant super stars out of the cast.
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