Bringing Down the House

I watched 21 on DVD as soon as I was finished with Bringing Down the House, the book by Ben Mezrich on which the film is based. This is usually a bad idea, but since I was mostly concerned with being true to the spirit of the story rather than the details, I thought I would be fine.

I liked the movie, and the screenplay by Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb is indeed true to the spirit of the book. It hits most of the same beats and presents the story in a very similar way, but it also changes several things. This doesn't really bother me anymore, because I understand some changes occur to better present the story on a different medium, and it sometimes works for the best. In 21...

1. Some of the changes make sense, such as reducing the number of members on the MIT Blackjack Team for reasons of budget, time, and clarity.

2. Some other changes help flesh out the main character's personality and evolution (Ben, played by Jim Sturgess), such as his relationship with his friends and how it changes after he becomes part of the Blackjack Team.

3. Some changes are rather pointless though, like changing the name of the main character from Kevin to Ben (the author's name) when "Kevin" is a fake name itself (the book is based on a true story), or having the teacher in charge of the team (played by Kevin Spacey) still teaching as opposed to being retired.

4. Some other changes have to do with marketing and making money, such as the whole team being Asian in the book but only having one Asian girl in the movie –I guess an all-Asian cast would not attract audiences to the movie theater.

5. And some other changes feel too coincidental, like the girl Ben likes (played by Kate Bosworth) being on the team. Bosworth's character is actually a blend of two or three different girls from the book, and even though I understand this is common practice when adapting a novel and it helps streamline both cast and story in the film, it also feels like too much of a coincidence.

6. Finally, there is one change I didn't like, and that was giving Ben a reason to enter the team. In the book he does it because of the thrill, the danger, the appealing double life. In the movie, he does it to get money to pay for his continuing education, a much more praiseworthy motive but one that I think changes the fundamental nature of the character. Maybe that's why they gave him a different name in the movie, because he is a different character.

At any rate, I enjoyed the movie, which, as I said, is true to the spirit of the book. I found it well acted and entertaining, and you could do worse than watching it. Just don't watch the preview first, since it spoils quite a lot of things. Will they ever stop doing that?