The film is certainly not an ‘accurate’ representation of John Marsden’s novel ‘Tomorrow When the War Began’. In preparation to answer this topic question correctly, we must question the key aspect of the essay topic, as that is what I am basing my entire theory on. The critical word is ‘accurate’ which by definition according to the Oxford dictionary is ‘correct in all details; exact’. The film contains a some-what likeness of the novel, in keeping with the main storyline and ideas, but certainly not ‘correct in all details. The example of these include the apparent lack of detail about the internal feelings of the characters, the minor, though noticeable ‘tweaks’ of the storyline and the selection of the main characters themselves.
Throughout the entire Tomorrow When the War Began movie there is a crucial lack of detail regarding the personal, individual feelings of the main characters. This is a complete contrast to the book as one of the most appealing elements of the novel is the in-depth internal monologue of the characters as they battle the war within themselves, whilst overcoming the physical war. This void in the movie can’t simply be replaced by explosions or special affects as it really puts a drain on the overall entertainment value. I feel you miss out on a portion of the storyline when only experiencing the movie, thus concealing the genius that is the big picture. The emotions of the main characters in only a minor element missing from the movie, but a very significant one. An inaccuracy of the movie compared to the film would be the directors little ‘tweaks’ of the storyline. Though, not major, they change the mood of the storyline and I find them some of them completely unnecessary, as they are not adding anything to the film. For example, when Hommer discovers a snake in his sleeping bag and decides to ‘free’ it. In the novel the snake escapes