Most of the time the content of a movie on TV or in cinema is based on the written word, like a novel or an opera or a play. Also short stories, such as "Million $$$ Baby", have inspired movies very often. The literary work of other writers serve as a main source of input, often somehow giving the story a new twist. In fact, 85 percent of all Oscar-winning films, 95 percent of all miniseries and 70 percent all TV movies that win Emmy Awards are adaptations. Why are adaptations so successful? In this term paper I would like to answer this question. Furthermore, I will survey if for "Million $$$ Baby" the adaptation is its own heterocosm, with its individual characters, settings and events or if it is simply an imitation of the original. I am going to investigate if the form of the original changes by adapting, if the content does persist or if the source only serves as a hollow corpse. Further, this approach will try to give an answer to what is it that constitutes the transmuted and transferred content.
The film adaptation Million Dollar Baby was directed and starred by Clint Eastwood in 2004 with Hilary Swank and Morgan Freemann in the other title roles. The screenplay of the film was written by Paul Haggis and based on the short story with the same name Million $$$ Baby by F.X. Toole, which is to be found in his book Rope Burns. Toole himself worked as a “cut man” in the ring, where he had to patch up the boxer's injuries so he could continue fighting. His expert knowledge and love to the sport can be very well experienced in his stories.
When the adaptation was criticised especially by disability right activists, Eastwood stated that the film was about the American and that he distances himself from the characters and actions in the film. He as a filmmaker is simply showing things as they are and not judging the decisions and operations of his figures. This might be easy to say, because the storyline is adopted. But in general, the task of a filmmaker is not to tell the audience what is proper to do. Nevertheless, Clint Eastwood's film adaptation of the short story won four Academy Awards and a prize for Best Picture.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Defining Adaptation
- Adaptation Studies and their Theoretical Concepts
- Adaptation Studies in reference to Million Dollar Baby
- Intermediality
- The Problem of Comparing Literature and Film
- Fidelity
- Million Dollar Baby - Major Similarities between Movie and Short Story
- Themes
- Characters
- Million Dollar Baby - Major Differences between Movie and Short Story
- Themes
- Figures
- Added and omitted Scenes in the Movie Million Dollar Baby
- Time Lags and Chronology
- Speech
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This term paper examines the film adaptation of F.X. Toole's short story "Million $$$ Baby" by analyzing its major similarities and differences with the original source material. The paper aims to understand the process of adaptation by exploring theoretical concepts and considering the challenges of translating a story from one medium to another. It also investigates the film's unique identity as an adaptation and its ability to stand on its own as a distinct work of art.
- The nature and process of adaptation, specifically in the context of literary works being transformed into films.
- Key theoretical concepts in adaptation studies, including intertextuality, fidelity, and the role of the audience in interpreting adaptations.
- The comparative analysis of themes, characters, and plot elements between the original short story and the film adaptation of "Million Dollar Baby."
- The challenges and potential benefits of translating a story across media, exploring the differences in how narrative is conveyed in literature and film.
- The film's ability to establish its own unique identity and meaning, exploring the concept of autonomy in adaptation.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introductory chapter provides an overview of the topic and introduces the subject of film adaptation, particularly focusing on the example of "Million Dollar Baby." This chapter explores the significance of adaptations, their success, and the challenges they present.
Chapter 2 delves into the definition and concept of adaptation, examining its purpose, process, and products. It explores the different perspectives on adaptation as a creative process, a product, and an engagement with the original source material.
Chapter 3 explores the theoretical frameworks and concepts utilized in adaptation studies, including film philology, film semiotics, and theories of semiotic mediation. This chapter discusses the role of sign systems, iconic and indexicality, and the impact of media on communication.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Adaptation, film adaptation, literary adaptation, intertextuality, fidelity, Million Dollar Baby, F.X. Toole, Clint Eastwood, Paul Haggis, film philology, film semiotics, semiotic mediation, sign systems, iconicity, indexicality, narrative, storytelling, medium, autonomy.
- Quote paper
- Winnie Faust (Author), 2015, "Million Dollar Baby" as a film adaption. An analysis of major similarities and differences between the short story and the film, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/370418
