And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…
There are two breeds of Twilight fans, and no, I’m not talking about Team Edward vs. Team Jacob. You either fell in love with Stephenie Meyer’s novels first or found the series through the movies starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. No matter the avenue in which you found your way to Edward and Bella, it probably changed the way you look at the franchise in one way or another. So, why don’t we compare notes and talk about the major differences between the Twilight movies and the bestselling books they are based on?
The last of Stephenie Meyer’s four-part saga was released just a few months before Twilight hit the big screen and became a cultural phenomenon back in 2008. As the Hollywood movies found their massive audience, the Twilight saga continued to become bigger with each new installment. And nearly a decade after the ending of the franchise , we’re still talking about what Twilight’s main stars are doing now, rewatching the films on spare weekends and reading more Twilight such as with the release of 2020’s Midnight Sun. Let’s talk about how the source material and movie adaptations are different:
How Bella Tells Edward She Knows He’s A Vampire
One especially iconic scene in the first Twilight movie is when Edward and Bella stand in the forest together as Bella Swan puts two and two together concerning her crush’s true identity. Edward Cullen famously belts out “Say it out loud!” as she stands in front of him and responds with “vampire!” Sure, that’s cinematic and all, but it did not happen that way in the Twilight book.
Originally, Bella tells Edward her findings about him while she is in his car on the way back to Forks from Port Angeles. The revelation occurs after Edward comes to her rescue to pull her off the group of strangers who crowd her in the city, and were apparently thinking some uncouth thoughts about Bella. When it comes to this difference, I think fans appreciate seeing two distinct versions of Edward and Bella’s big turning point.
Bella And Charlie Were Not Diner Regulars In The Books
Bella Swan’s relationship with her father Charlie is a complex and interesting one in both the books and movies, but when it was adapted to screen, one key change was made to their dynamic. In Meyer’s books, Bella and Charlie don’t spend much of their time in a diner downing berry cobbler as the movies portray.
In the books, Bella is something of a cook and she makes the meals at home for Charlie. This may seem like a minor thing but the Twilight movies would not have been the same if Kristen Stewart’s character was always in the kitchen serving her dad another recipe. It shows a different vision for the teen that Meyer had, which was certainly more traditional.
There Was No ‘Cullen Crest’ In The Twilight Books
Starting in the first Twilight movie, it’s established that the Cullen family wear their own Cullen Crest around their necks. The symbol involves a roaring lion standing over three clovers and an open hand above its head. In the movies, the Cullens are often seen sporting the Cullen Crest, but it’s a completely new concept created for the movies.
My guess is the Cullen Crest was created by the costume department to create some uniform to the vampire family’s looks and their loyalty to each other. And honestly, it was also likely added to sell movie-themed merchandise as well.
The Book Cover In Twilight Is Not Directly Referenced In The Original Text
As you may recall from the first Twilight movie, there’s a scene early on when Bella drops an apple in the cafeteria and Edward bounces it off his foot and into his hands exactly how the picture on the front of the original book cover looks. It’s a clever reference to the cover, but it does not reflect a scene in the novel.
When it comes to the reason behind Stephenie Meyer having two hands holding an apple on the cover of the bestseller in the first place, it is more symbolic. Per the author’s website, the apple represents the “forbidden fruit” from Genesis because she loved the phrase “the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.” As Meyer explained, that phrase is exactly what Bella ends up with Edward. She also said she finds the cover’s apple to represent “choice.”
