Martian Child: An Awesome Adaptation

When I saw that this week’s topic for “Awesome Adaptations” (hosted by Picture Me Reading) was “An Awesome Adaptation of Your Choice,” I knew I might as well pick one that was fresh on my mind due to a recent re-watch, Martian Child.

The movie, released in 2007, is somewhat based on the novelette (later expanded into a novel) The Martian Child by science fiction author David Gerrold. In the film, David (last name changed to Gordon) has been a widower for two years when he finally has the chance to adopt a child, as he and his wife were trying to do before her death. The child is Dennis, a boy who believes he’s from Mars, a reaction to how alienated he feels and how he copes with having lost his parents. Since I have not read the book, I once again do not know much about the differences between the two, but I do believe that the heart of the story must largely be the same.

One thing in the film that stands out to me is the beginning, where David Gordon is being interviewed about his books. He explains how it’s true that authors often times do insert themselves into a character in their story. But for him in one of his books, it’s not who you would expect, because he identifies the most with the creature. This interview sets the tone of the film, of how alike David and Dennis truly are and how much they can learn from loving each other.

It’s real and raw and sad and funny and heartwarming all at once. Check it out sometime if you haven’t already, and here’s a clip that might wet your appetite:

If you’ve seen Martian Child, what were your thoughts? Or is there a movie you saw recently that was an adaptation of a book?