Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg

[Mara C]

actually it's all in the final edit of the movie with the director and the editor...line or events from the book were obviously added in the script in more ways than one. it's all in tying the film together...the director has the final say, so y'all better blame catherine.

[cascsiany]

actually it's all in the final edit of the movie with the director and the editor...line or events from the book were obviously added in the script in more ways than one. it's all in tying the film together...the director has the final say, so y'all better blame catherine.

Yes it does have to do with the final editing where some things are cut out. But there are things that should have been in the script that weren't. No it's not all Rosenberg's fault, but some of it does lie with her.

[shortstuff]

ugh, is rosenberg actually writing the rest of the movies?? that scares me. so many important scenes and lines were replaced with really lame ones, or just plain gone from the story. i blame the director too tho, so HOPEFULLY having a new director will help the cause a little bit.. weitz already made a statement saying he is going to try to stay as true to the story as possible, and i hope he sticks to that... i know its hard to adapt a 500 page book into a 2 hour movie, but she could have at least TRIED to keep the essence of the story and the relationships..

[shavei7]

I was a 100 percent against Melissa Rosenberg after I saw the movie, but a few days ago I found some sides from, I'm guessing the earlier version of the script and they were so good. Of course there were some weird things like Emmett saying something that he would never in a million years would have said. (In the final cut of the movie Rosalie said those.) So I don't know what happened between those and the actual script. This one was so much closer to the book. And there was actually a scene where Alice tells Bella about how someone becomes a vampire.
It was wierd though, because I thought when Bella enters the bio class for the first time, and Edward stiffens and makes that funny face, well it was funny, but not in a good way. So I believed that, that was something that either Cathrine or Rob came up, but it was in the script. WTH?!!

do you have the link to this earlier version of the script? There was a script posted on one thread and had some scenes omitted. However, the script that I've read had some very cheesy dialogues/lines which were thankfully changed during filming.

MR really need to read the book closely and understand which scenes she should not mess with.

[mandyb7]

I had my inklings about this from just seeing the official trailer but now that I have seen the movie I will really comment.

Definitely disappointing. My main, possibly only, problem with the movie lies in the script. Unfortunatly the root of every movie is the script and if the script is bad the movie can only go so far. (unless it's an action movie, which is maybe 10% of Twilight)

For the most parts, those essential lines and scenes we miss from the book were cut in writing. The things she chose to gloss over and the things she chose to keep were just wrong. I don't understand what was wrong with the original meadow scene leading to the kiss? Or the original meet the Cullen scene? (Though editing it to include Rosalie and Emmet would have been good the base was better then the new version) Or the original way Bella finds out about Vampires? Or the original way She finds out how to turn into a Vampire?

Furthermore, all the important conversations between Bella and Edward got cut. How does that work? Where are these "another time phrases" Edward uses. Explanation of Edwards power? Explanation of Alice's power? Some mention of Jasper's power....Maybe?

So many of the scenes were so awkwardly written. Example, the scene where they introduce the guy that gets killed by the nomads near the beginning. "I used to be Santa Clause" incredibly creepy... Even the kiss scene. "I've been watching you sleep for the past few months" "YAY lets make-out!" Granted, that was awkward in the book too but to make it literally the lead in lines for the kiss scene....no. absolutely not.

Obviously, it's impossible for me to know how much was cut from the script in the editing process but all these problems didn't come from editing.

So if I had to pick the biggest disappointment in the Twilight Movie it would be the script writing.

and yeah, I suppose she did do some things well. The Humans were well written (minus Angela of course)

Wow exactly how I feel.

except I think Mike was way off, the Mike in the movie is not the Mike in the book.

and I don't think the Cullens were inconspicuous enough. I didn't like their intro scene where they paraded through the cafeteria.

[MelEponine]

Okay.... I have posted elsewhere that I pretty much liked the movie, but am in some ways very disappointed. I have a weird love/hate relationship with it.... which I suppose is bound to happen when a film is based off a book I feel so passionate about.

I had been blaming a lot of the things I didn't like on Melissa Rosenberg, but I just read the sides. The sides are excerpts of the script that were sent out for casting purposes. I am so much more okay with Melissa Rosenberg now.... and quite a bit more disappointed in Catherine Harwicke. So many of the lines in the script much more closely resemble Twilight and even Midnight Sun! I got kind of sad reading them, because I could envision the movie that could have been.... a movie much closer to the one that played in my head when I was reading Twilight. Anyway.... I have a lot more faith in Rosenberg now. Especially considering she did the script in 6 weeks and then rushed out to the picket lines two hours after turning it in. I think she will do a great job with the next scripts. (And to think I had been so disappointed that they kept her!) You can download the sides here:
[EDIT] I'm removing the link. Summit is making an effort to get these scripts off the net, and I don't want to go against their wishes. Sorry!

Now.... maybe Hardwicke should take the blame for the transformation from script to screen, or maybe it was Rob and Kristen. I don't fault them wanting to make the characters their own or wanting to be comfortable with the lines.... but I do feel some things were lost. I do think they both interpreted the characters very well, though. Anyway.... just wanted to defend Rosenberg a little and share my recent discovery. I wish they would release her script in book version.... they do that with some films. Seems like a cheap easy way for Summitt to squeeze a little more out of their cash cow. I'd buy it.

[shortstuff]

Okay.... I have posted elsewhere that I pretty much liked the movie, but am in some ways very disappointed. I have a weird love/hate relationship with it.... which I suppose is bound to happen when a film is based off a book I feel so passionate about.

I had been blaming a lot of the things I didn't like on Melissa Rosenberg, but I just read the sides. The sides are excerpts of the script that were sent out for casting purposes. I am so much more okay with Melissa Rosenberg now.... and quite a bit more disappointed in Catherine Harwicke. So many of the lines in the script much more closely resemble Twilight and even Midnight Sun! I got kind of sad reading them, because I could envision the movie that could have been.... a movie much closer to the one that played in my head when I was reading Twilight. Anyway.... I have a lot more faith in Rosenberg now. Especially considering she did the script in 6 weeks and then rushed out to the picket lines two hours after turning it in. I think she will do a great job with the next scripts. (And to think I had been so disappointed that they kept her!) You can download the sides here: http://fs03n1.sendspace.com/dl/513bd5d2 ... /Sides.zip

Now.... maybe Hardwicke should take the blame for the transformation from script to screen, or maybe it was Rob and Kristen. I don't fault them wanting to make the characters their own or wanting to be comfortable with the lines.... but I do feel some things were lost. I do think they both interpreted the characters very well, though. Anyway.... just wanted to defend Rosenberg a little and share my recent discovery. I wish they would release her script in book version.... they do that with some films. Seems like a cheap easy way for Summitt to squeeze a little more out of their cash cow. I'd buy it.

yeah i realize now that some of my frustrations may have been misdirected... i originally had a problem with MR, but i;ve been reading some of the original screenplay and i notice a lot of the good stuff she wrote in wasnt in the final product.. so i feel a little bit better about her being in NM.. hopefully weitz will help keep the right tone...

if youre looking for a more complete copy of the screenplay as opposed to just sides, try here (it is an earlier version tho, so things may have changed: http://www.scribd.com/doc/8002212/Twilight

[twilightsagaaddict]

HI all~

Just saw Twilight for the 2nd time last night (just got hooked on the saga over Christmas). While the movie was good I guess, I really missed the initial attraction b/t Edward and Bella like it is in the book. Edward realizing that he loves ber but shouldn't, and Bella falling for him but feeling she's not good enough for him. Maybe they could have some voiceovers of how attracted they were-if you hadn't read the book you really didn't capture the depth of their feelings. I haven't had a chance to read the screenplay with the sides-I guess that will give me better sense of MR abilities. I read somewhere that they picked CH to direct b/c she seems to have a handle on teen angst (or something like that). But TW is soooo much more than that. Hopefully Chris Weitz will do a better job with NM!

Ok, just read the sides-why couldn't we have had that movie?! It totally captures the essence of TW!! Now I need to read the screenplay....

And now have read the screenplay. Would it be too much to hope for that maybe when the DVD comes out some of the omitted scenes will be included. The screenplay conveys sooo much more.....

[MelEponine]

yeah i realize now that some of my frustrations may have been misdirected... i originally had a problem with MR, but i;ve been reading some of the original screenplay and i notice a lot of the good stuff she wrote in wasnt in the final product.. so i feel a little bit better about her being in NM.. hopefully weitz will help keep the right tone...

if youre looking for a more complete copy of the screenplay as opposed to just sides, try here (it is an earlier version tho, so things may have changed: http://www.scribd.com/doc/8002212/Twilight

Awesome! Thanks. I'm gonna start reading that now. I'm hoping maybe some of the good stuff they cut will end up in deleted or extended scenes on the DVD.

I have a lot of hope and faith the NM and Ec will come out great. I think CH did an okay job..... but she could have done better, IMO. As twilightsagaaddict said, she has a handle on the teen angst thing, but a lot of people who are criticizing Twilight don't see why a 100 year old vampire would have teen angst.... and he really wouldn't. Edward's pain and confusion are deep and genuine results of his circumstances..... not because he's a mopey teenager. That didn't really come across in the film.... and I don't think RPatt's performance is to blame. I dunno.... I'm gonna stop rambling about CH's failings. She's not doing New Moon.... maybe it'll be better. Maybe it won't. At the very least, we can hope someone might do a remake in 20 years and stay closer to the books.

[shortstuff]

I'm hoping maybe some of the good stuff they cut will end up in deleted or extended scenes on the DVD.

according to steph's website, the dvd will have lost of deleted/extended scenes:

SPECIAL FEATURES — DISC ONE
Five extended scenes with director introductions
Audio commentary (Catherine Hardwicke, Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart)
Three music videos (Muse, Paramore, Linkin Park)
SPECIAL FEATURES — DISC TWO
Five deleted scenes with director introductions
Seven-part documentary: "The Adventure Begins: The Journey from Page to Screen"
Comic-Con Phenomenon featurette
And more!

but we have to wait till march..

At the very least, we can hope someone might do a remake in 20 years and stay closer to the books.

here's to hoping!