Movies tend to divert from their source material, aggravating the meekest of bookworms. Having written a screenplay, I have some understanding of the differences between novel and movie. To fit a certain runtime and budget, not everything can be included. After reading Inkheart, I noticed these differences primarily in the setting. Despite the changes, the writers accounted for the meaning behind each space.
Home on Wheels
In the 2007 film, we find Mortimer and Meggie living out of their van. Meggie homeschools herself while her father drives from book show to library, mending books and seeking a copy of Inkheart. It’s at one of these stops that Dustfinger finds our heroes.
In the book, Mortimer and Meggie live in a small house. Dustfinger finds them, but is turned away. Within the second chapter, we learn that young Meggie misses school often to travel with her father. These expeditions are work-related, Mortimer well-known for mending books and called upon often. However, this trip has a tinge of secrecy as Mortimer packs a book-sized bundle.
Both opening scenarios produce a single perspective: Mortimer and Meggie against the world. No sports or outside friends are mentioned. Whether it’s the van or the house, both locations are a staging ground for nomads. The two are thick as thieves, more so peers than parent and child. The other thread that leads us to the next destination is their love for books.
Elinor’s Bookish Manor
Elinor’s manor is fairly consistent, yet not quite. The film portrays a more put-together, high-society great aunt with a lavish library and ornate furniture. Sprawling hills of trees and vines surround the Italian-esque structure.
Contrast this to the reclusive and brash Elinor of the book. Lawn overgrown and metal gate daunting, her home is every fairytale’s mysterious lair. Her collection of books escapes the bounds of the library, filling the halls and nearly every room. Only the most precious are locked away in the library, awaiting Mortimer the book doctor.
Again, these two settings showcase Elinor’s love for books and distaste of people. The movie scratches the surface with her surprise at Mortimer’s arrival and stand-off attitude toward Meggie. The novel goes deeper with Elinor ignoring Meggie and being devastated later with the state of her library. This behavior is explained in Inkheart the novel, and adds to her transformation when she traverses into enemy territory.
Capricorn’s Base from Inkheart
I have no complaints with the movie in regards to this setting. Nearly every villain lair looks the same, and for good reason. Tall towers, rundown roofs. A town painted in grays and blacks, Capricorn’s village embodies the nightmares written in fairytales.
The origin of the town, however, differs. If I remember correctly, the village was read out of Inkheart by another silvertongue (term for Mortimer) in the movie. In the novel, the village is from our world. Briskly abandoned, the surrounding natives fear the “ghosts” and “demons” haunting the area. These rumors allow Capricorn and his men to go unnoticed while they pillage and seek out Mortimer.
Honestly, you can’t go wrong with a villain lair. As long as it’s haunting, dark, and creepy, you’ve succeeded. The rituals and character interactions in the movie compliment the novel’s visual theme of Capricorn as god. Our grand villain places his throne in a church and decorates the halls with images of himself. His god-complex rings clearly as he works to bring his greatest weapon into our world. But our intrepid heroes are prepared to stop him. They just need the author.
City of the Author
To think Cornelia Funke included an author. And it’s not her.
Anyway, the town itself doesn’t play a huge role, just another staging ground. The jarring aspect is going from Capricorn’s bleak village to this brighter town. The movie jumps from one to the next, leaving the journey in between a mystery. The novel has some of these details, but not a ton. All we know is that we’re in a small town by the shore with tight streets, laughing children, and impeding dread.
Another big difference: the author. In the film, he’s sort of goofy and easily disarmed by the sight of his characters (can’t fault him for that though). The book gives him more agency when he and Meggie are captured and have to escape.
For both stories, the author and the town are removed from reality. Neither are affected by Capricorn or even the struggles of life. This safe haven insulates our author from the demons he created until he comes face to face with them.
Crafting Theme with Setting
When I started writing, I crafted settings based on what I thought was cool. Forests, awesome. Packed snow and spear-like icicles, sweet. Wasn’t until I looked at the settings in Inkheart that I realized how a location can build themes and mindsets. Perhaps I always knew this, but I’m more aware now than I was before.
The book and movie are an interesting study in how the same effect can be produced with different methods. Whether it’s showcasing a bond or the lack of one, a writer has many tools within setting and description. Safe to say I’m gonna think through my settings more, though I’ll probably have a forest in every novel I write.