Catherine Called Birdy review: Lena Dunham does book-to-film adaptation right

It’s hard to find anything in pop culture that most people agree on, but at least there’s one broad statement about media that rarely starts arguments: It’s widely agreed that a book is usually better than a movie or show adapted from it, no matter how faithful or artistic the adaptation might be. What no one seems to agree on is whether it’s better for an adaptation to faithfully follow the book or chart its own course. Some screen adaptations of books are still criticized for the things they change. Take the most recent adaptation of Jane Austen’s PersuasionAnne Elliot is transformed from being a thoughtful, somber woman to a sharp, humorous one by the addition of.

So to fans of Karen Cushman’s Newbery Honor-winning historical novel Catherine is called Birdy, it may seem odd that writer-director Lena Dunham changed the book’s ending for the screen in favor of something more modern. Even stranger is the fact that the ending was actually better this time. Sometimes, books aren’t cinematic enough to play well on screen, and Dunham and her team understand that, so they updated Cushman’s story to make it more cohesive and compelling as a movie. You can find it here Game of Thrones’ Bella Ramsey leading the cast, Catherine Called Birdy This is a rare adaptation of a book that has been made into a film. It makes some significant changes to the story.

[Ed. note: This post contains ending spoilers for the book version of Catherine Called Birdy, and discusses general changes to the plot for the film version.]

a young teenage girl with pale skin and long brown hair looks excited as she grabs a fistful of mud in each hand

Cushman’s 1994 novel is pretty bleak. Catherine is called BirdyThis is Catherine’s Middle Ages diary, 14 years old. She was the only child of an English lord. It begins as an account of her life, but her father eventually decides that she should be married. Then she spends her time evading suitors, before becoming engaged to a wealthy man who’s much older than her — old enough to have adult children. She runs away from home to seek sanctuary with her newly married uncle, but she ultimately accepts her fate, resolving to never lose her sense of self, even as she’s being married off. Catherine is blessed with a happy ending. Her potential suitor, who was her ideal man, dies in an auto accident. It counts as a win for the given time!

For young readers, Catherine is called Birdy is similar to the Dear America or American Girl books — yes, there’s an engaging narrative, but You can also see it hereThe book contains a lot of information about specific times and could spark a curiosity in history. Catherine’s diary entries not only showcase her spunky, strong-willed, humorous voice, but also the day-to-day life of a medieval noblewoman, from humdrum chores to more exciting festivals.

The mundane aspects of Catherine’s life in the book are fascinating, especially to the target audience of middle-grade readers, who may not have exposure to real history from this time period. When Catherine talks about spinning fabric, keeping birds, and attending village festivities, or gives her thoughts on the way various saints were martyred, it’s all part of her daily life. But for modern readers, it’s a peek into a way of life that’s long gone and curiously unfamiliar.

a young teenage girl in middle ages clothes raises a sword above her head; next to her, a blonde man smiles and looks at her fondly

The problem is that, while the daily chores of a 14-year-old in the Middle Ages make for an interesting read, they don’t make for a particularly interesting film. So much of the book’s charm comes from Catherine’s plucky voice, and while the movie’s voice-over does capture some of it, the film can’t tell a story via voice-over alone. This film needs to have a concrete theme. So Dunham’s script makes Catherine’s impending betrothal a more central plot point earlier on.

The biggest change in the movie is that Catherine’s family is far more sympathetic than their book counterparts, especially since film as a medium naturally exits a limited first-person perspective.

It’s a tactic embraced by Netflix’s adaptation of Shadow and Bone, with a whole episode that leaves behind protagonist Alina to focus on her best friend, tracker Mal (Archie Renaux, who incidentally plays Catherine’s monk brother Edward in Catherine Called Birdy). One of the biggest criticisms of Mal in the books is that he comes off as jealous and controlling, but a lot of that comes from the book’s first-person perspective, filtered through Alina and her insecurities. But in the show, Mal’s side of the story is fleshed out, and some of his dialogue and actions read as less aggressive than Alina perceived. They become more connected and have a beautiful, mutually pinning relationship.

Catherine Called Birdy, much of Catherine’s family’s actions are still framed through her narration and point of view. This also presents a wonderful irony because even though Catherine may say one thing, her audience can actually see her siblings, parents and other family members. Particularly, her father, Lord Rollo (the marvelous Andrew Scott), becomes less of a lazy glutton who wastes his family’s money and treats them like objects, and more of a complicated figure who loves his family and wants what’s best for them, in spite of his mistakes in overspending and mismanaging their estate.

a man wearing a chainmail snood holds up a young teenage girl

Catherine can’t see the conversation he has with his advisor about marrying her off, as she only eavesdrops through the door. But the audience can, and they can see Rollo’s pained face as he realizes the only solution to the family’s financial struggles is to arrange a marriage for his only daughter. Dunham chose to make Catherine’s family more complex to the viewers, but that means the original ending of them being totally OK with her impending arranged marriage would be unsatisfying, and veer them back in an unsympathetic direction. This also changes. While the film’s ending is definitely more modern than what would be expected in the Middle Ages, it also feels more narratively satisfying. Catherine’s fate isn’t left to chance, and her family’s involvement seems plausible, given how Dunham threads it into their earlier actions.

It might seem strange for book lovers to learn that changing the ending can actually make the story better. But in some cases, changing a book’s themes or clearing up its ambiguities creates something different that still keeps the book’s general feeling, but can stand on its own. You can read more about it here. Unfortunate Events in a SeriesFor example, a television series addressed a question left unanswered by author Daniel Handler for over ten years. Handler built the Snicketverse through spinoffs, guidebooks and other media, but a TV series is finite and closure feels more satisfying than intentional vagueness.

Dunham took a similar approach with Catherine Called Birdy. It isn’t a faithful adaptation of the book, but it’s the adaptation that works best for an audience discovering this story on screen. Catherine Called Birdy the movie tells a tighter story than the book’s delightful diary entries tell, and it needed a conclusion with more finality than a journal that simply runs out of pages. It’s an updated version of the story, but not updated out of cowardice over a tragic ending, or a “How do you do, fellow kids” misplaced attempt to appeal to young people by being “edgy” or “different.” Instead, the changes come from a desire to augment the best parts of the book. Catherine’s sharp narration and the insight into her daily Middle Ages life, juxtaposed with a more narratively cohesive conclusion, make the film stronger, and let Dunham seek her own path and audience.

Catherine Called BirdyIt is available in cinemas and on Prime Video beginning Oct. 7.