dear movie maker...

To Whom It May Concern:

It is with great sadness and frustration that I question your movie adaptation of the bestselling Jodi Picoult novel, "My Sister's Keeper."

My biggest question is actually pretty simple: Did you read the book?

I know you Hollywood types are really busy, hanging out with Steve Spielburg and keeping your eyes on Jon and Kate, but really, your latest attempt at a dramatization of a book was downright pathetic.

I'll forgive you for casting Cameron Diaz in a role that probably should have gone to someone a tad more matronly. I'll even give you a little credit for seeing potential there that I didn't see.

And I actually understand that movies can't be identical to the books they're recreating. That's fine. As a lover of books, I don't expect movies to fulfill the role of bound paper in my hands.

But when a movie claims to be a retelling of the book-- complete with the same title and premise-- I expect more than just similarities. I'm expecting something comparable (with some details removed for the sake of time).

Imagine my surprise as I sit in the theatre and find the characters dry and void of personality. Key parts of the story wiped away.

Imagine by utter astonishment as I watch an ending that bares no resemblance to the book I'd read not months earlier.

I don't know how much you paid off Jodi Picoult, but both of you should be ashamed.

And don't bother telling me about focus groups and ratings.

If you wanted to completely revamp the story, the title (My Sister's Keeper) and tagline (Based on the novel by Jodi Picoult) should have been changed.

That way book lovers like myself could have saved the cash and gone to see Harry Potter.

Because clearly, it is possible to create a movie adaptation of a book.

You just don't know how.

Sincerely,

A disappointed viewer