Key Takeaways:
– ‘The Guardian’ is a 1990 horror movie directed by William Friedkin and based on the 1987 novel ‘The Nanny’ by Dan Greenburg.
– Differences and similarities between the movie and book versions offer intriguing insights.
– Despite lackluster responses, both the book and the film still resonate with fans and critics.
The world of fictional adaptations frequently produces astounding surprises as audiences discover that their favorite films often originated from books. One such example is the 1990 horror movie ‘The Guardian’, which although met with initial disinterest, was directed by the talented William Friedkin and based on Dan Greenburg’s 1987 novel, ‘The Nanny’.
Journey of the Movie
Universal Pictures in 1989 took the initiative to adapt Greenburg’s book into ‘The Guardian’. Originally Sam Raimi was entrusted as the director. However, following the initial failure of ‘Crimewave’, he resigned to direct ‘Darkman’, opening the gate for Oscar-winning director William Friedkin. The original script was reportedly more aligned with Raimi’s style but the entrance of Friedkin led to subsequent rewrites and eventually garnered him a writer’s credit.
Despite the endless overhaul and frustration from both actors and other writers, Friedkin, together with Steven Volk and Greenburg, drafted the final version of ‘The Guardian’. The movie went on to earn $17 million, despite lackluster critical reviews.
Unraveling the Novel
‘The Nanny’ was written by the versatile author, Dan Greenburg. Known for his engaging content in both fiction and nonfiction genre, Greenburg has had a successful stint in the Hollywood dimension. Apart from ‘The Guardian’, he has also written screenplays for other film and tv series adaptations of his works. His notable points of popularity include the children’s series ‘Zak Files’, which was later adapted into a Canadian TV series exceeding 50 episodes.
Comparing the Two
While it may seem that the plotlines of the book and film are straightforward, the uncanny differences between the two are worthy of mentioning. Both stories revolve around a couple who move from Chicago to a different city following the husband’s job shift and decide to hire a nanny for their baby boy. The nanny they settle for is an English woman, who bonds quickly with the kid and but things take a ghastly turn when the couple learns about the nanny’s dreadful truth.
The cinematic and narrative differences play a significant role here. The film is set in Los Angeles instead of New York, as depicted in the book. Additionally, the movie opts for a visual approach, presenting the nanny as a tree nymph monster, unlike the book, where she is portrayed as an undead creature. Her ability to transform into a wolf in the film is yet another noteworthy digression.
There are a myriad of other differences in the story’s climax and characters among other aspects. While they both root back to the same idea, these variations make the book and film vastly unique from each other.
Preserving the Legacy
While ‘The Guardian’ may not be remembered as one of Friedkin’s hallmark films or a milestone in the horror genre, and the book ‘The Nanny’ often gets overlooked in the wide realm of literature, both managed to create a significant impact during their time. Both have remained a stable part of respective domains, be it Friedkin’s filmography or Greenburg’s written contributions.
To conclude, despite the odds and manifold differences, both the book ‘The Nanny’ and the movie ‘The Guardian’ make for compelling experiences. Although they diverge significantly, they both manage to encapsulate the original essence of the story, making the book and movie worth a shot for any ardent horror enthusiast.
