Author Jodi Picoult is still grappling with the fallout from the film adaptation of her 2004 novel, My Sister’s Keeper. In a recent interview with People, Picoult described the experience of turning her beloved book into a movie as “really terrible,” particularly due to the significant changes made to the story’s ending.
The 2009 film, directed by Nick Cassavetes, known for The Notebook, follows the story of 13-year-old Anna Fitzgerald (played by Abigail Breslin). Anna seeks medical emancipation from her parents (Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric) who insist she donate a kidney to her cancer-stricken sister, Kate (Sofia Vassilieva). Despite a star-studded cast including Alec Baldwin and Joan Cusack, the film faced mixed-to-negative reviews, especially from fans of the book who were disappointed by the altered ending.
Picoult revealed that her discontent with the movie’s divergence from the book’s conclusion led her to visit the film set. “I was really upset, so I flew to the movie set and I went to talk to him and he pretty much threw me off the set,” she shared. Her attempts to persuade Cassavetes and his team to remain faithful to the book were unsuccessful.
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Despite the film’s box office success, Picoult’s frustration persisted. “It took me a long time to kind of wrap my head around the fact that they didn’t ruin my book. My book is still there. And anyone who reads my book is still getting the story that I intended,” she told People.
This experience influenced Picoult’s latest novel, By Any Other Name, which explores themes of identity and authorship. Released on August 19, 2024, the book follows playwright Melina Green, whose play about a 16th-century poet is misattributed to her Black roommate.
The ongoing impact of My Sister’s Keeper serves as a reminder of the challenges authors face when their work is adapted for the screen, and how creative differences can profoundly affect their experiences.
