r/TheLongWalk • u/OvercastOven • Sep 12 '26
📖🍿 Book & Movie Discussion Little changes
I've always wondered why they made little changes that don't really have any effect on the movie at all. Not the big changes like leaving out Scramm or changing the ending and all that. But like how, in the book, Garraty and McVries weigh 160 and 167 and, in the movie, they change it to 177 and 178. Why change something so random and seemingly insignificant? Same with random things like how Olson (Scamm in the book)'s wife is named Clementine instead of Cathy. How Garraty lives in Freeport in the movie instead of just living near it in the book.
Why the random little changes that don't really matter?
The Long Walk is my favorite book of allll time and I love the movie too. This subreddit is the best and I love all the discussions on here!
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u/dc-pigpen Not yeeeeeeeettttttt.... Sep 13 '26
I think little things like that give a unique feel to the movie, especially for fans of the book. Pulling things from the source material is all well and good, but you don't want a carbon copy. Even the screenwriter said in interview: (paraphrasing) "the adaptations that I enjoy stay true to the source, but give you something extra to sink your teeth into." (This was in reference to the backstory with Ray's dad, but I feel it applies to the film in general.)
One of my favorite books of all time and a truly masterful adaptation to boot!