This topic might be better for General Movie Discussion but it's about all adaptations, not just movie ones, so I'm putting it here for now.
In both the 1988 miniseries of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the 2005 movie, I feel like the scene of Mrs. Beaver packing for the trip to the Stone Table comes across differently from how it does in the book. It feels more like we're supposed to be laughing at her expense. While it's definitely a funny scene in the text, I'd argue we're not supposed to think that Mrs. Beaver is being silly except for maybe her line about the sewing machine. (And even that's kind of understandable, when you remember how the White Witch's secret police trashed Tumnus's home.) A careful reading shows that Mrs. Beaver is actually being pretty reasonable in her thinking and everyone else is just in panic mode.
“What are you doing, Mrs Beaver?” exclaimed Susan.
“Packing a load for each of us, dearie,” said Mrs Beaver very coolly.
“You didn’t think we’d set out on a journey with nothing to eat, did
you?”“But we haven’t time!” said Susan, buttoning the collar of her coat.
“She may be here any minute.”“That’s what I say,” chimed in Mr Beaver.
“Get along with you all,” said his wife. “Think it over, Mr Beaver. She
can’t be here for quarter of an hour at least.”“But don’t we want as big a start as we can possibly get,” said Peter,
“if we’re to reach the Stone Table before her?”“You’ve got to remember that, Mrs Beaver,” said Susan. “As soon as
she has looked in here and finds we’re gone she’ll be off at top speed.”“That she will,” said Mrs Beaver. “But we can’t get there before her
whatever we do, for she’ll be on a sledge and we’ll be walking.”“Then — have we no hope?” said Susan.
“Now don’t you get fussing, there’s a dear,” said Mrs Beaver, “but
just get half a dozen clean handkerchiefs out of the drawer. ‘Course
we’ve got a hope. We can’t get there before her but we can keep under
cover and go by ways she won’t expect and perhaps we’ll get
through.”
I don't feel it plays that way in the miniseries or the movie. (The latter actually has the wolves arrive before the children and the beavers leave so it really does seem that she should have just run for it.) I thought of transcribing the dialogue from both versions and then comparing it to the book to prove this, but I'm too lazy. 
The 1998 radio drama, on the other hand, completely cuts this scene. Since it's a great scene that kind of annoyed me at first but, on reflection, maybe it's better than keeping it and giving the wrong impression of Mrs. Beaver's character. I expect the reason behind the cut was to keep the pacing tight for this suspenseful part of the plot. Actually, I suspect that may have been the reasoning behind the change of emphasis in the movie and the miniseries too. They want the viewers to be worried for the characters and emphasizing with the ones who want to leave as soon as possible. They don't want them thinking that they still have a certain amount of time left and should use it wisely.
Or maybe they just skimmed through the scene in the book and came to the shallow interpretation that Mrs. Beaver was just being a nuisance. 
Anyway, how would you guys adapt the scene?
This topic was modified 1 year ago by Col Klink
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Topic starter
Posted : September 13, 2023 5:19 pm
Courtenay liked
If I were writing / directing any adaptation of Narnia, I'd play it "by the book" as much as possible, or definitely stick to the spirit of the original story even when some parts do need to be changed or cut to make it work well as a film. In this case, I'd definitely keep this scene in, just shorten it a little so it doesn't hold up the action.
Just going by the dialogue from the book, here's how I'd tighten it up a bit:
SUSAN: What are you doing, Mrs Beaver?
MRS BEAVER: Packing a load for each of us, dearie. You didn't think we'd set out on a journey with nothing to eat, did you?
SUSAN: But she may be here any minute!
MRS B: Oh, get along — think it over. She can't be here for a quarter of an hour at least.
PETER: But if we're to get to the Stone Table before her —
MRS B: Oh, we can't get there before her. She'll be in her sleigh* and we'll be walking.
SUSAN (almost in tears): Then — we've no hope?
MRS B: Now, dearie, 'course we've a hope. What we can do is keep under cover and go by ways she won't expect....
And during all this, there'd be the visuals of Mrs Beaver calmly packing food and utensils and other useful items (including the handkerchiefs!), which don't need to be referred to in the dialogue if we can see them on the screen. I'd make it visually and audibly obvious that Mrs Beaver is completely calm and has thought everything through — in contrast to the near-panic of all the others — and once they do get going, it should be clear they have reason to be glad she kept her head and did some proper packing, rather than letting them rush out into the snowy night totally unprepared, as they almost certainly would have done if she hadn't taken charge here! 
* Lewis calls it a "sledge" throughout, which presumably meant the same as a sleigh in his time, but most modern readers — myself included — would think of a sledge as simply a flat snow-vehicle on runners, whereas a sleigh is "built up" with sides and proper seats, as the Witch's vehicle certainly is. Every adaptation I know of, including the BBC TV series, calls it a "sleigh" throughout, so that's the word I would also use in the script for a new version.)
"Now you are a lioness," said Aslan. "And now all Narnia will be renewed."
(Prince Caspian)
Posted : September 13, 2023 6:01 pm
I kind of notice that as well in both the BBC TV series and the Walden film adaptations. In the BBC TV series, they made it look like Mrs. Beaver is taking her time packing. In The Walden film, it was almost like she was in a rush while the wolves were waiting outside.
I should also point out that the 1979 animated cut it out (maybe because they couldn't fit in for a 90-minute time frame). So it was one of the things they had to cut out.
I can't argue there. Although it's one thing to stick to the dialogue of the books; sticking to the spirit and overall tone is another. I guess the dialogue could still match the books but the tone and spirit of the book could still be lost. There could still be the overall feel of it but the dialogue doesn't match with the books.
I guess one option would be is switch the camera back and forth between Mrs. Beaver taking her time to pack up while Mr. Beaver and Peter, Susan and Lucy are being exasperated and Edmund at the White Witch's castle, like what the BBC TV series did. Though I'm sure they would want to keep up with the pace. Another option would be like what the 1979 animated did, where the Beavers and the three Pevensies are in walking in a snow storm and they made it like a chase scene with the wolves and the White Witch and Edmund and the Dwarf in a sledge or sleigh (they don't get near them, though).
So I think although a lot of us would like to go by the book, there are different options you could do with it.
"And this is the marvel of marvels, that he called me beloved."
(Emeth, The Last Battle)
Posted : September 13, 2023 6:25 pm
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