The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

            This story has long been a favorite of mine.  I remember when the movie (the Disney and Walden Media version) was released – I was ecstatic.  I was not disappointed.  The adaption was rather accurate, and it was a joy to watch. 

            Though the storyline matched up fairly well with the book, there were differences.  The circumstances of Lucy’s first entry into Narnia, for example, did not line up exactly with the book.  Lucy first came into Narnia out of curiosity; the four children were exploring the house and she happened to see the wardrobe and open it.  They did play hide and seek in the book, but that is how Edmund found his way into Narnia.  Also, there was no broken window that caused the children to run from the consequences.  In the book, they were merely trying to stay out of Macready’s way. 

            The journey from the Beaver’s dam to the Stone Table differed as well.  There was no tunnel leading from the dam to a party of stone creatures, there was no fox, and the wolves did not chase the children and the Beaver’s straight away.  In the book, the children had ample amount of time to make it to a hiding place on the way to the Table.  In the book, there was no theatrical crossing of a melting river in front of a waterfall.  In the book, Edmund was not thrown into prison to have a conversation with Tumnus. 

            Despite these differences between text and film, the film still follows the plot, and it is enjoyable to watch.  Though it has little to do with the accuracy of the film, I liked the small hints to other stories in Narnia left about the set.  For example: the silver apple on Professor Kirke’s desk from which he takes tobacco, the images carved on the wardrobe,  and the appearance of the base of the lamppost (it looks like it was grown – like a tree) all reference The Magician’s Nephew.  I enjoyed this because it subtly ties The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to The Magician’s Nephew - the effect to the cause. 

            I loved the book, and enjoyed the movie.  It is not entirely accurate, but then, all movie adaptions will be slightly different from the source, and the changes in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe can be overlooked, as they have no real impact on the success of the story.