'Twilight': 10 reasons 'Breaking Dawn' should not be made into a movie

While “Twilight” fans begin to debate the issues facing the filming of “New Moon" -- the next installment in Stephenie Meyer’s teen vampire series involving werewolves and a growth spurt that will require actor Taylor Lautner to appear 6'5" and 25 years old on screen -- an even more urgent problem nags:

The problem with “Breaking Dawn.”

With "Twilight" having banked $70.55 million in its first weekend of release, Summit Entertainment has already snatched up rights to the next two books in Meyer’s saga, “New Moon” and “Eclipse,” and is negotiating for the series-ending “Breaking Dawn.” Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward, has said he's only signed up to star in the next two films, and the fourth book has had little mention in the media when it comes to reports concerning "Twilight" as a movie franchise.

Perhaps the powers that be are figuring out a way to end the movie series as a trilogy.

Why? Because whether you loved or hated it, “Breaking Dawn” poses more than a few problems for the big screen. Even barring the very divided reaction from Meyer’s fan base over the final book, “Breaking Dawn” contains several head-scratching scenes and themes. (Full disclosure: As a “Twilight” fan, I thought Meyer could have done better.) The following are 10 reasons the book would be a tough-to-film movie.

(This list is one big spoiler, so please don’t read further if you haven’t read the book.)

Bella and Edward get married by Page 49.
There goes your love triangle. You can retire those Team Edward and Team Jacob shirts now. Also remember, Edward is forever 17 and Bella’s 18. A teenage wedding!

After three books’ worth of buildup, Bella and Edward finally have sex — but we get a fade to black?
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciated Meyer’s post-coital details: the ripped-apart pillowcases and feathers in Bella’s hair, her black-and-blue bruises, the broken headboard. If the movie just has to be rated PG-13, then I guess it’s the only way.

But after more than 1,500 pages of chaste kisses, we’re rewarded with a fade-out after fade-out on their honeymoon? Instead we get morning-after fried egg breakfasts and Edward’s nonstop agonizing over having finally bedded his bride. Hardly satisfying.

Then Bella gets pregnant.
By Page 118 (in a 754-page book) Bella is with child. At this point, the film would already be worse than a Lifetime movie of the week.

What follows are chapters and chapters of the half-vampire, half-human baby making life violently uncomfortable for Bella, which required Meyer to let Jacob narrate the entire middle chunk of the book. So in the final movie, we’d shift our focus from Bella to Jacob?

Edward goes from being the man of every girl’s dreams to a man in need…
…of some guts, some personality, something that doesn’t read pathetic. Throughout “Breaking Dawn” he's guilt-ridden over his love for Bella, even more so than in the other books. That’s admittedly difficult to believe, but true.

While Bella is bedridden, trying to keep alive the half-human, half-vampire baby eating its way through her belly, we get this choice scene in which a desperate Edward begs Jacob to offer Bella the latter’s baby-making services. (I guess half-werewolf, half-human babies are safer?) If you’d blocked that moment, here it is:

“I don’t care about anything but keeping her alive,” he said, suddenly focused now. “If it’s a child she wants, she can have it. She can have half a dozen babies. Anything she wants.” He paused for one beat. “She can have puppies if that’s what it takes.”

That's right. He said "puppies."

When she gives birth, Edward rips open Bella’s stomach with his teeth to get the baby out.
It's a bloody and gruesome birth. And what does the little bugger do once she’s out? Sinks her half-vampire teeth into mom’s chest, that’s what. What follows is an equally bloody and gruesome transformation of our teenage heroine into a vampire. How any of the birth scene gets magically transformed into a PG-13 moment is anyone’s guess.

Bella names her baby Renesmee.
A blend of Renee (the name of Bella’s mom) and Esme (the name of Edward’s). Renesmee.

How will Kristen Stewart, she who fights against dumb dialogue, deal with such a name? Will she rename the kid? How will audiences not blindly obsessed with Stephenie Meyer’s prose react to hearing it? It just can’t happen. But the name’s the least of it after…

Jacob falls in love with her. 
Yes, Jacob imprints on newborn Renesmee. Meyer introduced the concept of imprinting, in which werewolves become tied to their true loves through some sort of love-at-first-sight kismet, in her earlier books. But it’s even creepier when Jacob goes from his mad obsession with Bella to one over her daughter. Her half-vampire daughter.

Meanwhile, Bella’s transformation into a vampire requires no effort on her part at all.
Other humans that get turned? It’s tough. They want bona fide human blood and lots of it. Bella? She’s cool to snack on deer. She doesn’t have the urge to accidentally chomp down on her human dad. And she’s quicker, faster and stronger than all the Cullen men. There’s no struggle to get what she wants.

When it looks like things are heating up between the Cullens and the big bad ruling vamps, the Volturi, over the existence of Renesmee -- the Volturi want her dead -- the Cullens gather friends, they strategize, they train for war. And it all ends…
…not when Bella, and her special protective power, save the day –- she doesn’t! -- but when little Alice reappears with a tale of another half-human, half-vampire named Nahuel living happily abroad. Nahuel’s not harmful at all, she explains, so there’s no need to fight.

Wait, what…

Did I say war? I meant peaceful gathering in the forest.
After hearing the explanation, the Volturi make a peaceful exit. Head bad vamp Aro even bids the Cullen clan a fond farewell: “I’m so glad this could be resolved without violence,” he said sweetly. “My friend, Carlisle –- how please I am to call you friend again! … Perhaps, in time, you will forgive me.”

And there begins the final chapter (titled “Happily Ever After,” natch.)

Here’s where you’re free to agree or tell me off in the comments below. I am especially curious to know what fans of “Breaking Dawn” think? How would you fix or get around some of these issues while remaining true to the text?

-- Denise Martin

Related:
Complete 'Twilight' coverage

Photo credit: Summit Entertainment

Comments

[Amanda]

I hate this idiotic assumption that somehow the Twilight books are about the triangle that is presented in Eclipse. HELL TO THE NO! They're about everlasting, true love and if anything, that triangle took away from the core message of the book rather than helped it. Breaking Dawn putting an end to the triangle quickly was a God send. For the most part, people hate triangles.

I also think this argument that Bella didn't have to struggle for anything to become vampire is a load of crap. If you didn't expect her to have an easier time with adjusting to her vampyrism because of her mind blocking abilities, well then I just say you're dense. Also, what about all the multiple times she was almost killed and the fact that she was willing to risk everything to become a vampire, have her child and be with Edward forever??? Just because things ended up working more nicely doesn't make it any less satisfying. Jesus, give the chick a break. She had to go through 3 books of always being in mortal danger and THEN practically died giving birth to a freaky mutant baby (which I ended up loving). That's more than enough sacrifice in my opinion. IDK, maybe because I figured way back in New Moon that she wasn't going to be a typical New Born that that aspect didn't bother me whatsoever.

[Amanda]

Oh, and I fully support making the Breaking Dawn movie. It's the only book in the series that really takes any risks and actually has the mature themes I've been craving from this series.

[Michelle]

RE: Reason #1, Edward/Bella getting married and triangle ending... GOOD!!!!

Most of us hate the so-called triangle! The only people who like it are the sickos that like reading about young girls getting physically, emotionally, and sexually abused (ie: Team Jacob)!

This is the dumbest, most ignorant article I've ever read about Twilight, and trust me, I've read them all, so be embarrassed. Be really embarrassed.

Breaking Dawn would actually be interesting. Nobody wants all PG-13 fluff for four movies, unless you're twelve... or a Mormon.

[Shellie]

Not a single thing you said makes sense. You just gave the lamest, most invalid arguments I have ever heard. Yes, these are things that happened in Breaking Dawn... How does that translate into: Breaking Dawn should not be made? Why? Because YOU, precious, didn't like them? Well many of us did. So get over yourself and stop writing pointless articles.

BTW, I'm glad the "triangle" was nixed. That crap was stupid anyway. Jacob sexually assaulted her. Why would anyone root for that?

[Sandra]

I completely agree that Breaking Dawn should not be made into a movie. To comment on Edward in that final book...it wasn't just that he felt even more guilt-ridden (which he certainly does), he also loses a lot of his backbone and appeal that he had in Twilight. Where is his personality? What's more, when he finally realizes that the baby loves Bella, he suddenly is okay with the fact that Rosalie never cared about his wife, that she was after the baby the whole time. It was also extremely disappointing not to be in Bella's mind for that middle part of the book during her pregnancy. That's the part where every Twilight fan is screaming "Okay, what EXACTLY is she thinking?" I wanted so desperately to understand what was going through her mind. Initially, she didn't even want to get married to Edward (though she still loved him). Then, all of a sudden, she finds she wants the baby. Finally, the part that truly aggravated me, was when she described Renesmee as more beautiful than even her father. Her love for Edward (essentially, the story that fueled the 3 previous books) was second to her love for Renesmee. I understand that everything changes when someone has kids but really? As a fan of Twilight, that was excruciating. It was such a blow because I almost felt as if Renesmee was an intruder and hindered Bella and Edward's love. I also that that everything came so easily for Bella; in the end, she got everything she wanted with no sacrifice whatsoever.

[Lizzie]

Comments this article has made can be right, but it's not. You must've perceived the book completely different. There wasn't a "war", yes, it was a peaceful gathering. But it's not like things didn't happen. This article forgets the shielding Bella had to struggle thru and that was a pretty intense part. If she hadn't done that, everything wouldn't been ruined. The Volturi guards had tried to break thru her shield multiple times and they couldn't get thru, her shield was that powerful.

[QueenBitch]

I agree with you 100% I dont like BD I think its a cop out so that SMeyer could give Bella a happy ending.
Hate the fade to black scenes, shes written more sensuous things in Eclipse yet they finally do the deed and its just....... nothing. I had to go back to read it and understand they had just had sex. Not cool.

Finally... I heard that SMeyer said "People who don't like Jacob should be banned from reading Breaking Dawn."
I want my $34.99 back thanks.

If BD is made into a movie I wont be going to see it.

[Kate]

I hated Breaking Dawn. However, some of the reasons on this list are absolutely moronic. Considering 95% of the audience is Team Edward the early wedding and lack of triangle, which only really exists in one book out of four, is a positive instead of a negative.

Also, I doubt a director like Hardwicke would fade to black for a sex scene. Seeing a real sex scene would also be a huge plus.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not for a BD movie. I didn't even like the book. However, you could add the wedding and sex to Eclipse. I'm just saying some of your reasons are only negative if you are one of the .00005 percent of the audience that isn't rooting for the main couple. I doubt you would be saying its a negative that Romeo and Juliet get together because Paris got the shaft.

[chelsea]

HM!! They should make it Rated-R, screw PG13. Everyone's waiting for Breaking Dawn already. haha!

[Courtney]

Bella and Edward get married by Page 49.
GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dude, this is an Edward/Bella series...NOT a series about a love triangle...stupid fans who can't read properly created that love triangle. It does not exist. Bella never once considered being without Edward.
Breaking Dawn is the only other one besides Twilight that was worth a second read.

[Robin Norman]

I did enjoy Breaking Dawn for the most part. It shows how Bella evolves and shows how she was destined for this future as she comes into her own as a vampire. I think Edward and Bella deserve to give their fans a happy ending. We've all swoon through the 1st 3 books I think it's important some how to show how good they are together and that Edward can accept her as a vampire without guilt. I didn't like the section of the book where Jacob was narrating it was too long. They could cut some of that shorter and still maintain the main elements of the book. I think it's also important to see how Edward reacts. Personally I don't think Edward is displeased with their honeymoon but is scared and upset for hurting her. He's always treated her fragile throughout the book so I think that's a natural reaction from him.

[Trace]

I completely agree! I am a fan of the series and I enjoyed the first movie but I am hesitant about the other movies. I was so frustrated when I read breaking dawn because so many new ideas were introduced, that proved to be nonsensical, I was also dissapointed by Edward's weak character. Breaking Dawn will be difficult to transform onto the big screen and I don't think it would even please die-hard Twilight fans. However I still love TWILIGHT!

[tiffany]

this is stupid...who cares if there wasnt a war or whatever it is a love story not a war story...duh...and who cares of Kristen Stewart doesnt like the name i think she will get over it with the money she is getting and plus she knew what the baby name was so she needs to get over it...but i still like her...there is no need for a freakin big sex seen...these reasons are stupid...so i still say they need to make the 4th movie!!!! GO TWILIGHT!!!!

[Shoshanah]

Half of these things aren't even issues.
Slow news day?

[Kass]

Out of all the bashing on anything Twilight this just tops all of them !

Honestly I think Breaking Dawn would be the best to make out of a movie and DON'T BASH ON THE BOOK it was Stephenie's book and what she wanted to do with it ! I would love to see you write a book and get bashed on THIS IS NOT EASY AND THIS IS THE ENDING AND IT HAS TO BE TOLD YOU CAN'T FINISH IT WITH ECLIPSE !!!!

LOVED BREAKING DAWN AND THIS ARTICLE IS SO ABSURD !!!!

[Traci]

AMEN!! By the end of BD, I no longer liked Edward or Bella. I felt like Stephanie Meyer pulled some VERY crazy ideas into the last installment. I was very disappointed and glad when I finished the book. I agree with every point up above of why this book should NOT be made into a movie!!

[Twilighter]

Stephenie Meyer could of done better ? BUT THIS IS WHAT SHE WANTS WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE NOT GET ? IT'S NOT YOUR BOOK IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT READ another book there are millions out there !

THERE BETTER BE A BREAKING DAWN MOVIE AND REALLY THE TWILIGHT FANS ARE GOING TO SEE IT REGARDLESS PLEASE ! Your article should at least have the other side to it STOP BEING BIAS !!!

[ann]

I don't mean to be rude, but your reasons seem sorta stupid to me. You sound like you're venting out your bitterness towards the book rather than critiquing its potential as a movie. There's more to movies than just the storyline. Besides, stories tend to shift and change when being transformed into script anyway. And who knows? Maybe we'll come across a director/screen writer who knows how to cut and paste the content to make it entertaining yet still loyal. You can still change things and still be true to the book. Specific details aren't always more important than the bigger picture.
I think Breaking Dawn does have potential in being interesting, entertaining, visually appealing and dynamic. Gore, angst, sexual tension and more all rolled into one can produce a good movie, but of course you'd need someone really good who can put it together properly. Tough-to-film yes, but not impossible.

[sofi]

Breaking Dawn-doesnt have to be how it was written ;) I say the studio buy it and make it something...way more...then what Stephanie made it to be.
"puppies" I so laughed!!! :D

[TwilightMania.com]

Personally, Breaking Dawn is my favorite out of the four book saga. Does it have to be rated PG13? Not in my opinion, but then again I am not a teenager. I'm a 43 year old mother of three who is obsessed with the books. I don't see why Breaking Dawn has to be a problem. I do think that it should be made into two movies to portray the story correctly though.This is a book that has a lot of detail.

Jacobs growth spurt shouldn't be an issue, there are ways to film that if he doesn't grow much and a teenage wedding is not what I would want for my three daughters, but this is a fictional story and I feel that Stephenie Meyer does a great job of keeping it moral.

As far as the sex in the book, or the lack of, I'm really glad that Stephenie didn't go into detail. For most of us, the romance is what pulled us into this series in the first place. Just knowing that it happened is enough for a lot of us.

The pregnanacy, well while I was reading the book, It was just like a horror movie. Why couldn't it be filmed just like any sci-fi, horror film?

Renesmee - yeah, I had a hard time with that name. I still do. Can you believe it made it in the book of baby names?

The Volturi - Love the whole war scene! I think this could be done very well on film. But then again, the baseball scene in Twilight was my favorite part!

The last thing I will comment on is the imprinting. I'm still having a hard time with that too. I'm trying to believe what I read, that it's not sexual, but it's still a little freaky to me.

So, everyone has an opinion and we will never all agree, but thats true about most things. I loved the Twilght movie!

[Tricia]

I agree with you that some of the above will make it very difficult to film Breaking Dawn and keep it as true to the storyline as they did Twilight. But on the flip side, I don't think that I would have been happy with an ending much different than Breaking Dawn. I'm a born romantic. I always thought that Bella and Edward belonged together. But I ached for Jacob because he thought he was in love, too. So Meyer came up with an ending that made Bella, Jacob, and Edward all happy...and made sense in a twisted way.

I do wonder if mothers would be willing to let their 11 year old daughters see Breaking Dawn and have to explain to them why Bella would have feathers in her hair and bruises. As an adult, I found that scene hilarious (and even bought a shirt with a feather on it that says "Isle Esme"). But I wouldn't want to explain it to my kid.

[Ady]

I love the series and i agree with you 100%. It wouldn't be a very good movie to watch.

[Amber]

As much as I would love to see this book turned into a movie. I have to agree. If they do make this into a movie I dont think everything could be put into one movie. It probably would have to be split into two. I dont know how that would be handled. Another thing is, there seemed to be so much going on in the minds of the characters, it would be impossible to get that all on screen. I hope they could do this, but I dont see it possible.

[N. Davidson]

Well, some of your comments may have truth to them, some parts may be a little cheesy and hard to portray, but then again, it's the storyline of the book that they're following, and considering everyone loved it, I'm sure the movie won't be that awful. The movie producers will have to compromise a bit with the book, but to end the movies with Eclipse would be a heartbreak for millions of fans. The books are completed, you made one movie, finish them, all of them. Just because it will be a little tricky to make it look good doesn't mean it's going to be a catastrophe, it will make a good challenge and I think the fans will appreciate that. Besides, Breaking Dawn had a good story line to it, summing everything up, so I'm pretty sure the fans will want to see it as a movie. And lastly, who cares if there is a bit more sensuality and blood in this book, we're dealing with vampires so the blood part is a given, and we all know how strongly in love Bella and Edward are, the sex thing was bound to happen. This book is a teenage book, not for little children, so I see no problem with the movie rating as PG-13.

[SBee]

Yeah, but at the same time? Aren't you just dying to see the evil vampire baby @ the superpowered vampire friends? And, laws, the whole ooey gooey face she'll have when she whispers the baby's name? And Bella kicking Jacob's *ass over that whole imprinting gig? And, laws, the whole ooey gooey face she'll have when she whispers the baby's name? I'm sure they'll find a way to tuck in some hot vampire sex. Don't you worry.