Abstract:

This study sets out to write a comparison between Tuesdays with Morrie and its film adaptation in terms of structure, plot and different aesthetic effects the two distinct works of art bring to the audience. Some obvious differences are listed in this dissertation, including a detailed time chart. Reasons are given to explain why the director has made certain changes while adapting. The results show that though literature and film - as two distinct types of media - differ a lot in many aspects, they can also be considered complementary to each other. The paper concludes that both the novel and the adapted film have their own strengths.

Key words: film adaptation; literature; structure; plot

摘要：

本文从文学与改编电影的角度对《相约星期二》及其改编电影进行对比分析，主要通过对比两种艺术媒介的叙事结构以及情节安排，结合其他研究者对文学与改编电影的研究成果，举出两者的不同之处并论证原因，从而总结出此小说及其改编电影各自的成功之处。

关键词：文学；电影改编；结构；情节

1. Introduction
1.1 Definition of Film Adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work, in whole or in part, to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work. A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film. Other works adapted into films include non-fiction (including journalism), autobiography, comic books, scriptures, plays, historical sources, and even other films.
Arguments over film adaptation have been aroused for a long time. Certainly different audiences hold different views upon the quality of the adapted films, or whether the actor is suitable for the character, or if the plot is totally ruined and the whole adaptation is a failure. As for the way of adaptation, some film theorists hold the view that a director should entirely get rid of the form of the source and adapt it according to his own style as well as the special requirements of film-making, as a novel is a novel, while a film is a film, and the two works of art must be seen as different media. Others argue that film adaptation should be loyal to the original work. Adaptation is the process of re-creation which should be constraint by the original work, so loyalty is the core issue of film adaptation. The film must reflect the theme and effect of the novel.