Overall, Ethan Frome, the movie was a good movie to go along with the novel. It captures nearly all of the themes presented in the novel, and helps the viewer to understand the novel's themes even better. Frome's land is barren and isolated from the town, like in the book, and Zeena is portrayed as sickly, frail, and old. The film was effective both as a movie and as a tie-in to the novel.
Liam Neeson played an excellent Frome. Although the limp was a bit too exaggerated in the beginning and end of the movie, Neeson's Frome is almost exactly like the novel's; cold, quiet, isolated, and downtrodden. While Neeson's appearance was nearly flawless, some definite flaws can be found in Patricia Arquette's character, Mattie Silver. The Mattie portrayed in the film seems very querulous and annoying, like a spoiled little princess, while in the novel she takes on a more happy role, with bright rosy cheeks and a smile on her face as she goes about doing things. The two characters are almost opposites. But this inconsistency is made up for by the character of Zeena, played by Joan Allen. There could be no flaws found in this character. She is an ice queen, uncaring, evil, oppressive, and almost like a leech on Ethan. She plays up her sickness whenever she doesn't get what she wants, but has a noticeable spring in her step and is feeling better the day that Mattie is supposed to leave. The Zeena portrayed in the movie was just as I had imagined the Zeena in the novel. The casting (with the exception of Mattie's character) was excellent.
The other elements of the film were also very well done. The costumes were perfect, with Ethan in his dark brown clothing, and Mattie in the red shawl, which also connected one of the themes in the book to the novel, the theme of passion or love. The setting was also well done. Starkfield was just as I had imagined it, a warm town with a close-knit community; everyone knows everyone.
