Charly the book flowers for algernon, by daniel keys was written in 1961. Flowers for algernon is a 2000 americancanadian television film written by john pielmeier, directed by jeff bleckner and starring matthew modine. Charlie is a 32yearold developmentally disabled man who has the opportunity to undergo a surgical procedure that will dramatically increase his mental capabilities. Students try the mensa workout for themselveslesson 4. Comparison contrast essay for charly and flowers for algernon. Charly gordon cliff robertson is guided by his night school teacher miss killian claire bloom through the process. This lowly janitor, who was the butt of many of his coworkers jokes, is soon alienating his friends by quoting shakespeare and reading aramaic. The movie is easier to comprehend because is does not include charlies thoughts and raw emotions. The other employees often taunt him and pick on him, but charlie is unable to understand that he is the subject of mockery. When he gets picked for experimental surgery it looks like his dream may finally come true.
He was the author of eight books, including the classic flowers for algernon, first published in 1966, which would go on to sell more than five million copies and inspire the oscarwinning film charly. Kinnian, and his doctor were different in the two stories as well. But the whole scientific hocuspocus, which causes his crisis, is irrelevant and weakens the movie by distracting us. Flowers for algernon is a science fiction short story and novel written by daniel keyes. Matthew modine stars in this adaptation of the classic novel by daniel keyes. Algernon is a mouse, which has undergone surgery to increase his intelligence by artificial means. This procedure had already been performed on a laboratory mouse, algernon, with remarkable results. Flowers for algernon banned at high school upi archives. Made using scenes from charly 1968 and the song pandora by immediate music. Charly begins to show improvement, and finally beats algernon in a maze race.
This tv adaptation of daniel keyes story flowers for algernon features charly, a 30yearold mentally retarded bakery worker. Flowers for algernon this is a touching story of a gentle, mentallyhandicapped man who faces the chance of a lifetime and the hard changes that come with it. I bought this movie to show to my class at the end of our unit. Both of the authors, daniel keyes and stirling silliphant had to change different parts of the story line in order for it to work. Charley leaves and a montage shows him experiencing he. It is the second screen adaptation of daniel keyes novel of the same name following the 1968 film charly. The first is algernon the mouse, charly s companion and the first successful patient of the intelligence boosting surgery, and the second is the window that charly looked out of as a child. Flowers for algernon, a 2000 television film and remake starring matthew modine as charly. There are many differences, but also similarities between the book flowers for algernon and the movie charly. The story idea is a simple one, which daniel keyes was able to spin out into a successful novel flowers for algernon by keeping his focus on charly s, developing character. All that is seen is his actions, and audiences can only assume his reasoning or motivation behind those actions. After his intelligence greatly increases charlie leaves beekman taking algernon with him and lives in an apartment.
A description of some of the interesting differences between charly and flowers for algernon are set out below. Flowers for algernon is the title of a science fiction short story and a novel by american writer daniel keyes. He studies more advanced subjects, and his coworkers try to fool him by having him try to work the bakery machines, but he finds it easier than they had when they started. Similar to its 1968 companion, charly, flowers for algernon, charly is a mentally disabled young man who goes through experimental surgery that was tested on mice. Flower for algernon and charly, one is a story and the other is a movie. This is much better than the 1960s version, charly. Why anyone thought we really needed another adaptation of flowers for algernon sunday february 20. Compare and contrast flowers for algernon, book and movie. Compare the short story flowers for algernon with the. Aug 21, 2012 made using scenes from charly 1968 and the song pandora by immediate music.
His teacher, miss kinian, takes charly to the clinic where he is observed by doctors who have charly race a mouse, algernon. The book was made into the movie charly, and cliff robertson won an. Later, richard heynes decided to produce the movie in 1968 properly called charly. Based on the novel flowers for algernon by daniel keyes, the story follows charlys awakening first to normal intelligence, then to exceptional intelligence. Adapted from daniel keyes timeless novel, flowers for algernon is an acclaimed drama of selfdiscovery, the unbreakable bonds we form with those who understand us, and the capacity we hold to change. Oct 14, 2009 there are many differences between charly and flowers for algernon.
Essay by southafrican, high school, 11th grade, b, may 2004. He studies more advanced subjects, and his coworkers try to fool him by having him try to work the bakery machines, but he finds it. Charlies intelligence grows and drops again in both stories, his romance with ms. Flowers for algernon has been adapted many times for different media including stage, screen, and radio. Feb 21, 2000 why anyone thought we really needed another adaptation of flowers for algernon sunday february 20. Strauss could keep track of his intelligence growth. Charlie works at donners bakery in new york city as a janitor and delivery boy. The entire narrative of flowers for algernon is composed of the progress reports that charlie writes. We start with a goodnatured mentally retarded man of perhaps 30. His frequent attempts at learning, reading, and writing prove difficult. Daniel keyes 1927 2014 was born in brooklyn, new york, and received his b. Comparison between the films charly and flowers for.
Charly uses the first person, describing what happens to him and what he thinks about those events. See more ideas about flowers for algernon, flowers and my books. Flowers for algernon symbols there are two very important symbols in flowers for algernon. Flowers for algernon tv movie 2000 flowers for algernon.
Charly marketed and stylized as chaly is a 1968 american drama film, directed and produced by ralph nelson, and written by stirling silliphant. Charlie was born with an underaverage iq of 68 and had a weak creative intelligence. In the movie, the viewers could see what was happening, where as in the book the scenes were described so the readers could understand. Compare the short story flowers for algernon with the movie. A 1961 episode of the television drama the united states steel hour, the two worlds of charlie gordon, starring cliff robertson. I just recently finished reading the book flowers for algernon and then recently watched the movie to see the comparisons and contrasts. Nov 07, 2016 i teach 8th grade english and flowers for algernon is one of the novels we read. Whats the difference between flowers for algernon the book. An intellectually disabled man undergoes an experiment that gives him the intelligence of a genius. Charlie gordon is mentally handicapped and all he wants in life is to be a genius. It was based on flowers for algernon, a science fiction short story 1958 and subsequent novel 1966 by daniel keyes.
By the time charlie begins to prepare himself for the inevitable regression of the experiment and the consequences of his shortlived romance with alice, flowers for algernon earns. I teach 8th grade english and flowers for algernon is one of the novels we read. Sep 28, 2015 the movie flowers for algernon and the short story compare and contrast in many ways. Flowers for algernon by daniel keyes is the story of a retarded man who undergoes surgery and temporarily becomes a genius. As a result, the film is a weak representation of keyess masterpiece flowers for algernon. In the movie charly, miss kinnian has a fiance, but in flowers, she was single. So anyway charlie gordon is mentally challenged, but wants to be smart just like everyone else. A mentallychallenged man named charly undergoes a series of experimental tests to increase his intelligence. Jan 18, 2011 flowers for algernon symbols there are two very important symbols in flowers for algernon. Which movie adaptation of flowers for algernon is the. Comparison and chaarrlys flowers for algernon and the.
Flowers for algernon and charly 615 words bartleby. Another difference is that in flowers charlie works at a box factory, but in the movie, he works in a bakery. He also worked as a merchant seaman, a fiction editor, a high school. On the subject of the doctors, in the movie charly there were two doctors, dr. I liked what they did with the flowers for algernon story, went quite quckly to. There are both similarities and differences between the two. Dr strauss was a man in the short story, but a woman in the movie. Whats the difference between flowers for algernon the. With cliff robertson, claire bloom, lilia skala, leon janney. I knew this was going to be good, had a gut feeling. It was originally a short story and, in the year 2000, was adapted into a film of the same name.
Flowers for algernon features mentally impaired charlie gordon who is to keep a progress report journal so that neurosurgeons dr. Since the movie charly was an older movie the doctors smoked, which you wouldnt expect from doctors. The movie flowers for algernon and the short story compare and contrast in many ways. The first is algernon the mouse, charlys companion and the first successful patient of the intelligence boosting surgery, and the second is the window that charly looked out of as a child.
Have you read the modified by charlie gordon touches upon different ethical and moral themes such as treatment of mental illness. In my essay i am going to show, from the differences between the short story and the movie, the differences between the two media, coming up with the conclusion that the short story is the better medium by which to tell this story. Compare the short story flowers for algernon with the movie, bringing out carefully the differences between the two and including your evaluation of which medium is the more successful. In the movie charly and the book flowers for algernon.
In the film, modine plays charlie gordon, a gentle, simple man with an iq of 68 who is the subject of an intelligenceenhancing experiment. The main focus and perspective in the short story was about and from charlie and his. Flowers for algernon kindle edition by keyes, daniel. The movie charly and the book flowers for algernon have quite a few differences. Charlie takes the chance, but he must adjust emotionally when a laboratory experiment raises his iq to amazing levels. But the surgery has side effects that could kill charlie. Flowers for algernon is a novel written by daniel keyes and first published in 1966.
May 15, 20 this feature is not available right now. This movie really does follow the book in a pretty solid way, but as many say the book is always better. The story idea is a simple one, which daniel keyes was able to spin out into a successful novel flowers for algernon by keeping his focus on charlys, developing character. Can charlie survive being just plain old charlie gordon and will. After undergoing experimental brain surgery to increase his intelligence, charlie matthew modine is emboldened with his newfound genius, but finds himself questioning the value of his intellect and struggling to accept his former self. They differ because in the book the love story between mrs. There are no direct references to the time period in which the story takes place, but its safe to assume that the events take place around the time the novel was written. Charly 1968 won oscar for best leading actor flowers for algernon 2000 straight to dvd movie des fleurs pour algernon 2006 flowers for algernon 2015 japanese miniseries. Flowers for algernon is a character study of one man, charlie gordon. Flowers for algernon 2000 charlie gordon is mentally handicapped and all he wants in life is to be a genius. With matthew modine, kelli williams, richard chevolleau, jeff pustil.
In the film, modine plays charlie gordon, a gentle, simple man with an iq of 68 who is the subject of an intelligence. Kinnian, known in the movie as alice, and charlie gordon is less developed and fulfilled than in the movie. When a neurosurgeon and a psychiatrist ask charly to participate in. Charley leaves and a montage shows him experiencing he counter culture. I am not asking which version is the best, since this can be highly subjective, but which one is the closest to the original. There are many differences between charly and flowers for algernon. The differences between flowers for algernon as a short story and as a movie represent the differences between the two media. Algernon, a white mouse, was charlies predecessor in testing the. It makes him a genius, he even gets a girl and learns more in a few weeks than humanly possible. Charly is an adult male with a cognitive disability struggling to survive in the modern world. My 8th graders loved it, and it very closely follows the plot of the book.