Watermelon (2003)

Truly Dreadful Film

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Okay, first and foremost this is supposed to be an adaptation of the book - if you've read the book and are expecting it to be retold on the screen you're really not going to like it. It's the loosest form of adaptation ever known and could have easily have just been it's own story in it's own right. The story starts with the ditsy, slightly crazy Dubliner Claire, (Anna Friel) as she graduates from university and sets off for the bright lights of London with boyfriend Adam who's following her under the impression that she's all set for her new career in journalism. Claire's rather sporadic relationship with the truth however has caused her to leave out the fact that she doesn't actually have the new job, just an interview and when things go to pot with that Adam finds out the truth and storms back to Ireland. Things look up for Claire though as she bumps into (literally) one of her interviewers, James (Jamie Draven), and when she finds Adam gone and James looking for more she thinks why not and starts dating him. Skipping forward several weeks and Claire's story takes a turn when she finds out that she's pregnant. Knowing that Adam is the father she tries to tell him but he gives her the cold shoulder, in tears she heads back to James to come clean but when he cuts her off with excitement and doesn't let her tell him that he's not the father she gives in and keeps the truth to herself. Skipping forwards again the now heavily pregnant Claire goes into labour while James is ring shopping and their relationship comes to a crashing halt as the discrepancy in the length of her pregnancy comes to light and James is left with the realisation that he isn't the babies father. Dumped and alone, Claire runs back, tail between her legs, to Dublin and her parents, dropping in a few more tall tales to cover up why she's alone with a newborn until her father collapses with a heart attack as the truth comes out. Forced into growing up and telling the truth Claire comes clean to ex boyfriend Adam about the baby and they awkwardly try to make amends while James turns up at her parents house after realising that he can't just let her go and forget it all because deep down he really loves her. The final moments of this made-for-TV movie blow up with the showdown between Claire, Adam and James after he believes Claire has just 'moved on to the next guy'. When James lays his heart on the line and tells Claire that he came back to make amends and to see if she would come home to be a family with him he finds out that Adam is the father and, devastated, leaves to head home. Knowing that her and Adam could never be happy together because she loves James, Claire runs after him to the airport to tell him and after a will-they- won't-they chase they finally fall into each others arms. Anyone who's read the book knows that this version of the story is VERY different, however, it's sweet and funny and feel-good nonetheless. Yes it's predictable, no, Anna Friel's Irish accent isn't that great, but it's not a Hollywood blockbuster. It's just a sweet little take on a book that runs along nicely, has a fantastic supporting cast with faces such as Brenda Fricker as Claire's mother and is a little over an hours worth of soft-hearted, chick-centric viewing. If all else fails, ignore the story and just smile, doe-eyed whenever the delectable Jamie Draven comes on screen - he gives a sweet little performance and is certainly easy to look at. Drama fuelled, edgy characters may be more his forte, but he still gives a great performance and it's always nice to see him get a chance to show off his smile!

Awful awful awful film, ruining the great book! I know that some people think it's -such- a funny and sweet flick, but most people don't. And, maybe some of the reason is that they've read the book like me. The book is brilliant! If you have the choice between the book and the film; BOOK. It doesn't help that the movie is so bad, even if you haven't read the book. In the beginning the film says: based on the book by Marian Keyes. Well, it's based very loosely. Very. Anna Friel was also just to fresh looking, when she felt awful after having her baby it lasted for a day, and just... I'm mad. Please, everybody, read the book instead!

Having read and loved the Marian Keyes novel was slightly disappointed when i heard that the only thing the book and the(made for TV) movie had in common was the title and the fact that she has a baby. Fair enough the two stories are fairly similar she is Irish, has a baby, falls in love with someone who is not the one who got her pregnant, moves back to ireland and so on. The fact is the little details that have been changed are the ones that get me. The names of the two men have been changed round in the book Adam is James and vice versa. James dosen't actually leave her until she has had the baby. Overall I thought the film was well made and enjoyable, but I recommend reading the book before seeing the tv version.

Now let me just say this made-for-British-TV so-called comedy drama is not worth commenting on, let alone watching but for the benefit of anyone thinking of suffering through it, I will write a few lines but be as brief as I can so I can purge all memories of it and get on with my life. Here goes:Plot: The most irritating Irish girl in the world moves to London with her boyfriend after her graduation. She tries to get a job, but after embarrassing herself in an interview by vomiting all over some fish (don't ask) the best she can manage is a position as head photocopier. After her partner leaves her far later than most sane men would, she hitches up with some weirdo from her office, gets pregnant from him then finds herself in a bit of a pickle when her ex returns. Oooh 'eck!! Hilarity (allegably) ensues.Things I like about it: You are kidding right? Even the accents were awful.Things I don't like about it: How long have you got? OK seeing as I'm struck for time, I'll just say 5.1. The endless monologues to the camera (a'la Shirley Valentine) were not only not funny or interesting, but they brought the plot to a crashing halt.2. Suffer from motion sickness? Don't watch this. (In fact, don't watch it anyway) During one musical montage, the camera spins round London at night with the lights going on and off and people rushing around our heroine at light speed as she does her work. What is the point of putting that scene in here?! I haven't a clue. Maybe so the director could show what a clever boy he is.3. Mind numbingly predictable doesn't even begin to describe this. Near the start, our lad and lass are on the aeroplane bound for London and are feeling a tad frisky. What do they do in the bathroom? You guessed it! Later on, our female protaganist spends all of 5 minutes practicing a speech to her beloved about how sorry she is for putting him through so much trouble and that she really loves him, and when she gets back to her flat, will he be there? What do you think? And see that nice boy that walked her home who's just leaving, when she calls him back what manner of revenge has she got in mind? BINGO!! And finally, who will she end up with in the last 5 minutes of the programme, her brusque violent psychopath of a Irish boyfriend, or the nice, polite foppish British lad who she had a one night stand with and is the father of her baby? Hmm.. can I phone a friend?!4. So many better actors here than Anna Friel, yet they are stuck here playing supporting roles to her in a showcase for her dubious "talents." If I were them, I'd get sick of playing second banana to vacuous star names and hire me a better agent.5. The ending. Gag. Pass me a sick bag. And there was me thinking only American films could be this cloyingly sentimental. Boy was I wrong..And there you have it. 5 reasons (plus many more that I couldn't be bothered to list) to better your life significantly by avoiding this pile of old trousers like the proverbial plague. Don't make the same mistake I did. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some scrubbing to do. I feel unclean all of a sudden..