Angus Book Comparison

There were several influential differences between the book A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune and the movie Angus. In the book, Angus was often tormented over his parents’ sexuality, while it was completely left out in the movie. The movie also changed Angus’ support system from only his family to adding a best friend. Also, the movie changed Angus from a senior with average intelligence to a freshman who was eligible for switching to a magnet school for gifted students. Overall, the movie made Angus more socially acceptable, while the book focused on all the reasons he did not fit in and how he overcame them anyway. For these reasons, the book was superior to the movie. One of the reasons the book is better than the movie is that in the book Angus’ life is not manipulated to appear more socially acceptable. In the book, both of Angus’ parents are gay and remarried. He was often teased about it in school but he still loved his parents. This aspect was completely lost in the movie. His father was dead, and his mother was single and her sexuality was not mentioned at all. This change has removed one of the obstacles that Angus had to overcome and eventually stunted the story line in the movie. Another reason the book was superior to the movie was the difference in Angus’ friendships. In the book,
In the book, Angus was a senior with average intelligence. In the movie, he was a freshman who was being invited to attend a magnet school for gifted students. Angus being a senior meant he had dealt with the bullying and tormenting for three extra years and demonstrated his ability to cope with his situation. Freshman Angus also had an opportunity to leave the school he was being tormented in, while senior Angus never had that option. The movie once again made Angus more socially acceptable by giving him new talents and limiting the obstacles he had to