Does Gone Girl the movie live up to the hype?

One of most anticipated movies of 2014, Gone Girl, was released this weekend. If you’re fan of the book, you’re in good company.

Gone Girl, the third novel by author Gillian Flynn, was released two years ago, spent 71 weeks on the New Times Best Seller list, and sold over six million copies. When it was announced the movie would be adapted for film, fans went crazy.

In December of 2013, ten months prior to the premiere date, 20th Century Fox released a teaser image from the film. That one picture was enough to get fans hyped up and eager to buy their advanced tickets.

Then in January of 2014, an Entertainment Weekly article intrigued fans when the author hinted to a much different ending in the movie than in the book saying, “Ben [Affleck] was so shocked by it. He would say, ‘This is a whole new third act! She literally threw that third act out and started from scratch.’”

For many, the possibility of an alternate ending excited even the most loyal fans. While the book has been a runaway hit, many criticized the end for not bringing enough justice to the characters and leaving the readers without a feeling a closure.

While there certainly are some differences, claiming the ending of Gone Girl the movie is vastly different from Gone Girl the book would be a massive overstatement.

Another PR stunt to draw in last minute crowds and garner more hype before the film’s release this weekend is the promise of a full frontal Ben Affleck. There is a shower scene and yes, Ben Affleck is naked, but to say there was full frontal nudity would be misleading. Watch the movie for hope of a great story and not hope of a naked Ben Affleck because you will be disappointed.

For those of you wondering about the differences between the book and the movie, they’re overall minor and don’t have a major impact on the storyline. Without unveiling any spoilers, here are just a few of the differences you will notice between Gone Girl the book and the movie:

– The development of Nick and Amy’s relationship from the time they meet to when they get engaged is more involved in the movie and the engagement scene is slightly different.

– The part of Nick and Amy’s anniversary mystery hunt when Nick travels to Hannibal is missing.

– A few supporting characters from the book are completely missing from the movie including Desi’s mother, Tanner Bolt’s wife, and a former high school friend of Amy.

– Nick’s father is only shown in the movie once whereas in the book, he’s a constant character.

– There’s a scene in the book in which a writer interviews Nick in hopes of swaying the public’s negative perception about him. It’s completely left out of the movie.

– Then there’s the ending… Again, without giving away any spoilers, I will just say this: Gone Girl the movie stayed true to the roots of Gone Girl the book.

Gillian Flynn was quoted as saying, “The book isn’t to me about justice; there’s nothing in the book that has any sort of hint that there’s going to be justice. To me the ending is about two people who are each other’s match, for better or for worse.”