I would end Smoke Signals by having Thomas die in the car accident while Victor survives. With this, Victor would come to a realization that Thomas was never trying to annoy him or be a burden, but was just being friendly. Thomas genuinely cared for Victor, and he wouldn't come to realize that until after the crash. Victor would feel terrible about it, and after calling the police and leaving Thomas, he would go back to Suzie's for comfort. He would tell her all about their argument and everything that happened up until the crash. She would let him stay with her, and later while laying in bed, Victor would "see" his father out the window. He would follow him outside and take a walk through the desert with him, talking and apologizing to one another. Thomas would end up being a reminder to Victor of what he'd done, a lesson he could learn from. Suzie and Victor would end up as support for one another, both having lost loved ones. They'd be able to talk about Victor's father and Thomas and learn from the past.
At the beginning of the film, there is a fire on the Fourth of July that tragically kills both of Thomas’ parents while he is still an infant. This information helps to clarify why Thomas acts the way he does, telling stories to animals and being made fun of by virtually the entire town. In the novel, there is no explanation of why Thomas is such an obscure being. This addition to the film gives the viewer a sense of clarity that is lacking in the short story. Also, In the short story, Thomas tells the story of his father being a perfect hippie. He says "Because of that, how could anyone recognize that my father was trying to make a social statement?" This is mirrored in the film when the two girls driving backwards stop and ask Victor and Thomas if they need a ride. Thomas responds with the story about his father. I think it's more successful in the short story because it seems more important than in the film. Even though it's a cool scene, it's almost irrelevant, seeming that the more important thing is Victor and his father.
I thought the adaption of this scene from film to fiction was good but not as powerful. It was really interesting how the two girls were driving backwards and offered Thomas and Victor a ride, but Thomas' story just didn't seem as strong as it did in the short story. It seemed almost like a side note with little relevance to the overall film.
At the beginning of the film, there is a fire on the Fourth of July that tragically kills both of Thomas’ parents while he is still an infant. This information helps to clarify why Thomas acts the way he does, telling stories to animals and being made fun of by virtually the entire town. In the novel, there is no explanation of why Thomas is such an obscure being. This addition to the film gives the viewer a sense of clarity that is lacking in the short story. Also, In the short story, Thomas tells the story of his father being a perfect hippie. He says "Because of that, how could anyone recognize that my father was trying to make a social statement?" This is mirrored in the film when the two girls driving backwards stop and ask Victor and Thomas if they need a ride. Thomas responds with the story about his father. I think it's more successful in the short story because it seems more important than in the film. Even though it's a cool scene, it's almost irrelevant, seeming that the more important thing is Victor and his father.
I thought the adaption of this scene from film to fiction was good but not as powerful. It was really interesting how the two girls were driving backwards and offered Thomas and Victor a ride, but Thomas' story just didn't seem as strong as it did in the short story. It seemed almost like a side note with little relevance to the overall film.