BreAunia Keller

100506354

Eng. 1302.903

Argument Essay Outline- Pet Semetary v Film Adaptations

Thesis- Stephen King is known for his horror novels. Even the author himself felt that Pet

Semetary went too far. When producers took this horrifying story and adapted it to film, they left

out details that made the story what it is. The film adaptations do not represent Pet Semetary

accurately making the novel better than the movies.

Introduction- Anyone who has lost a pet that was close to their hearts, has always wished they

could bring them back. Stephen King took this idea and outlined the gruesome reality of this

wish. He has even taken it a step further by bringing a loved one back from the dead. When

Stephen King wrote Pet Semetary he felt like the book was too horrific. Reviving the dead has

serious consequences. The details in the book were dark and scary. Taking those details and

trying to imitate them on screen is hard. In this case, the outcome was not nearly as successful as

the original novel.

Narration- The idea came to Stephen King when he had moved his family to a rural town with a

cemetery near their home. When Kings daughters cat died, he had the though, “What if the cat

came back?” Then his imagination took it further when he asked, “What if a person came back?”

That was when Pet Semetary was born. (Jackson, “Book vs. Film”) Books have more flexibility

to add dimension to a character. In movies, they only have a set amount of time to develop a

character. A scene, in a book, can take up multiple pages. The author is able to give as much

detail necessary to convey the circumstance. While movie adaptations have the rest of the book
to interpret and may not have the luxury to adapt the scene. (Jones, “Are Books Better Than

Films”)

Confirmation- a. Stephen Kings novel has more details that help the audience relate to the story

and characters. The film adaptation does not connect the audience to the story as well. B. The

film adaptation omitted certain key points- like Norma, Jud and Louis friendship, and the

passage of time- that helped develop the plot. (Evangelista, “Pet Semetary’ Book Vs. Film Vs.

Film) C. When reading the novel, the reader has the ability to use their imagination to create this

world in their head. Reading allows the reader to engage in the plot. Film adaptations took that

away from the reader. The film may convey the world differently than what the reader imagined.

Refutation and concession- Although movies being adapted into films is a controversial debate,

some may question if it is a far one. A novel can take up as many pages as they want to give

detail to the audience. Films have to condense the story down into a 2–3-hour movie. Production

companies may not have the budget to recreate the novel exactly. (Charvi, “Is It Really Fair to

Compare Movie Adaptations to their Books?)

Summation- Although Pet Semetary may seem of concern only to a small group of horror critics,

it should in fact concern anyone who cares about the accuracy of novels adapted into films. When

a reader is excited to see one of their favorite novels turned into a cinematic piece, they have

expectations.
 Works Cited:

Charvi. “Is It Really Fair to Compare Movie Adaptations to Their Books?” Not Just Fiction, 25

June 2022, itsnotjustfiction.wordpress.com/2022/06/25/is-it-really-fair-to-compare-movie-

adaptations-to-their-books/. https://itsnotjustfiction.wordpress.com/2022/06/25/is-it-really-fair-to-

compare-movie-adaptations-to-their-books/

Evangelista, Chris. “‘Pet Sematary’ Book vs. Film vs. Film: Comparing Stephen King’s Novel

with Its Two Film Adaptations.” SlashFilm, SlashFilm, 30 Aug. 2021,

www.slashfilm.com/565500/pet-sematary-book-vs-film/.

Jackson, Nick. “Book vs Film: Pet Sematary: Horrifyingly Bad, or Horror Masterpiece?”

← Lucy V Hay & Lizzie Fry, Word Press, lucyvhayauthor.com/book-vs-film-pet-sematary-

horrifyingly-bad-or-horror-masterpiece/. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.

https://lucyvhayauthor.com/book-vs-film-pet-sematary-horrifyingly-bad-or-horror-masterpiece/

Jones, Isabella. “Are Books Better than Films?” The King’s School Chester, 9 Mar. 2017,

www.kingschester.co.uk/news/bbc-school-reports/books-better-films/#:~:text=Furthermore%2C

%20books%20are%20much%20more,detailing%20their%20emotions%20and%20thoughts.