BY: Emily Mann
The HBO limited series, Sharp Objects, is a psychological drama that will keep you guessing until the very last minute. Camille Preaker, portrayed by Amy Adams, visits her hometown after two girls go missing and one was found dead. The local law enforcement concluded that it was murder, thus making Camille dive further into the case. Many people don’t know that this miniseries is based off of Gillian Flynn’s novel, Sharp Objects. Also the author of Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn gives a dark and twisted series of events and makes you continuously think. As many book lovers know, the movie or tv show is always different from the hard copy novel. If you have not seen the show or read the book, be forewarned that there may be spoilers in this article.
The biggest contrast between the television series and the book is the finale. In the miniseries, we see Camille taking care of her sister, Amma; portrayed by Eliza Scanlen. Throughout the series, those watching are trying to figure out the murder mystery and Camille’s mother is arrested for the murders. The two girls that went missing had their teeth pulled from their mouths with pliers, giving detectives a ritual. However, at the end of the show, Camille finds the teeth in Amma’s dollhouse, replicating her mother’s ivory floor. The finale ends with Amma saying, “Don’t tell Mama” to Camille and the screen rolls the credits. In contrast to the show, the book ends with Amma getting arrested for the murder of the girls and Camille goes to live with Curry, her editor. Also, Flynn added more detail in the book, stating that Amma also used the girl’s hair to weave a small rug for her dollhouse. The ending of the show definitely leaves you more speechless and taken back than the novel.
Another large part not in the book is Calhoun Day. This backyard, Southern party was created for the HBO series and is nowhere in the book. This party leads to some of the most exciting events in the show. Amma runs away from her play, leading everyone to begin looking for her. John Keen, the brother of the missing girl, and Bob Nash, the father of the murder victim, get in a fist fight. Adora tells Detective Richard Willis, the man investigating the case, about Camille’s past. This leads him to see Camille in a more dangerous and vulnerable way. All of these situations play a huge part in how the story plays out, straying away from the original novel manuscript.
Along with those mentioned above, there are also many minor differences between the two. For example, in the novel, there is only one actual suspect. In the miniseries, almost every character is a suspect at some point whether it be in the show or in the minds of those watching. Adora makes Camille sick with her “healing potion” more than once. She doses her in the book towards the beginning of Camille’s investigation and then at the end of the book. Although John Keene gets arrested for allegedly murdering his sister, in the novel, he suspected it was Amma the whole time. Hince the reason he told Camille that he had his eyes on her. Curry never saves Camille in the book. He only, occasionally speaks with her over the phone.
This show has captivated the minds of many and is definitely worth watching. Amy Adams does an exceptional job in portraying her drunken and mysterious character. Sharp Objects, the HBO limited series, will have you sitting on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out this insane and clever murder mystery.