This article contains discussions of emotional, mental, and physical abuse. It also contains descriptions of sexual content
Summary
TheFifty Shadesmovies make major changes from the eponymous books by author E.L. James. In 2015, theTwilightfan fiction turned novelFifty Shades of Greywas released on the big screen, followed by two sequels in 2017 and 2018. All three films were successful at the box office but critically panned. TheFifty Shadesmoviesare some of the most controversial movies that have come out in recent years due to their explicit sexual content, their inaccurate portrayal of BDSM, and the dangerous romanticization of an arguably abusive relationship.
Despite this,the movies are much better than the books they are based on– not just because the books are poorly written. TheFifty Shadesmovies make many changes, big and small, that positively impact the overall narrative. Some of the changes even minimize the more overtly problematic elements of theFifty Shadesbooks.
How Old Dakota Johnson & Jamie Dornan Are In The Fifty Shades Of Grey Movies
Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan were age-appropriate and well-cast for their iconic characters in the Fifty Shades Of Grey movie series.
15The Fifty Shades Books Have Much More Sex
Ana And Christian Have Sex Constantly In Kinkier Ways
The biggest change between theFifty Shadesbooks and movies is the sheer amount of sex and the degree of BDSM explored. In the books, almost every other scene involves Christian and Ana having sex, earning them the label “smut.” This works for the books, butmovies need a much more plot and less sex so that theaters can show them. As such, the movies cut down the number of sex scenes and show much less intense depictions of BDSM. While this might have been disappointing for fans of the book, it ultimately allowed for more character development and plot.
14Ana’s “Inner Goddess” Doesn’t Appear In The Movies
The “Inner Goddess” Would Have Hurt the Fifty Shades Movies
One of the most irritating parts of theFifty Shadesbooks is the repetitive writing, specifically the references to Ana’s “inner goddess.” She is meant to represent Ana’s uninhibited impulses, butthere’s little personality to the character other than being horny.Simply put, the “inner goddess” has no purpose in the books. Still, she is maddeningly referenced in all of them. Luckily, the movie scrapped the “inner goddess” completely rather than spoon-feeding the audience Ana’s libido through voiceover. Instead, the character’s conflicted emotions and sex drive are shown through Dakota Johnson’s mannerisms and vocal tone, a more effective choice onscreen.
TheFifty Shades of Greymovie includes the BDSM contract that Christian gives Ana as a major feature but truncates it and removes some of the legalese. Ana also spends less time researching all the terms and expectations related to being a submissive. This makes the document seem more like a general BDSM contract.
However,what Christian presents to Ana in the book is much more similar to a Total Power Exchange (TPE) BDSM contract. This kind of contract gives the dominant control over everything from bathroom privileges to sex acts. TPEs are contentious in the BDSM community because they can quickly lead to abuse hiding behind the facade of kink.
12The Contract Negotiation Scene Occurs Differently In The Book
The Book Negotiations Take Place Over Multiple Days
In the movieFifty Shades of Grey, Ana and Christian don’t discuss the contract outside their meeting. They meet up in one of his conference rooms, sitting at opposite ends of a comically long table for two people. They go through every part of the contract all at once. This is vastly different from the E.L. James book.
After Ana reads the contract, they communicate about Ana’s issues with some of the points over email. Then,they meet up at a restaurant to discuss the contract further.However, she becomes overwhelmed and leaves, waiting to discuss the soft limits another day. This more drawn-out version of their negotiation was likely condensed for narrative purposes, allowing audiences to get the gist without it taking too long.
11Christian Is Obsessed With Ana’s Eating And Exercising In The Fifty Shades Of Grey Book
Christian’s Obsession With Ana’s Eating And Exercising Is Dangerous
A highly disturbing part of theFifty Shades of Greybook is Christian Grey’s obsession with Ana’s eating and exercising. He includes clauses about her eating only foods from a prescribed list and not snacking ever. He also demands that she work with a personal trainer for half the week, with the trainer giving him progress reports.
Though he agrees to take out the food restrictions,he still berates her eating habits on a regular basis.Pretty much every time they eat a meal together across all the books, he harasses her about what and how much she consumes. Ultimately, it’s positive that the movie chose to minimize these harmful ideals, only briefly mentioning them when she refuses to agree to the food clause.
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Fifty Shades of Grey continues to be one of the most profitable R-rated movies ever made & is currently the most popular film streaming on Netflix.
10The Fifty Shades Of Grey Movie Removes Ana’s Crying
Ana Constantly Cries In The Fifty Shades Of Grey Book
The first movie rarely shows Ana crying, but a major feature of theFifty Shades of Greybook is the fact thatshe bawls after almost every interaction with Christian, sexual or not.It’s established earlier in the series that she doesn’t often cry. This dichotomy points to the mental distress and abuse that she faces throughout the story in the name of “love”.
By removing this aspect of Ana’s character, the movies paint Christian and Ana’s relationship in a happier light. She might feel unsure about submission, but it doesn’t cause her to constantly question why she isn’t good enough for him. The change seems insidious, since the movie still portrays a highly abusive and manipulative relationship.
9Christian Has A Closer Relationship With “Mrs. Robinson” In The Books
Christian And Elena, AKA “Mrs. Robinson,” Have A Disturbingly Close Friendship
In theFifty Shadesmovies, Ana learns that his mother’s friend, whom Ana calls Mrs. Robinson, introduced Christian to BDSM through repeated sexual assault. The woman groomed and abused him from the age of 15 to 21. Christian has a continued friendship with Mrs. Robinson, but they aren’t as close as they are in the books. In the books, Ana learns that they have a business together, andChristian meets with her to talk on a regular basis.He tells her all about his emotions, past, and relationships in a way that he only otherwise does with his therapist.
8Christian Goes To Therapy In The Fifty Shades Books
Christian’s Therapist Dr. Flynn Is Removed Entirely From The Movies
One of the most perplexing changes in theFifty Shadesmovies is that they took out Christian going to therapy. In the books,Christian’s therapist, Dr. Flynn, is mentioned and shown multiple times. Christian tells Ana that some of the conversations they’re having are uncomfortable because he only talks this way with two people – Dr. Flynn and Mrs. Robinson.
It’s a shame that they didn’t include this. Men are societally expected to tough it out rather than get help, and the writers adapting the story had the chance to show a man in power willingly going to therapy for his trauma and mental health.
Christian And Ray Bond Over Fishing
Most of the scenes changed inFifty Shades of Greyrelate to sex, but a peculiar change happens after the graduation ceremony. In the book, Christian meets Ana’s dad, who’s hard to impress. However,he charms him by discussing fishing, which Christian knows Ray likes.Instead of this, the movie shows Christian and Ray meeting very briefly. Kate says that Christian is Ana’s boyfriend, and Ray asks how long they’ve known one another. That’s the extent of their interaction. Since Ana and Christian get married inFifty Shades Freed, it seems silly to leave out the connection between the men.
6The Movie Minimizes Christian’s Manipulative And Stalker Behavior
Christian Is Much More Overtly Toxic In The Fifty Shades Books
There’s no doubt that Christian stalks Ana in theFifty Shadesmovies. After all, he shows up uninvited at her work, her bar, and her apartment. Despite all these instances, the stalking and manipulation are so much worse in theFifty Shadesbooks. He uses threatening and controlling language before she even verbally agrees to BDSM. He does all the aforementioned actions as well as lovebombs her by sending a laptop, first edition books, a Blackberry phone, and a car to her. The phone is given so that he can reach her at all times.
He finds her address without asking. He isolates her from her friends and family andharasses her for not replying to his incessant emails and texts.InFifty Shades Darker, he buys the publishing house where she works, taking away one of her only forms of autonomy. When a dance with Ana is auctioned off at the masquerade ball, Christian also pays $100,000 just so that she can’t dance with anyone else.
Fifty Shades Of Grey Unrated: 8 Things The Movie Changes From The Original
From Ana and Christian’s texting to an extended scene in the graduation, the unrated version of Fifty Shades of Grey changes a lot from the original.
