A book to film adaptation is always difficult. Readers come into the movie theater with the knowledge of the plot and love for a book and in most cases they are disappointed. I did not read Where the Crawdads Sing prior to screening the film. But I can tell you that from what I’ve learned from readers and knowing what the film is like, I think everyone will be very happy. Here’s my review of Where the Crawdads Sing in theaters, Friday July 15th! There are affiliate links in this post.
I was very excited to screen the film and I also had the opportunity to speak with Director, Olivia Newman. Watch it on my YouTube channel, HERE. The film, Where The Crawdads Sing is a film adaptation of the 2018 novel by Delia Owens. Even if you did not read the book, don’t let that keep you from watching the film.
The Review
Where the Crawdads Sing in my opinion is a tragically beautiful film, but it carries a lot of baggage. If you have trauma triggers that involve physical abuse, it could be hard to watch this film. There is love, heartbreak, deceit, murder, racial issues, sexual violence, family and relationship abuse, and trauma in the film. If that sounds like a lot for a film, it is. While watching the film, I might have missed a few things because I legit zoned out. I’m not saying it was a bad movie, because it wasn’t, there is just a lot to watch for. I think what helped the film for me was how beautiful the cinematography was. More on that down below. The setting was absolutely beautiful and magical for this film.
The film follows the main protagonist named Kya, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones. Kya narrates the film as she is speaking to her attorney Tom Milton (David Strathairn). Ky has been accused of the murder of Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson). Chase is found dead in the nearby marsh and it’s actually comical how quickly Kya is automatically accused of the crime and put on trial. The film does not really go into how much Kya is ostracized by Barkley Cove. The townspeople call Kya, “Marsh girl”. How’s that for Southern hospitality, right? The scene from the trailer where she is ridiculed for going to school barefoot is just that and a couple scenes sprinkled in the film.
Daisy Edgar-Jones and David Strathairn in “Where the Crawdads Sing.” Credit: Michele K. Short
As Kya is opening up to Tom about her childhood is when we start to learn even more about Kya. At a very young age, Kya is abandoned by her family and left in their run-down house in the marshes of North Carolina. Little Kya shows immense strength and maturity as she supports herself by taking her boat out in the early morning hours to pick scallops in the marshes and sell them to Jumpin’ (Sterling Macer Jr.) at the marsh tackle and bait type shop. Jumpin’ and Mabel (Michael Hyatt) actually take on the role of unofficial guardians of Kya, by helping supply her with clothes and shoes. Because of the period and because they are black, they cannot openly adopt Kya, but they help her as much as they can from a distance. At one point, I wondered how this destitute child would be clothing herself as she grew into a young woman.
Of course as with how movies go, Kya does in fact have a love interest. She meets Tate (Taylor John Smith) in childhood and again as a young adult. They connect on their love of birds and the wildlife of the marsh. Tate realizes that she cannot read or write, so he teaches Kya, all while falling in love. Kya takes her new skills and adds her talent of drawing and painting, taught by her mother and creates amazing journals of the North Carolina marshland wildlife. Their romance ends when Tate goes to college.
There is also a love interest with the deceased, but I won’t go into too much so that I don’t spoil the film for you. I will say though, when she starts dating Chase, I didn’t get the same warm and fuzzies that I got when Kya and Tate were onscreen together. You are able to experience both of the relationships in the film with Kya and that is pretty great, but it adds to so much more going on in the film as well.
Taylor John Smith and Daisy Edgar-Jones in “Where the Crawdads Sing.” Credit: Michele K. Short
In the end the film brings some closure to the story, but not the closure you expect. I hope you’ll watch the film and let me know in the comments what you thought.
Technical Things About The Film
The film, Where the Crawdads Sing runs 2 hours and 5 minutes and is surprisingly rated PG-13. You can expect amazing visuals of the fictional town and marshes of Barkley Cove. The film is set in North Carolina, but it was actually shot in Houma, Louisiana. Kudos to cinematographer Polly Morgan, for an incredible job.
At the beginning of the film, the year is noted to be in the 1950’s. During the film it is hard to note how old Kya is at each stage. I believe it’s noted during the trial that she is 25 years old. Something else to consider is that the film doesn’t show from start to finish.
Okay for Kids?
No, this film is not recommended for kids. If you read the book with your teenage child, then I would say yes, but younger definitely not. The film is set in the 1950’s in the south, so while there is no use of the n-word, there are derogatory terms used and segregation is implied as we don’t see many persons of color in the film. Also as noted above, there is physical and sexual violence shown that further make the film unsuitable for children.
Movie Synopsis
From the best-selling novel comes a captivating mystery. Where the Crawdads Sing tells the story of Kya, an abandoned girl who raised herself to adulthood in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina. For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” haunted Barkley Cove, isolating the sharp and resilient Kya from her community. Drawn to two young men from town, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world; but when one of them is found dead, she is immediately cast by the community as the main suspect. As the case unfolds, the verdict as to what actually happened becomes increasingly unclear, threatening to reveal the many secrets that lay within the marsh.
Where the Crawdads Sing stars Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People) as “Kya Clark,” Taylor John Smith (Sharp Objects) as “Tate Walker,” Harris Dickinson (The King’s Man) as “Chase Andrews,” Michael Hyatt (Snowfall) as “Mabel,” Sterling Macer, Jr. (Double Down) as “Jumpin’,” and David Strathairn (Nomadland) as “Tom Milton.” Olivia Newman (First Match) directs the screenplay by Lucy Alibar (Beasts of the Southern Wild) based upon the novel by Delia Owens. The 3000 Pictures film is being produced by Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter.
