3 differences between The Tender Bar book and movie
Did these plot changes work in The Tender Bar movie adaptation?
Book vs. Movie: The Tender Bar
The Tender Bar is a heartfelt story about family, will, and the power of community. Both book and movie encapsulate these themes beautifully while placing your heart in J.R. Moehringer’s world. Personally, both are powerful in their own way, but after watching the film and reading the true memoir, they felt like two different stories. I found three major alterations in the screenplay from the original The Tender Bar memoir.
"While I fear that we're drawn to what abandons us, and to what seems most likely to abandon us, in the end I believe we're defined by what embraces us."
The Tender Bar, J.R. Moehringer
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** This analysis of The Tender Bar will include spoilers for the film and the book. **
Uncle Charlie’s character
Alcohol Addiction theme
Dorothy Maguire’s character
1.Uncle Charlie is an entirely different human between the two stories.
I personally love him MORE in the movie. Uncle Charlie feels heartfelt and akin to a father towards JR, whereas the memoir portrays him as an uncle who watches him because he feels obligated and is mostly drunk. In the book, JR finds a family between Uncle Charlie, his friends, and the community at the bar. The film creates an amalgamation of those people and puts it into Uncle Charlie. This is the right move for the screenplay because it decreases the number of characters they need to introduce.
Films are an entirely different medium of storytelling than books. A screenplay must show us in about two hours what we read in an average of nine. It’s why we can feel more intimate with characters in a book— we are given details that would make a film drag on.
2. Alcohol Addiction is a clear theme in the film as a presence in JR’s father– whereas within the memoir, it’s prevalent to his father, Uncle Charlie, his friends who essentially live at the bar, and JR.
The film briefly shows us that JR is drinking more than he should when his younger self gives him a pep talk (my favorite scene). But JR actually loses himself to alcohol in the memoir. So, we learn more about this struggle with it in conjunction with its damage to his writing career. I love this element of the book far better than in the film because we see his growth and arc. But, I get why the film doesn't want to squeeze so much into those two hours without numbing an audience.
3. Dorothy Maguire is JR’s mother and is his true inspiration in life.
The book and film show this. However, I love her more in the movie. For one, the actress does a phenomenal job. Two, they capture her as a beacon for him, whereas in the book, she lives in Arizona most of his life. She is still his light and guide, but it seems like he’s hardly with her as a teenager and into adulthood. I feel a disconnect in their relationship that isn't present in the movie. However, the book shows us the reality of their relationship: the dark nights, anxieties, and struggles they endure are far more prevalent than in the film. The book shows us how life is messy— people are flawed— and why.
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Afterthoughts:
Overall, both are worth giving your time to. I recommend watching the film and then reading the book because you don't want to go into the film with a skewed version of the story. Appreciate the movie for what it is and then get the real story. I did it this way and enjoy them as two separate medians portraying someone's life. The book is grittier and more honest, while the film shows us an inspiring and visually cohesive version of a life. Even though it is nonfiction, I was okay with the adjustments made because the film can’t show all the details within the memoir. Otherwise, it would weigh down an audience and conclude as a five-hour movie.
They both held onto the theme that wove between both stories. They chose to focus on JR’s relationship with his dad. Then, show how he overcomes the heartbreak of that broken relationship. That is the right move because it is also a huge theme in the book and makes him who he is.
As someone who bounces between the production of both mediums, I understand why the film made their choices.
I LOVE the movie. Adaptations will never portray a book verbatim. I understand how the changes could be unsettling for people because it’s a piece of nonfiction. But before working on a set, I never understood the practical side of transforming a book we love to bit screen— until now. And I love both. The author showcases the intimate reality of his life: the good, the bad, and the ugly. And the movie poetically portrays someone’s life. You won’t regret your time with either one.
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