This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Romeo, I mean Gnomeo and Juliet

A modern day twist on this classic gets our Real Mom of O'Fallon thinking about classic literature.

One of my boys' most favorite things to do is go to the movies.  They love getting the candy, popcorn, soda and sitting in the very back of the theater, preferably the very last row. 

I have to admit, I enjoy catching a good flick every now and then, too.  Especially after writing this week’s “Great Escape,” I was ready to head over to the and lose myself in an adventure film or good drama for a couple of hours. 

Because my boys were off school on Tuesday for a teacher development day, I decided it would be the perfect day for us to catch a movie.  It wasn’t exactly the Oscar worthy drama I was hoping to see, but Gnomeo and Juliet was very cute. 

Find out what's happening in O'Fallonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A modern-day twist of Shakespeare’s classic, Romeo and Juliet, this version of the tale has garden gnomes as the feuding Capulet and the Montague families.  These star-crossed gnomes had a bit better of a outcome in this version, unbeknownst to Shakespeare himself, who made a cameo appearance in the film. 

While the movie was cute and the boys really enjoyed it, I doubt it will be winning any awards.  My boys gave it the “Mom we have to buy this movie when it comes out on DVD” rating.  Basically, that’s the equivalent to “two thumbs up!”  Seeing this film got me thinking about something.  I wonder if watching this movie as a kid is going to make them more interested in reading classic literature when they are older.

Find out what's happening in O'Fallonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 I absolutely love to , but the classics can be very challenging books to understand.  Romeo and Juliet was originally written as a play in the late 1800’s, and even though the language is hard to understand (Iambic Pentameter), it comes to life on stage and on screen.  I have to admit, Leonardo DeCaprio as Romeo did make it even more appealing when I had to study the play in college. 

That being said, seeing the on-screen adaptations of some of the classics inspired me to read the original written version.  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of my all-time favorite books and I don’t think I would have ever read it if I hadn’t been introduced to Robert Redford as Gatsby.  There have been many other wonderful films made that were based on classic literature; Little Women, Pride and Prejudice and The Scarlet Letter, to name a few.

As my boys age in this modern world full of technology, I want them to enjoy reading as much as I do.  Disney’s Tangled is a modern day adaptation of RapunzelWinnie the Pooh is going to be re-released on the big screen this summer and Harry Potter (although not a classic) might be the epitome of a book turned movie. 

While my kids are too young to know and understand that some of their favorite movies were books first, I’m hoping that they will be more willing to read those books when the time comes.  Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but a mom can dream, right?  Until then, my boys will think that William Shakespeare was just a statue that could talk in a movie about red and blue garden gnomes named Gnomeo and Juliet. 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from O'Fallon