About the Movie
Speak the film was produced independently and released in 2004. Film production occured over a period of only 21 days in Columbus, Ohio. Anderson visited the set during filiming and appears in one scene as a lunchlady serving potatos. The film stars Kristen Stewart as Melinda, Eric Lively as Andy Evans, Allison Siko as Heather, and Hallee Hirsh as Rachel.The movie's tagline was "The Truth Will Change Everything."
Top 10 Differences Between the Book and the Movie
1) The movie takes place in the Midwest, not in Syracuse, New York.
2) The mascot only changes once in the movie, from Trojan to Hornet.
3) Melinda meets Heather on the school bus in the movie, not in the cafeteria.
4) In the movie, Melinda is raped in Andy's car, not outside of the party.
5) When Melinda is struck by mashed potatos in the movie, it is portrayed as purposeful, instead of accidental.
6) Mr. Neck and David Petrakis only argue once in the film, and David does not hire a lawyer
7) In the film Melinda cuts class only once and goes straight to the hospital.
8)Melinda does not send Rachel a warning note in the film. Instead, she only approaches her in person.
9) Andy does not attempt to rape Melinda a second time in the film. He just physically assaults her.
10) In the film, Melinda's final confession is to her mother, not to Mr. Freeman.
Laurie Halse Anderson on The Film
"The movie is very faithful to the book, but obviously, some things had to be cut. If they had filmed the whole book, it would have been a twelve-hour movie."
"I was on the set for a couple days, with my oldest daughter, Stephanie. It was a very moving, fun experience for both of us. The cast and crew were sweet, though I found that whenever Mr. Neck walked in the room, my stomach started to hurt."
"One unknown actress gave a stunning, if brief, performance in her role as The Lunch Lady Who Puts Mashed Potatoes on the Plate. Yes, folks, that was me."
"I love the movie. A lot. Jessica did a fantastic job. She had a budget of one million dollars....one camera, and three weeks to make the movie...The air conditioning in the building had to be turned off because the noise messed up the sound recording. A record-breaking thunderstorm opened up holes in the school's roof--over the room that held all the electrical boxes--and they lost power for a day. I have no idea how Jessica pulled it off, but she did."
