Fifty Shades Of Grey (Movie Vs Book): 7 Pleasant Surprises And 7 Utter Disappointments

As one of the most insatiable FSOG fans out there, be forewarned that there is a lot of material missing in the movie that made the book as amazing as it is. With that being said, it should be illegal to go see this movie without having read the book. This movie gives fans what they are craving, which is “more”. For fans to be completely and utterly happy with this movie it would have to be seven hours long so then every single word from the book would be delivered through Christian’s sexy ass voice. It would also have Anastasia talking to herself the whole time so we can get all the internal dialogue. Lastly, having the option to rewind each sex scene would’ve been great. That’s all. But who are we to complain? We got to see our favorite Dominant and our favorite Not-So-Submissive up on the big screen.

Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan are two very brave actors and for that they deserve a standing ovation. Dakota was the right amount of shy with a splash of sassiness, while Jamie would stare at you through hooded eyes and you wouldn’t dare question him as Christian Grey.

Be forewarned that SPOILERS are definitely ahead for both the book and the movie. Here are 7 ways the movie really shined and gave fans what they needed, and 7 wrong turns that left fans squirming in their seats, and not in a good way.

Lets start with 7 Pleasant Surprises:

7. The Interview

FSOG-PS7
Universal Pictures

The interview right at the beginning of the movie was surprisingly fun and intriguing to watch unfold. The parts that they added/changed to this scene were actually the parts that shined the most. Throughout the interview Christian is raving that the reason why he is so great at what he does is because he knows how to read people, but he very quickly realizes that he can’t read Ana at all. On the other hand she seems to be catching on to him fairly quickly.

As his interests with her increase, Christian tells her to ask him a question that she wants to know; she says “You said earlier that people know you well. Why do I get the feeling that that is not true?” And that’s when his fascination with her starts spiraling out of control. Christian starts asking her about what turned her on to English Literature; Bronte, Austin, or Hardy? When she says Hardy you can see the disappointment on his face, not with her but with himself because he would have guessed Austin. Anastasia Steele is someone that Christian Grey can’t figure out, but from that point on he has every intention of getting to know her better.

Here is a clip of that specific scene:

6. “Where Have You Been?”

FSOG-PS6
Universal Pictures

In the book when Ana tells Christian that she is still a virgin, he is fuming. He is pacing around trying to grab a hold of the situation and the “oversight” on his part. He is mad that he assumed she had sex before and feels terrible that he just showed his playroom to someone who has never had sex let alone had an orgasm.

In the movie it was refreshing that he wasn’t so exasperated when she told him that she was still a virgin. He is more surprised and then is genuinely floored by her inexperience. It makes it seem like Christian wants her even more now that he knows her secret. He is more in awe of her and as a result he kisses Ana passionately; then of course goes to rectify the situation.

5. The Nice Wine Scene

FSOG-PS5
Universal Pictures

This scene was done beautifully. Granted there should have been more of the playful banter and Christian’s teasing throughout the whole scene, but seeing the ice cube melt down her body and over her nipples while still in his mouth will suffice just fine. This scene unfolds when Ana playfully emails Christian joking that it was nice knowing him after she did her research of the BDSM lifestyle. In true Christian Grey form, he immediately heads over there to show her how nice it was to know him.

This scene shows how kinky, experienced, and just downright erotic Christian Grey can be. He understands the art form of foreplay and how to turn women on by barely touching them. This is the one sex scene that stays pretty true to the book, and fans can just lay back and enjoy this scene as opposed to picking out everything that isn’t happening.

4. Anything Having To Do With Flying

FSOG-PS4
Universal Pictures

In the movie, when Ana and Christian are in Charlie Tango or in the Glider you are just completely submersed in the scene. You want them to work out so bad because their happiness is so genuine when they are carefree and not worrying about gags and canes. These scenes were absolutely fantastic because it shows how talented Christian really is outside the business world and the bedroom. He is a man of many talents and Christian appears to be his young carefree self and Ana is just blown away by how competent he is.

When you are watching them in these scenes you can’t help but have a face splitting grin the entire time. These scenes met every expectation and they stayed true to the story. Fans couldn’t be happier seeing Christian giving Ana “more.”

3. The Contract Meeting

FSOGPS3
Universal Pictures

In the book, Ana and Christian go out to dinner to discuss the contract and her issues with it. She is more concerned about rules that he has laid out, not so much the hard and soft limits. In the movie however, Ana is taking this discussion very seriously. She calls for a business meeting instead of a dinner date and meets Christian at Grey Enterprises. She starts going through the points that she has issues with in a very professional manner; well… as professional as you can sound while discussing anal fisting and genital clamps.

What really was a pleasant surprise about this scene was that Christian was the one who proposed “A Sweetener” as he calls it. Because he is extremely impressed with Ana’s commitment to the contract, Christian proposes that one day a week they go on an actual date of her choosing. It is his way of offering up more and saying that he wants actual date nights as well. Another fun addition to this meeting was Christian wanting to get down and dirty as it came to a close. Instead of refusing and leaving, Ana starts to catch on and uses Christian’s tactics against him. She gets him all hot and bothered and then decides to leave anyway. Christian is left sexually tense without being able to use Ana as the release.

2. Beyonce and the Playroom

FSOG-PS2
Universal Pictures

In the movie, when Christian walks out with his Dom jeans on…. Holy hell. You are so ready for whatever is about to happen. The movie did a great job building up the sexual tension for this scene, and when you start to hear “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce you can’t help but squirm in your seat a little bit.

The riding crop, being trussed up to the ceiling with handcuffs, his long fingers caressing her body, her being tied up and bent over onto the bed post, him spanking her and….. Oh dear. It’s visually all very stimulating and even though you don’t hear his dirty talk, he does sniff her panties right at the beginning. It is the closest scene you come to getting a glimpse of how kinky this man really is.

1. The Ending

FSOG-PS1
Universal Pictures

As frustrating as it is that the movie ends on such a dramatic note, it was perfect! Everyone in the theater is left sexually frustrated, sad, and just flat out overwhelmed by everything that happens within the last 10 minutes of the movie. This is also exactly how fans felt when finishing the book.

It was really interesting though seeing the look and just flat out relief on Christian’s face as he was whipping her with the belt. You could see with each whip that tension was being relieved from his body. Then when Ana starts asking him if that’s what he likes as tears stream down her face, you can tell that Christian is so confused with what he is feeling. You can tell he obviously doesn’t want to see her like that and he can’t figure out why since it has never happened in the past. Then right at the end when she tells him to stop before she goes into the elevator, you know that is the last moment you are going to see them together until the second movie comes out. Which better be sooner rather than later!!

Now lets get to the Utter Disappointments:

To all the Insatiable FSOG Fans out there……Where is the dirty talk?! Half the fun in the book is hearing how kinky Christian is before, during, and after sex. In the movie, whenever they are having sex there is no dialogue between Ana and Christian. Only music. Where’s the Vanilla?! Where is all the sex outside the playroom?! Lets get a little bit more detailed:

7. The Virgin Sex Scene

FSOG-UD7
Universal Pictures

Ana came three times during this scene in the book. Each time was equally important and should have been accounted for. It was Christian and Ana’s first sexual encounter together and Ana’s first ever, so it was a big deal for this love story.

The first time she has an orgasm it was only by him touching and sucking her nipples. This was actually really smart of Christian and showed how experienced he was. Since Ana never had an orgasm before, Christian made her come solely by touch so she could get an idea of what an orgasm felt like. In hindsight this was really strategic because after she knew what it felt like, she was aware of what to look for when they actually had sex. So then by having sex missionary and then having sex from behind, that leaves us with three orgasms and ton of dirty talk in between. Oh, and don’t forget about the next morning when they explore oral.

6. The Spanking Scene

FSOG-UD6
Universal Pictures

In the movie this part was so anticlimactic it wasn’t even fun; it was just awkward. After Ana rolls her eyes at Christian for the second time that night, Christian throws her over his knee and spanks her (mildly) three times and you can tell she enjoys it. He says, “Welcome to my world” and then he is out the door.

Sorry but this just did not cut it for the insatiable FSOG fans. In the book, they had erotic sex before and after the spanking, and he spanked her eighteen times. Not this wimpy welcome to my world three spanks business. It was a hard 18x spank session that left Ana completely confused and overwhelmed; Ana didn’t understand why she was so turned on by it since it was pretty painful.

5. The Boathouse Scene

FSOG-UD5
Universal Pictures

It is very frustrating that there was no boathouse sex included in the movie. The boathouse scene was a big deal because it is the first time anyone has ever denied Christian. Ana first denies him at the dining table when she stops his hand from coming up her thigh, and then she denies him when she won’t let him spank her in the boathouse. Christian is so mad and turned on and it is sobering to see him confused by Ana. Christian is enraged because of Georgia, Jose, and Ana denying him at the dinner table that he wants to spank her ass raw but instead he settles for punishment sex where she is not aloud to come and the sex is solely for his pleasure. Ana finds a small victory in this scene and gets her panties back.

4. Caught Up In The Sleeping Arrangements

FSOG-UD4
Universal Pictures

In the book Ana never sleeps by herself. Even better, Christian doesn’t care that she sleeps with him either because he actually sleeps better with her there. He doesn’t have his nightmares or night terrors when they sleep together.

In the movie he is so persistent with them not sleeping together and it just sucks. Nothing about her is submissive, so aside for the hard limit of Ana touching him; it didn’t make sense that she would actually sleep in her own bed and not in his. Ana is different and there should have been more things that set her apart from the previous submissives.

3. Emails

FSOG-UD3
Universal Pictures

This is silly, but some of the best parts while reading the book are through the emails. First of all, the subject line. Are we talking about Burning the midnight oil, or Stubborn Young Women, or Exasperated Men, or Assault & Battery? Also what kind of CEO are we talking to? Control Freak CEO or Palm-twitching CEO? There is so much fun playful banter between the two of them and the emails always highlight that side of Ana and Christian.

These emails always showed Christian’s more playful side and almost humanized him more. They brought him down from his super sexy divine status and made him the 27-year-old Christian Grey fans adore. The emails are also where Ana can speak her mind and not be as intimidated by him. She truly tells Christian how she is feeling and what she is or isn’t happy about. In return he always responds with something that leads you to believe his feelings are a lot deeper for Ana than he is letting on. It is understandable that it is hard to portray full length emails in a movie, but it is still a disappointment none the less.

2. Ana Also Knows How To Play

FSOG-UD2
Universal Pictures

In the book, Ana is actually a very playful character. The first time they “slept together” at the Heathman hotel, Ana used his toothbrush before they left. When Christian kissed her in the elevator he was surprised to find out that she brushed her teeth. Ana also put on his underwear when his mom came to visit. After Christian dropped off Ana, she surprised him by revealing his underwear before strolling into her apartment.

The best was when Ana is getting ready for Christian’s family dinner and she realizes he stole her panties. She decides to go to meet his parents without wearing panties just so she doesn’t give him the satisfaction of asking for them back. And right at the end, you find out she decided to buy him a glider in Georgia to build. Ana ends up leaving it at his apartment before she says her final good-bye. All these things surprised Christian and he loves it because he isn’t surprised often. It is just another one of those things that keeps him drawn to her.

1. Ana’s Constant Struggle

FSOG-UD1
Universal Pictures

In the book, Ana struggles with so many different feelings while she is trying to figure out this lifestyle with Christian. She struggles with feeling like a whore because Christian always buys her stuff and she has a hard time justifying it. She basically feels like he is paying her for sex. She struggles with his forms of punishment because she is so confused that she can get so much pleasure out of pain, but also relishes the fact that he feels the need to punish her at all. She struggles with the fact that Christian Grey is interested in her and she can’t figure out why.

Ana is filled with so much self-doubt that she doesn’t understand how she could ever make Christian happy. She struggles with him being in the dark and whether or not she can bring him into the light, or if he is just going to drag her into the dark with him. So many things are constantly shifting through her brain during the book and unfortunately the movie only portrayed a small portion of the feelings Ana is conflicted with.

Honorary Surprises and Disappointments

FSOGHonorary
Universal Pictures

Pleasant Surprises:

Seattle:
It is so refreshing that in the movie it actually rains and if it is not raining, it is over cast. In the book it is always a beautiful day when that just isn’t true in Seattle.

Drunk Dial:
Ana is hilarious when she drunk calls Christian. She is playful and funny and it really shows more of her personality and what she is actually thinking.

Utter Disappointments:

Eating:
Christian HATES that Ana doesn’t eat often. Considering his past this is something he is very passionate about. She doesn’t eat around him because she is either really nervous or just down right craving sex. He is always saying how much she needs to eat and it always bothers him. Christian always wants to take care of her too. Ironically he just wants her healthy and safe.

Taylor:
There just should have been more of Taylor. Period. And maybe a little bit of Mrs.Jones.

Check out Fifty Shades of Grey in theaters February 13th, 2015.

2 thoughts on “Fifty Shades Of Grey (Movie Vs Book): 7 Pleasant Surprises And 7 Utter Disappointments”

  1. Your commentary is spot on. I couldn’t agree more with each pleasant surprise or missed opportunity. Thank you for writing this and helping me clarify my own thoughts/feelings so well! Loved it!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *