For being disappointed in the bear hunt adaptation?

[HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone]

Was so looking forward to seeing it on Tv, but it was well rubbish really. I know the original story had little to it, but why the need to add in Grandpa do we really need to be miserable at christmas? It's supposed to be a cute happy adventure story and I feel like I've just sat and watched a sob story? Was it just me?

ItsAllGoingToBeFine

Caleb has it - the bear is scary in the book, at least until the final page. The final page works because it makes you think of the bear in a different way - not predatory, but lonely and somehow human. But the picture of him walking back to his cave doesn't state anything for sure, it makes you ask questions, and that's why it doesn't seem as leaden and gloomy.

my 17 year old was sobbing though

I am a touch over 17 and I might have -bawled like a baby- shed a tear or two.

But the book does have a sad ending
The bear is sad and all alone

Just awful. Not true to the book at all. Poor bear! No need for that at all. What was the point of it? All of us here (youngest is 17) very unimpressed and .

Are you all reading a different book to me?

Admittedly I've not looked at it for a while but I thought it ended with them all jumping into bed and saying they are never going on a bear hunt again?

But the bear in the books is possibly sad because he didn't get to eat the children. Which is generally harder to sympathise with.

I think they might have been trying to get some deep meaning from it, with the quote from the grandma ("being sad is just a way of remembering the good times") then we can reflect on is the bear being sad and would he have been better not to have met the little girl at all or to have that good memory.

Bit over the head of the average under 12 viewer and not well enough handled to actually spark a conversation other than "waaah poor bear"

Emochild, after that page is this one.

There's another illustration after that Emochild, of the Bear walking back across the bay, slightly hunched over and sad. I always added a little growl to that page to show he was a kind bear who just wanted to play.
In this version it is worse because he does get to play with the little girl and the dog but still ends up alone because she can't make them understand.

My 4yo Did loved it, and it's the only thing other than the snowman that's held my 18mo'a attention for 25 minutes.

Some people are sad and lonely at Christmas. Maybe pps could encourage their children to spare a thought for those not as lucky as themselves.

My three didnt like it and the oldest whos now 11 who grew up loving this book said "well that was depressing why did they have to leave the bear alone and ill?" The other two 6 and 8 just got bored.

I left the room hurriedly when the little girl told grandma she was sad. My DF is terminally ill, and this Christmas is hard enough without that! Tears in the kitchen, here.

Pasbeau - maybe they could have popped a few Syrian refugees on the end, really made that point.

Well gee, Pasbeau, never thought of doing that, ever.

Maybe pps could encourage their children to spare a thought for those not as lucky as themselves.

I am sure most parents do encourage this and help those less fortunate in many ways not just at Christmas time. Do we really need everything to be making us guilty, can't some things just be nice without the message of guilt attached to them?

Just watched this. I am 48. I cried.

In my defence I've just finished a very sad shift and perhaps I'm reading all sorts into it. But still.

DS10 felt sad after watching it, due to the ending. We had been looking forward to it as it had been one of his favourite toddler books.

We've never read the book and we're really looking forward to the tv show. DS1(11) said when it ended "well that's a lovely way to send us off to bed isn't it?" I agree with him. I thought that was horrible. DS7 didn't seem to pick up on the sadness thankfully and just thought it was funny that the boy wiggles his bum at the dog as that's what he does

But yeah, really disappointed with it. It needed a happy ending for Xmas eve FFs!

My 5 year old went off to bed crying. Not quite how I envisaged Christmas eve .

Managed to turn it round by reading about 10 happy Christmas stories.

Apparently Michael Rosen was consulted re this adaptation, maybe we should send him a few tweets about it!!

Also, why was it shown so late? The last thing we needed was a late bedtime tonight. still got wrapping to do

I think sad ending are important and valuable in context for children, it's important to know they're lucky and that people struggle.

I also think shoehorning in a plot about how the bear was alone, his only friend literally torn from him, and p.s the kids are all struggling with bereavement and using the fantasy of a bear hunt to distract them from their pain was utterly unnecessary and not particularly well handled. Not on a story which is basically a fun and silly romp and had no subtext whatsoever.

What a shame - I love the book and we only managed to watch the first 10 mins before DS had to go to bed because he was just too tired to stay up any longer.

I'm not feeling like I want to bother watching the rest of it now.

Yes! Why the fuck do they do this? DD in floods of tears at the sad and lonely bear who just wanted to be friends. It's for kids people, not some arty adaptation for adults!

Yy Cinderella. I wondered how they would pad it out to half an hour but apart from the natural distaste for Fun (yet reluctantly giving in) from the teenage girl and the silliness of the boy there was little added apart from a clunking great Moral bolted on to it. The Snowman has that naturally. It didn't fit Bear Hunt.

It was like a very long John Lewis ad!

I thought people were exaggerating and being overly sensitive but wow! Just watched it on catch up. Totally agree with you all. Totally unnecessary, even DH who is never fussed about these sorts of things thinks it too upsetting. No need. It's for little kids and the only thing it has for adults to watch along with them is a miserable undertone. Nothing happy about any of it. No upside. What was the point in it?
And the addition of a deceased relative in a kids show on Christmas eve... some people need their heads checking!