Forever on Netflix 'inspired the Judy Blume book'

[Dustyblue]

I binge-watched all 8 episodes yesterday whilst unwell (am much better today) and the term 'inspired by' is a strech. The only things in common with the book were a) there was a cheese fondue at the NYE party in the 1st episode and b) the angst-filled teenage lovers go on different paths at the end.

Note these are not spoilers if you've read the book! Everything else however is different. No other plot point comes from the book.

Meanwhile it was good viewing, most of the actors were great in their roles. Michael from the book turned into Justin, the actor in that role was great and he still named his dick Ralph (a nod to book authenticity).

Overall it felt a bit slow, the 8 episodes could've been maybe condensed into less, but I did enjoy it. Would love to hear what other fans of the book thought😍😫🤔

Oooo that's my evenings viewing sorted! I remember the book so well, it got passed round school and if you held the spine of the book it flopped open at all the racy bits 🤣

Same at our school. Every year, pupils were invited to suggest books for the library to stock. Every year Forever was suggested and turned down by the librarian 🤣

I didn't know this existed! Will add it to my watch list but with appropriate expectations.

Read a while back that Judy Blume wrote it after one of her kids asked her to write a story where basically decent kids have sex and no one dies as a result. Thank you Judy from many many former teenagers.

Our library stocked it!

This should be interesting

Yup, passed around my catholic secondry - iirc there was a waiting list 🤣

Wow. Our class copies were strictly brought in from home. The Librarian wasn't as green as she was cabbage looking. I reckon it had been suggested for years and she'd read it...

Actually,just remembered our school library didn't stock it, every Wednesday we walked to the local library and it was there, we used to fight over whose turn it was next to read it!!

The naughtiest book in my school library 🤣

I'm 5 minutes in, not sure I can watch anymore, does poor old Judy actually know this was based on her book?🤣

My youngest sister managed to convince mum to buy it. Presumably as other Judy Blume's had been borrowed from the local library and she didn't know what it was about.

Middle sister 'liberated' it from her and refused to give it back, saying that if youngest complained to mum, she'd tell her the content (I don't think she would as she'd have been too embarrassed to verbalise it, but the threat worked).

Is the one where they call his penis Ralph ? Or something like that

we read one of her books at school
where this was mentioned

Yes, that's the one

Ooh that’s my night sorted then. I loved the Margaret film made last year.

Yes that was lovely and a pretty faithful adaptation being set in “olden times” (I think)

I’ll try forever but it’s not got the same appeal as a direct copy.

She must, since her name appears in the opening credits! But yeah, nothing much like the book is it?

The Michael character (Justin) seems to have morphed into Artie from the book, with the whole thing about controlling parents not letting him follow his interests. But not suicidal. It's a very weird adaptation. As I said even calling it inspired by the book is a big dubious stretch!

I managed half an episode but kept getting confused as my brain was trying to remember the names from the book(I remembered his Dick being called Ralph, there was a boy in my year who got teased mercilessly for being called Ralph) and I just couldn’t focus on what was happening on screen.

I haven't watched it yet. As a big Judy Blume fan I am definitely going to.
I wonder why they changed Michael's name. It's a pretty timeless name - it's not like it's a really dated 1970s name (when the book was written) that would sound odd to a 21st century lad.
I assume Katherine is still called Katherine.
edit: I just read the actor who plays Justin is called Michael in real life 🤔😂

Katherine is Keisha.

But why? Katherine is a timeless name too.

I absolutely loved it. Brought the novel up to date and gave some added depth in terms of the socio economic themes. I loved that it has been reimagined based on the black experience (I'm a white, 42 year old). An important retelling, even moreso in the US.

Because 'Katherine' is a typical white, middle class name and this adaption is rooted in the experience of the Black community.

Really?
Wasn't Michael Jackson's granny called Katherine?
There was character on ER played by Angela Bassett called Katherine.
I would say it's a fairly universal name.
But then I don't live in urban LA so 🤔

I think on TV they would use the name to make Black characters more palatable to a white audience. Keisha's character is also from a deprived socioeconomic background (who were also authentically Black). There is a comment in the series that Justin makes to his mum (who is scared of the prospect of Justin dating a white woman), where Justin responds to her 'do you know any white girls called Keisha?' I think the name change was a very intentional (and fantastic) choice that fit with the theme of the show, along with the character.

@jenfw it's a bit ironic though that the character of Michael has been changed to Justin yet the actor who plays him is called Michael in real life !