There are many differences between the book My Sister's Keeper, written by Jodi Picoult, and the movie adaptation of this novel.
In the book version, the main character named Anna Fitzgerald is thirteen years old. Anna lives in Providence, Rhode Island. The Fitzgerald family is made up of Anna, her mother Sara, her father Brian, her brother Jesse, and her sister Kate. In the novel, Jesse is a troubled boy and starts fires in an attempt to get attention from his family. Also in the novel, Anna is given a court-appointed guardian named Julia Romano.
In the movie version, Anna is only eleven years old. This story does not take place in Rhode Island, but rather in California. Jesse Fitzgerald does not rebel as much in the movie and is considered more of a stagnant character. In the movie, the character of Julia Romano does not exist.
The biggest...
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difference between the novel and the movie is the ending of each. In the novel, Anna gets in a car accident and is killed. As a result of her death, her kidney is donated to her sister, Kate. In the movie, Kate dies from cancer and Anna keeps her kidney.
If you enjoyed the book, prepare yourself for disappointment with the movie. I was certainly not alone in this as several criticized Hollywood for the changes made to the story in the film version.
Let's begin with a few changes that did little to affect the overall story. First, the settings are different. The book is set in Rhode Island, the film is set in California. Then, there are several character changes, some more minor than others. The character of Julia Romano is not even in the film. Also, Sara (played by Cameron Diaz), is of course blonde in the movie, but a brunette in the book.
Jesse's character is somewhat different from book to film, mainly in his behavior. He is more fully developed in the book and portrayed through drug use, ongoing rebellion, and of course, multiple incidents of arson. In the film, he is seen on street corners picking up prostitutes, and left a little more one dimensional. Some critics complained that his relationship with his sister is not as developed in the movie (and I agree). Finally, Anna is only 11 in the film, rather than 13 like the book. Given the kind of decisions she is forced to make, some complained that 9 was too young to be realistic for the plot.Â
There is a minor plot change in the relationship between Kate and Taylor. They make love in the movie, they only kiss in the book.
The biggest (and most criticized) change in the movie, however, went unsupported by the author herself. The most surprising plot twist in the novel is of course when Anna is in the car accident and ends up dying, allowing her to save her sister with a kidney transplant after all. In the movie, Kate is the one who dies, peacefully, from her cancer, and Anna does not donate a kidney. To me, and many others, this ending ruined the movie. I cannot comment on how I would have felt if I had not read the book.