Melissa Rosenberg talked to Pop Sugar about what may or may not be included in Breaking Dawn.
“PopSugar: How did you feel about the decision to split Breaking Dawn into two movies?
Melissa Rosenberg: Relief, actually, because it was going to be quite a challenge to condense such a large book into one movie. That’s always the challenge with all of these and, more so, Breaking Dawn. Having a little more room to breathe is nice . . . on the other hand, there’s also the challenge of making sure there’s enough to fill two movies.
PS: We’ve heard there are some scenes you want to avoid showing on screen in Breaking Dawn. For example, Bella giving birth. Can you tell us why?
MR: That was a misquote. The childbirth — all the scenes, I feel — should be on screen. I think perhaps what I was referring to was, would we actually see Edward’s teeth through the placenta? I don’t think so. I don’t think we need to see that, and if someone needs to see that, I think they should take a look at that. [Laughs.] I believe it will be implied, but I don’t think we’ll see teeth in the placenta”
Melissa, please go talk to Wyck’s wife — you know, the ob-gyn — BEFORE you write the birth scene. It’s the vampiric “amniotic sac” that Edward had to bite through, not the “placenta.” Bella’s own uterus would also be involved (ouch).
Ask Dr. Godfrey how births really go. Go watch some birth TV shows. Look up unassisted birth stories on the Web (cause that’s what they’re really doing, via c-section for drama).
As a lay midwife, I just have to say that if the birth scene features lots and lots of Bella screaming her fool head off (like most movies and TV shows), I swear I will walk out of the theater, run home, and burn all my Twilight books. For the record, she yells to get the baby out, and passes out. There are some crunching noises after, but that’s basically it.
Stephenie Meyer must have the kindest, nicest — and absolutely worst — doctor on the planet! Because somewhere in there we get Carlisle, the nicest doctor in all of literature, along with the worst childbirth experience in history!
Sorry, Wyck’s wife’s name is actually Dr. Mary C. Kerr, and it sounds like she’s awesome. Take note, Stephenie!
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/44928448/beverly_hills_ca/kerr_mary_c_md.html
James, with the pregnancy Bella had, what kind of birth were you expecting? I thought it was ingenious of Stephenie Meyer to write true women’s horror – having your fetus overpower you IS a fear of many parous women. Yes it’s creepy and disturbing, but it’s supposed to be; like all good horror, it’s a voice for our innermost fears. But I don’t think viewers will confuse Bella’s experience with a “What to Expect” pregnancy.
James,
While I respect any experience you have as a midwife, please understand the following:
Considering it’s fiction and it’s a vampire birth scene, and it’s a half-vampire baby breaking through the mom, I don’t see it as something that’s going to be a “realistic” birth scene. Fiction holds a certain amount of realism, but it also has its own rules. Fiction’s most asked question is: “What if” and if you’re a writer, it’s a question you ask before you start writing any story. I think that’s entirely what Stephenie Meyer asked all through her series. “What if this happened? What if they made this choice?” What if doesn’t always mean the answer is going to be completely 100 percent true to real life. If it’s Sci-Fi, fantasy or paranormal it will probably hold anywhere between 40 to 80 percent(depending on genre it could be more or less than those numbers) realism, and the rest will be fiction…how that 20 to 60 percent fiction is weaved through the story is up to the author.
For the record, the birth scene isn’t one I’d want to see word for word out of the book. That wasn’t an easy scene to read.
I want to see the birth scene as it was meant to be just as in the book. So happy BD is going to be 2 movies will get alot more content that way and it will rock. Breaking Dawn is the best book in the series and the movie will be awesome. I have faith that the birth scene will be done in a way that appeals to all audiences.
keep all the necessary important stuff in the movie that were in the book…but yeah…dont overdo the exploding stomache guts baby scene, keep that under control. i don’t wanna see rob pattinson ripping the umbilical chord out of bella like a chew toy…
“i don’t wanna see rob pattinson ripping the umbilical chord out of bella like a chew toy…”
I know I’m in a minority of one, but I totally wish we could see this: Edward frantically working to save Bella’s life, rips out his own child with his mouth then injects the mother in her heart. Heavy stuff! But we always knew Breaking Dawn wouldn’t be R-rated – oh well!
Ok..We want BD to be as real as possible, but please can we not over do the birthing scenes? I think (my personal oppinion) that it would be better if the birthing scene were close to the book, but not overdone on the gore and guts Yuck! Even that part in the BOOK wa hard for me to read.
Edward wouldn’t be biting through the babies placenta, he takes one
bite out of Bella’s uterus to help the baby/vamp
get herself out. The baby has her own teeth remember. Not everything has to be shown and if they do decide to show part of the birth it could be blurry because Bella is no longer able to
see clearly what is happening to her.
agree! otherwise the baby would come out killing her own mother.
Just stay true to the book, that’s all I want!!
that was Jacob’s story. I think they can tell the story by the book and it will be OK. hope BD will be better than Eclipse.
I am concerned with MR’s statements about her “heavy responsiblity” to be sure that these movies are good role models for young girls. WTF? She’s already ruined too many scenes portraying her personal philosophy. Has she actually read the books, I sometimes wonder? I want her to tell the story that Stephenie Meyer imagined. Period.
I totally and completely agree with you. I sometimes wonder if she even cares what the fans think.
Um, what do you think is her personal philosophy? I’ve seen a lot of scenes that didn’t make it into the movies from the books, but I haven’t detected a message in the movies that wasn’t in the books.
I thoroughly agree with you! Melissa seems to have a thing for “girl power” or something. I am all for empowering my daughter and teaching her she is a man’s equal etc etc etc but Melissa didn’t write these books and she’s changed some of the most bizarre things to me all in he name of empowering women. I understand she’s adapting the books into film but what was the REAL purpose of having Angela be the valedictorian? There’re just several little things such as that, that truly boggle me. It would’ve taken no more screen time to leave it as written, but it wouldn’t have put a girl in the power seat which is Melissa’s big deal. Blah! Adapt the books to screen by making them fit but don’t go changing things for your own personal agenda. That’s just my opinion.
Wow. I say give Melissa a break. Of course she’s read the books. She’s probably digested them more than anyone can imagine. I can’t believe people are ghetto enough to ask her such a question. She’s done an incredible job with all three movies so far, and she’ll do a wonderful job w/ BD, along with Stephenie’s guidance as always. I think it’s disrespectful to assume either Melissa or Stephenie won’t handle this movie(s) with class. They are the professionals and that’s why THEY are doing the job. Of course not everyone will be happy with everything; that’s what happens when a book is translated into a movie. It takes so much more than on person’s opinion. It takes give-and-take and compromise.
BTW, who are the gazillionares because they know what they’re doing? Oh yeah, Melissa and Stephenie are.
Well first of all it is the amniotic sac as James mentioned and two. They don’t need to show Edward biting the amniotic sac. They could just show Edward bending to make they bite just so people who have not read the books can get the concept and then focusing on Bella or Jacob. I know the birthing scene is not easy to handle. Heck, it even grossed me out but I think they should try and stick to it as close as possible.
agree. just like the lovemaking parts it was wrote with class, just like in the OLD DAYS when on movies/tv/soaps it would show couples walking towards the bedroom etc. we knew what was going to happen we DID NOT NEED TO SEE IT.