{"id":25909,"date":"2022-11-16T11:00:21","date_gmt":"2022-11-16T10:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1738686"},"modified":"2022-11-16T11:30:55","modified_gmt":"2022-11-16T10:30:55","slug":"is-the-wonder-based-on-a-true-story-writer-on-book-changes","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/is-the-wonder-based-on-a-true-story-writer-on-book-changes\/","title":{"rendered":"Is The Wonder based on a true story? Writer on book changes"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Molly Moss\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 16 November 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Sebastian Lelio\u2019s latest film The Wonder<\/a> has landed on Netflix with a bang, starring Florence Pugh as an English nurse<\/a> who\u2019s invited to the Irish Midlands in 1862 to observe what appears to be a miracle.<\/span><\/p>\n

A young girl, Anna O\u2019Donnell, claims to have not eaten any food for four months and yet appears healthy. Her parents and many of the all-town committee believe it\u2019s a religious miracle, but Lib, a hard believer in medical facts, suspects trickery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What follows is a gripping thriller as faith clashes with reason, and religion with science.<\/span><\/p>\n

But is The Wonder<\/a> a work of fiction or is it inspired by a true story? Read on for everything you need to know.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is The Wonder on Netflix based on a true story?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Toby Jones as Dr McBrearty, Dermot Crowley as Sir Otway and Ciar\u00e1n Hinds as Father Thaddeus in The Wonder.<\/span><\/figcaption> Cr. Christopher Barr\/Netflix \u00a9 2022<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The Wonder is based on Room author Emma Donoghue\u2019s 2016 novel of the same name, which in turn was inspired by a disturbing historical phenomenon: real-life cases of <\/span>\u2018fasting girls\u2019 reported in the Victorian era \u2013 women, often prepubescent, who claimed to survive without food for months and even years.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Donoghue didn\u2019t focus on any particular case, and instead invented a story that had everything in it that she wanted to explore about the historical phenomenon: the clash between faith and reason, religion and science, and the theme of our relationship to our bodies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Talking about why she thinks the story is relevant to a modern audience, Donoghue \u2013 who adapted her novel for the big screen alongside Alice Birch (Normal People) and Lelio \u2013 told RadioTimes.com<\/a> in an exclusive interview: \u201c<\/span>I think it\u2019s interesting that it\u2019s about a girl that claims not to eat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause it\u2019s not exactly the same as modern stories of eating disorders, but it touches on an issue which comes up all the time today, you know our relationships to our own bodies, and it\u2019s crucial that there are so many scenes that made it to the final cut of Florence eating.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She continued: \u201cShe\u2019s a great eater. She\u2019s an enthusiastic eater. And rather than any talk of, \u2018Oh it\u2019s important, to eat it\u2019s important to see her tucking into those bowls of food and choosing life over and over\u2019 \u2013 that\u2019s a lovely thing and one subtle message in the film, I think.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

How does the film differ from the novel? The Wonder book changes explained<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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K\u00edla Lord Cassidy as Anna O\u2019Donnell in The Wonder.<\/span><\/figcaption> Cr. Christopher Barr\/Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The Wonder is a faithful adaptation of the novel, but Donoghue did make some minor changes when adapting the book for the big screen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Talking to RadioTimes.com<\/strong>, Donoghue explained:\u00a0<\/span>\u201cI knew that landscape would take on a powerful quality in this film that I wouldn\u2019t say was particularly true of either Room or of the book of The Wonder.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She added: \u201cI knew it would become visual in a new way and that landscape had to help us tell that story. I also knew it couldn\u2019t be as wordy as the book.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She continued: \u201cThe book is literally about someone whose job it is to take notes \u2013 she writes things, she reads things. She\u2019s got a constant internal monologue and I didn\u2019t want the film to be wordy in the same way. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo my first job was to tell the story again with far less wordiness and in particular find ways to have the religious aspects of the story come across to things like the holy cards, to find ways to not let it get bogged down in religion, and theological explanation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n