Post B # 5

When I started reading The Namesake, my dad actually suggested that I watch the film. He said the film adaptation, starring Kal Penn was well done, and that it was something worth watching. It would be a "good supplement" to what I was reading. I was able to watch half of the film two weeks ago, but I was not able to finish it. My parents were a bit mad at me for it. My dad said that I "missed the best part." From what I did see, the film was indeed very well done. I noticed that both of Gogol's parents did act in the typical (maybe even stereotypical fashion). Ashima spoke her English in a fairly heavy Indian accent, and acted shy, and ashamed to show skin. An example of her reserved manner occurs when she is in the hospital, pregnant with Gogol. She is wearing a hospital dress, the kind that is reserved for maternity. She asks the nurse for a longer dress, and the nurse replies, "You don't want to hide those legs, honey." Also, Ashoke is represented well. He is portrayed as a quieter character, and wise, as if the train accident gave him a new outlook on life. Kal Penn also does a great job portraying an American teenager not knowing what to do with his Indian heritage. He is highly intelligent, blasts Pearl Jam in his room, has long hair, and smokes pot occasionally with his friends at Yale. It is also implied that he has been with more than one girl, but the film does show him being with Maxine for a part of it. My parents want me to watch the end, but I have read the end of the book and I don't want to see that put on film. I don't want to see Kumar disgraced.