My Policeman is a romantic drama released on October 21. Based on the same-titled 2012 novel by Beth Roberts, My Policeman follows the story of a same-sex love affair involving a policeman during 1950s Britain, when being homosexual was a criminal offense. Below, I will be talking about the differences between the book and the movie.
*Warning: this article contains major spoilers for both the movie and the book.
Marion and tom’s Childhood
My Policeman revolves around three characters: Tom, Marion, and Patrick. Both the movie and book open in the 1990s, where we see older versions of the characters before flashing back to the events during the 1950s.
In the book:Â The first flashback shows Marion while she was still in school. We see her become friends with Tom’s sister. We also see her start to gain feelings for Tom. Tom prepares to serve and the military and decides to become a policeman afterward. As Marion becomes an adult, she sets her sights on Tom and finds ways to gain his attention.Â
In the movie: The earliest flashback happens a lot later than in the book. Marion already has a career as a teacher and Tom is a working policeman.
Marion and Tom’s earlier relationship, featured in the book, brings important information into Marion’s character. It also offers some insight into Tom’s early life.
Patrick’s health
In both the movie and book, Patrick comes to Marion and Tom’s home in 1990 after having a stroke.
In the book: Patrick can’t do more than grunt and jester after having his stroke. The doctors also tell Marion there is no hope that Patrick will recover.
In the movie: This version of Patrick seems to be slightly better than the book version. His speech is impaired but he can somewhat vocalize close to what he’s trying to say. He can also get around the house on his own in a wheelchair. There is also some hope towards the end of the book that Patrick could get better.
Marion’s Friends
In the book: Marion is friends with Tom’s little sister, Sylvie. She is the first character to suspect that Tom might be attracted to men. Marion also befriends another teacher at her school named Julia. Throughout the book Julia is a lifeline for Marion until it’s revealed that Julia is gay, ending their friendship. The way that Marion handles Julia’s reveal haunts her.
In the movie: Both Sylvia and Julia barely show up in the movie. Sylvia is in one scene in the very beginning. Julia does show up in multiple scenes, but her role is cut down so much that we don’t even learn her name. Also, the aftermath of Julia and Marion ending their friendship is never mentioned.
Marion’s regret about Julia is a very important moment for her as a character. It not only helps Marion grow as a person, but it also helps Marion deal with Tom’s sexuality. I think leaving this part out was a huge mistake.
WHICH IS BETTER?
In my opinion, the book clearly wins when comparing them. Even though I did enjoy the movie, the book gave a better insight into the characters. Without reading the book, you miss key parts of who the characters are. I would 100% recommend the movie, but not without reading the book beforehand to better understand the characters and why they do what they do.