When the novel Where The Crawdads Sing was released, it became a national hit. It featured in Reese Witherspoon's esteemed book club and even inspired Taylor Swift to write a song that got her nominated for one of the best original soundtracks. The plot revolves around Kya Clark, who is popularly known as That Marsh Girl, or if the people were feeling a little kindly, then just The Marsh Girl. Kya has lived away from the town for her entire life. In the marsh, near the wild and beautiful flora and fauna, Kya created her world. Abandoned by her mother and siblings, one by one because of her alcoholic, abusive father, Kya painfully learned at an awfully young age, that sometimes the people you love will leave you. She decides to stay back though. Her abusive father, also eventually leaves, though not in the way her mother and siblings left. Kya takes care of herself on her own. And she leaves school before the first period ends, because of the name-calling and the abuses. She never goes back. The only kindness she has known comes from the generous black couple, who runs the grocery store in town, Jumpin' and Mabel. The movie follows two timelines parallelly. One where we learn about Kya. And the other is where we see her fighting a court battle where she is being tried for the murder of Chase Anderson, a wealthy golden boy of the town. Kya grows up to be a gifted artist and researcher of the local flora and fauna, going on to publish several books. Which is by no means still enough to get her out of the marsh girl limelight. The people were and are curious about her, and only some break out to understand her. Tate is one. Another boy loves and leaves her. The lawyer who fights for her. And the kind grocery couple. Where The Crawdads Sing, was a book about a resilient, brave girl. The movie somehow changes her into a doe-eyed, mildly spoken girl. Daisy Edgar Jones plays Kya with all sincerity, but she doesn't match up to the heroine of the book. The book lent the marshes a beautiful, haunting quality, which is perfectly captured here. The place is wonderful, and we could gladly get lost in the sunshine and tall trees. The courtroom scenes of the second part, end up being a bleak drama rather than a tale of justice and honor. Watch the movie, for the beautiful Edgar Jones and the marshes of Carolina, and of course, Taylor Swift.
By SB
