Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Film adaptation is a process of transforming a story from written text into visual media. This study aims to analyze the changes that occur in the film adaptation of Turtles All the Way Down (2024) from the original novel by John Green (2017). The research focuses on identifying reductions, additions, and variations in plot, characters, and settings using Eneste’s (1991) theory of ecranisation. It also applies Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) from Kress and van Leeuwen (2001) to understand how meaning is expressed through visual, audio, gesture, and language elements in the film. This study uses a qualitative method and document analysis as the technique for collecting data. The researcher collected data by reading the novel Turtles All the Way Down (2017) and watching its film adaptation (2024), then taking notes on plot, character, and setting. The findings show that the adaptation includes 12 reductions (46%), seven additions (27%), and seven variations (27%). Most reductions are found in emotional subplots and supporting characters, while additions are made to build emotional closure and hope. Variations happen in how scenes are presented visually compared to how they are described in the novel. These changes help the film communicate the same message as the novel, especially about mental health and healing, but in a way that fits the visual and emotional nature of cinema.