john madden cinematic interpretation of edith wharton ethan frome fall short of do justice to a great literary piece . while the story be maintain the element that give the novella it soul be skewer and all in all lose in the film . madden fail to convey the innocence and and overall tragedy of ethan and mattie relationship instead transform it into a morality tale . the mark be miss and the point lose in add detail and poor dialog . zeena ( zenobia ) in the book be almost completely the antagonist and the book least sympathetic figure and where in the movie she can be almost pity though it a stretch you kind of feel bad for this sick woman who be be cheat on . the book more accurately describes zeena tyrannical control of the house and of ethan . the movie just tick me off . the addition of the fox be pointless and as well a the scene with mattie try to kill herself . it be just poorly interpret and do . film mistake represent ethan elusiveness in the church dance scene and interaction with denis eady and addition of love scene and fox scene and store scene and say his plan allow and lack of display of ethan inner emotion and thought and introduction of the priest instead of nameless engineer and let on to much that zeena know about the grow relationship where in novel reader never know what zeena be think or aware of . just too many flaw and poor directing decision .