Because of Winn-Dixie — Q&A with Kate DiCamillo, Author

You have had one incredible year with winning the Newbery Medal for The Tale of Despereaux. Now that your first book, Because of Winn-Dixie, will soon be released as a major motion picture, how are you handling all of this success?
Kate DiCamillo: I am stunned and amazed, delighted and overwhelmed. It's hard for me to be articulate about everything that has happened because I can't even really believe that it's all true.

What role did you play in adapting the book into a movie? How did you work in collaboration with Joan Singleton, the screenwriter?
Kate DiCamillo: Joan wrote the script (and did a beautiful job) and then Wayne Wang (the director) brought me on board to do rewrites of the script.

What were some challenges you faced while adapting the book for the screen?
Kate DiCamillo: Well... a book is one thing and a movie is another. They are two separate art forms with different demands, different rules. What works in a book won't necessarily work in a movie and vice-versa. What you struggle to do is to remain true to the 'spirit' of the book and I think that Wayne accomplished that with Winn-Dixie.

Were you apprehensive at all that your story would change once the film started shooting? What eased your mind?
Kate DiCamillo: I'm apprehensive about everything all the time. I am a big worrier. But what calmed my fears was knowing that Wayne Wang understood the book and wanted to remain as true to it as possible.

What was your reaction when you visited the movie set for the first time?
Kate DiCamillo: I wept. It's unbelievable to see what was in your mind and heart come to life in such a large way.

Have you seen the movie yet? What did you think?
Kate DiCamillo: I've seen the movie (but not the most recent cut) and I have one word for it: luminous. It's beautiful in a way that exceeded my wildest expectations.

Who's your favorite character in the story?
Kate DiCamillo: Gloria Dump. I would love to sit in her backyard and tell her my problems.

What are some lessons you hope students will learn as they read the book and watch the movie?
Kate DiCamillo: I shy away from the idea of books (especially ones I write) teaching lessons. What I hope, rather, is that (with both the book and the movie) readers and viewers will feel those deep and powerful emotions that make life bearable and worthwhile: love, hope, forgiveness. I also hope that they laugh.

What would you like the audience to walk away with after seeing the movie?
Kate DiCamillo: I want their hearts to be opened wider. That's the way I felt after seeing the movie.

What are the 10 Things You Know about Because of Winn-Dixie, the movie?
Kate DiCamillo: I don't want to give too much away, so I will just list two things I know: 1. it's funny 2. it's beautiful.

What was it like to see your characters come to life on the screen? How was it similar or different to how you imagined them?
Kate DiCamillo: The characters were totally different than I imagined them, but at the same time they were so 'right' that they immediately replaced what was in my head.

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