Vision Quest - Differences From The Book

Differences From The Book

The film was based on the novel of the same name by Terry Davis.

• Louden wrestles at 147, not 168.
• Thompson High School, which was used in the film, appears to relate more toward Spokane's North Central High School was actually based on Spokane's Shadle Park High School, North Central's rival school, where author Terry Davis graduated from (Shadle's team made a brief appearance as Sherman High School).
• In the book, Carla was living with Louden, but for longer than the movie version and was actually settled down with him, living in Spokane.
• Gary Shute was the actual name of the character in the book that Louden was going to wrestle (the book ends when their match begins). He was also from Evergreen High School; rather than Hoover High School (which appears in the movie to be based on Mead High School).
• In the book, Otto Laft had a much larger role than in the movie.
• Elmo, the cook who works with Louden, was actually a black former boxer, and Gene Tanneran, Louden's English teacher, was white and going out with a cheerleader. In the movie, Tanneran is a black former basketball player, and Elmo is white.
• In the book, the mysterious guest at the hotel Louden works in is gay and makes many passes at him. In the movie, he's also gay but also practices t'ai chi ch'uan. He only makes a pass at Louden once around the beginning of the film while showing him some moves.
• In the film, Louden beats Shute in their highly anticipated match. In the book, the story ends as the match is about to begin. Louden's voiceover ends the book with this quote "I'm calm as I enter the circle. Behind me trails a brief tradition. It's made up, but it's mine. Win or lose, the river flows again. Shute and I cross and shake hands. The whistle blows. Through me flows the power to blast Grand Coulee Dam to smithereens." The Grand Coulee Dam being a metaphor Davis weaves through the book about Louden's journey.