enn ig ▁as ▁Grace ▁Mo os up ▁ ▁Marc ▁Lawrence ▁as ▁C ousin ▁N olan ▁ ▁John ▁Dun sw orth ▁as ▁Guy ▁Qu o yle ▁ ▁Production ▁The ▁film , ▁while ▁broad ly ▁following ▁the ▁plot ▁of ▁the ▁book , ▁makes ▁several ▁changes ; ▁not ably , ▁Qu o yle ▁is ▁ob ese ▁and ▁has ▁two ▁daughters ▁in ▁the ▁novel ▁but ▁only ▁one ▁in ▁the ▁film . ▁He ▁is ▁only ▁a ▁tim id ▁in k ▁set ter ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁and ▁he ▁does ▁not ▁begin ▁writing ▁as ▁a ▁rep orter ▁until ▁after ▁he ▁arriv es ▁in ▁New found land . ▁In ▁the ▁novel , ▁he ▁is ▁already ▁a ▁journalist . ▁Another ▁difference ▁is ▁that ▁several ▁characters , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁younger ▁Bug git ▁family , ▁are ▁deleted ▁or ▁merged . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁originally ▁to ▁be ▁directed ▁by ▁Fred ▁Sch ep isi , ▁with ▁John ▁Tra vol ta ▁in ▁lead ▁male ▁role . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁response ▁The ▁Sh ipping ▁News ▁received ▁mixed ▁reviews ▁from ▁critics . ▁Rotten ▁Tomatoes ▁gives ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁ 5 5 % ▁rating , ▁based ▁on ▁ 1 3 0 ▁reviews , ▁with ▁an ▁average ▁score ▁of ▁ 5 . 8 / 1 0 . ▁The ▁site ' s ▁critical ▁cons ensus ▁reads , ▁" Th ough ▁solid ly ▁made ▁and ▁acted , ▁The ▁Sh ipping ▁News ▁is ▁rather ▁heavy - hand ed ▁and ▁d ull , ▁especially ▁given ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁its ▁protagon ist ." ▁At ▁Met ac rit ic , ▁the ▁film