The Next Best Book Club discussion

What movie adaptations of books have been good? not good? Are you a book purist and refuse to see the movie, or do you like to see how the movie turns out? I think one of the best movie adaptations I've seen is Holes. What do you think?

High Fidelity, Princess Bride, Blindness... very awesome movies that followed the novel to a T...Loved as a novel, loved as a movie.

I Am Legend... Great book. Movie was totally different, but awesome in its own right.

Oh, Princess Bride was a good one!!

I've never seen a movie as good as the book. It's not possible to do that however. People in the movie buiness(sp) don't but everything in the movise because the movie would be too long (according to them).
When I first read and watched 'Holes' I thought is was really good. But there is one thing in the movie that was different then the book and was one of the big things in the book.

Oh yeah! I love to see movie adaptations. I liked Lord of the Rings, kudos to Peter Jackson for handling it so well. The list of bad movie adaptations is very long because books convey much more in their pages than what a movie would do in 3 hours.

The best book-to-movie adaptation I've ever seen is To Kill a Mockingbird.

But yes, my list of bad-to-abominable movie adaptations is huge, and ever growing.

Has anyone seen The Secret Life of Bees movie? I've heard it's good. Everyone seems to love that book, I did.

A perfect example to prove your point Susanna would be 'Timeline' that was written by Michael Crichton and was a cool fast read. But the movie was so badly made, it tarnished the image of the book in the minds of many people who wanted to try it.

Da Vinci Code movie - Crap book made into an even crapper movie.

(Just my opinion no offense to DB fans)

I think you're being a little unfair to the book Veronica. The movie, I agree, was a load of crap(even with Tom Hanks who is my fav) but the book was kinda ok. Not the best but still not that bad.

I'm not a huge fan of movies that come from books, although I do tend to watch them (and moan about them!). Having said that, I have enjoyed the Harry Potter films, although there are sometimes big omissions from the books.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - great book, AND great film!

I agree with you Fiona. I loved the film of Chocolat. I had read the book first and didn't think it was great.

I'm a big glutton for punishment when it comes to movies from books. I have to watch them, and then usually complain to my husband the entire movie about all the changes that were made. I still have to see them though.

There are some exceptions though. I thought "To Kill a Mockingbird" was a great movie. "The Ring" was a much better movie than the book. I liked the movie "White Oleandar" but the book was like work to read. I couldn't get through Bridget Jones's Diary, but I loved the movie.

I hated the film adaptation of the "Other Boleyn Girl". I thought the "Nanny Diaries" was awful, but I wasn't a huge fan of the book. I didn't like the Jane Eyre movie I saw at all.

Oh, "The Note Book" was a much better movie than a book. I also enjoyed the movie "A Walk to Remember", but I did like the book better.

I'm with you, Kristina. I love to see the movie- and I am usually pretty forgiving about time constraints- but I don't accept major diversions from the book well.

Some books lend themselves easily to adaptation.

Eragon's adaptation was a huge disappointment for me, but I thought The Other Boleyn Girl was okay.

Those were exactly the things that bothered me. My teenager was livid too. I think the movie really did the books a disservice. I know kids who won't read the books now- because they saw the movie and didn't really enjoy it. (Not mine, she is currently reading Brisinger.)

I think the HP movies may have increased readership (as if the books needed it). I know kids who wanted to read the books because they loved the movie- then the book just gave them more story and detail.

I agree with you Kristina on that one. Even 'Message in a bottle' was a nice movie. But then again, as Susanna said there are exceptions.

I might be in the minority, but I love the HP movies AND books. To me it's not important that every little thing that happens in the book also happens in the movie. Film and page are two very very different media and what works well in a novel is not going to necessarily work on the screen. I think the most important thing when interpreting a novel into a movie is that the SPIRIT of the novel remain the same. Which I think was done better in HP's 3,4 and 5 than in the first two. To me, the first two movies followed the details of the books a little two well, and they felt forced and awkward to me.

Other books that work well, To Kill a Mockingbird, which has already been mentioned. Wonder Boys was a great book and movie.

I can't wait to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button when it comes out!

I often enjoy movie adaptations of books, even though they often leave out really good parts (most notable exceptions for me from LotR: Tom Bombadil and cleaning up the Shire at the end.

Sometimes a lot is missing from a movie adaptation. Hitchhiker's Guide wasn't bad, but it didn't seem to be able to capture much of the humor from the books.

I generally try to judge movies for themselves. Sometimes if I see a movie that I like and find out that it was based on a book, I'll go read the book.

I haven't seen a movie of Jane Eyre that I liked, but the tv series the BBC made in about 1983 of it I did like.

Jeff, you bring up a good point, we probably should judge the movies for themselves and not compare them to the books. It's gotta be a tough job to bring a book to life, and obviously it's not the same medium, so it's going to be different than your imagination. Still, it's really hard to not compare the movie when you loved a book or a character so much!

The Colin Firth version of Pride & Prejudice is divine, and so true to the book.

I was prepared to hate the Harry Potter movies, but I have enjoyed them!

It's me again, I forgot about one of my fave movie adaptations, Sense and Sensibility, the Emma Thompson version. A beautiful film, and almost exactly the book! Plus, it has Alan Rickman in it for all you Snape crushers!!

I like that one too Michelle. And Alan Rickman is great as a good guy AND a "bad" guy.

Anyone here has seen the animated movie adaptation of 'The Polar Express' ? It was made by Tom Hanks. I loved the book as well as the movie. In fact, at places, the movie was much better.
Again, an exception to the general trend.

Yes, Atishay. I have seen the animated movie "The Polar Express." It was quite lively...moved along...and also incredibly homey. There was NOT an attempt to use the latest outrageous special effects which I liked.

Tom Hanks' narration was wonderful. But have never read the book.

No one could possibly touch T.R.R. Tolkien's LOTR but I feel the 3 movies (& the ANIMATED tale The Hobbit) were amazingly great efforts

True. LOTR's movie adaptation was great. I can't wait to see The Hobbit.

I'm generally in agreement that the movies rarely live up to the book. But just to throw a couple of my personal exceptions to that rule out there:

I like the movie version of The Princess Bride much better than the book. There's not technically all that much difference, but the book was a little cynical and the movie was just pure magic.

Also, I prefer the movie version of The Shining. Jack Nicholson has everything to do with that.

Atishay, I'm trying to remember who's doing The Hobbit. Is it Guillermo del Toro? I know it's one of those great Spanish directors. I'm curious. I do kind of wish that Peter Jackson had been able to do it though. Speaking of which...

I also prefer the movies of LOTR to the books. I never did finish the books. Sorry, Atishay! I know you love them!

Yeah, you are right about The Hobbit JG.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/

How far did you manage to read it(the LOTR)?

Atishay - I agree with you about The Polar Express. The book is great and the movie is probably my favorite Christmas movie.

I didn't really like the Polar Express movie, at least compared to the book. It was too different in tone. The book is subtle and quietly magical. The movie is a bright, frolicking roller coaster ride. They seemed like two completely different stories. I guess sometimes you just have to look at it though as two different things. Movies and books are not created equal!

I think we need an Alan Rickman thread. Is he out there? Is he reading these?

I just finished reading the Godfather and picked up the movie. It's been ages since I've seen it, but remember liking it. I'm curious to see what I think of it now that I've actually read the book.

Usually if I've read a book and love it, I won't go see the movie (like The Other Boleyn Girl). I get really irritated when the movie doesn't live up to my expectations. I prefer to do things backwards - see the movie and then read the book.

I did see The Secret Life of Bees and enjoyed it. Dakota Fanning and Queen Latifa did a great job, IMO. I don't remember if I cried while reading the book, but I did at the movie.

Oh, I cried reading Secret Life of Bees, I want to see that movie, what a cast!

That's funny, Sarenna, my husband just came home from a book swap and he picked up The Godfather! I've never read the book, so now I want to read it and then get the movie again. We should get together!! :)

I'm with you, I don't want to see the movie if I really loved the book.

Haha Michelle, we probably do need an Alan Rickman thread! His name seems to pop up around here a lot.

Damn me having to work during the day and reading the threads from the top down...I shall be there shortly!

The Godfather! Awesome read.. the pity is that most of the people remember that story more as a movie than as a bestselling novel. But, the duo of incredible performances by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino deserve it.
Sarenna, if you liked it, do try to read 'The Sicilian' and 'The Family'.

I'm looking forward to the adaptation of The Road.


(I <3 Viggo Mortensen)


And with such great source material, I don't see it going wrong, esp. since I was quite satisfied with the adaptation of No Country for Old Men.

I love his acting too, Ofmatt !
Have you watched his 'A History of Violence' ?

Wait, what is this thread? I got lost when I saw the words Viggo Mortensen!

Oh, yeah, movies. I was going to ask if anyone's seen Twilight yet? That's probably going to need its own thread, huh?

Hi Michelle,
I think you'll like the Godfather.It's not ,in my opinion , a great work of Literature, but it is wonderfully well written.I remember getting so engrossed, I couldn't put it down. By the time i did it was too late to go out...even for a friday night.I was in college then. An author (Puzo) knows no greater tribute than to have a young red -blooded american young man, miss out on a friday night chasing( but all too infrequently catching) the girls.

The movie, The Godfather(Part 1) is one of my all -time favorites.And, I'd love it even if i wasn't Italian.

Atishay, YES! A History of Violence is what made me first take note of him. The sex scene on the staircase... wow.... It is forever imprinted in my memory!

Then Eastern Promises sealed the deal for me, so to speak.

Well, I haven't seen the Eastern Promises but I got to know him after watching LoTR. And then Hidalgo and then The Perfect Murder. His latest is the "Good". It hasn't been released yet i guess.

Michelle - I saw Twilight yesterday and mentioned it over in the Twilight thread.

You should check out Eastern Promises. He plays a member of the Russian mob... which obviously, he's rather good at playing that shady kind of character.

Yeah, I loved his acting in The Perfect Murder, he completely dominated over Michael Douglas.

Loves:
Shawshank Redemption (Originally Rita Hayworth and the ShawShank Redemption)
The Color Purple
The Man in the Iron Mask

Hated:
The Shining

Grew on Me:
The Lord of the Rings - when it first came out I didn't like what they did to the book - but now they are some of my favorite movies.

In general I like reading the book before the movie.


--
Wife of fantasy author: Michael J. Sullivan
The Crown Conspiracy (Oct 2008)
Avempartha (April 2009)

The Shawshank Redemption and The Color Purple are two of my favorite movies, but I have only read The Color Purple in book form. Loved both of them. Also loved the LoTR trilogy and the HP movies. Thought they told good stories and were very cool visually. The books just fleshed things out more, as books are wont to do.

The latest adaptation that blew me away as to how breathtakingly bad it was done was The Seeker based on The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper. I sure hope they don't butcher the adaptation of Inkspell or I am going to very ticked.

I hear The Seeker was monstrously bad.

Is InkSpell related to Inkheart? I saw a trailer for the movie InkHeart and it looks very interesting. I picked up the book from the library and was going to try and read it before I saw the movie.

--
Wife of fantasy author: Michael J. Sullivan
The Crown Conspiracy (Oct 2008)
Avempartha (April 2009)

Jensownzoo, I loved Shawshank Redemption! Have you seen Tim Robbins's IQ or mystic river?

I myself was crazy about the book and love watching movie adaptations. However it truly was one of the worst movie adaptations ever!.
I just loved watching 'A Painted House' adapted from the book by the same name by John Grisham.

I happend to watch 'Bridges of Maddison County' before I read the book and felt unable to finish it. Possibly because I had been exposed to someone else's opinion of the book before I had a chance to make my own ?