Best book to film adaptation?

kav · 07-09-2009, 12:49 PM

There are probably a few obvious examples in this category, such as Lord of the Rings, however I'd be interested to hear of examples where you have enjoyed both the book and the film. Generally one surpassess the other (IMO, the Lord of the Rings films are far better than the books), but often both have merit. For me these would include:

The Shawshank Redemption - from Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King.
The Green Mile - from The Green Mile by Stephen King.

Ironically, the genre that King is most famous for, horror, usually results in some of the poorest film adaptations. A possible exception would be IT, but at three hours long, the film struggled to contain even half of the book's scope. Most of the adaptations of King's work seem to be made-for-tv dross shown late at night on the Sci-Fi channel.

Another would be The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne, and the film of the same name. I'm sure there are loads of others but I am too busy eating Fruit Pastilles at the moment to think.

What are your favourites?

**Theydon Bois** · 07-09-2009, 1:05 PM

Watchman, if you are allowed to class a graphic Novel as a book, except for the obvious exception, and the lack of the pirate story (that I always skip when re-reading) it was a very faithful conversion.

BamBamMickey · 07-09-2009, 1:08 PM

Of Mice And Men - Gary Sinise's version.

Stream62 · 07-09-2009, 1:09 PM

I'd suggest..

The Godfather - film by Francis Ford Coppola, book from Mario Puzo.
Trainspotting - film by Danny Boyle, book from Irvine Welsh
Sin City - film by Frank Miller / Robert Rodriguez, book by Frank Miller.
Watchmen - film by Zack Snyder, book from Alan Moore.

Mostly i think books are better than films probably because I generally read the books first and i'm comparing what I had already in my head against what appears on screen. But for Trainspotting & the Godfather the films are better for me, I think in these cases I saw the films before reading the books.The soundtracks adding a lot to the feel of these two movies.
Sin City & Watchmen I read first and think the books better. Althought the films have stuk very well to the look and feel of the books which is maybe why i like them.

mentalpen · 07-09-2009, 1:16 PM

25th hour, i watched the film first, then the book.

Also fight club, both are very, very good but i think i prefer the book abit more. Coincidentally my favourite actor (Ed Norton) stars in both.

**mabo** · 07-09-2009, 3:14 PM

I've got to say Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo is the one i'm always amazed by as it works as a film and series of books yet they are significantly different. It's one of the few examples i can think of where the original source material has been been edited and pared down to fit a run time, yet not to the detriment of the film.

Sonic67 · 07-09-2009, 4:08 PM

The Last Of The Mohicans. A difficult book to a good film.

Dony · 07-09-2009, 4:37 PM

Although a decent film in it's time, the Amityville Horror book scared the bejebus out of me much more than when I seen it on screen (though the same could be said about most horror novels).

Schindler's Ark by Thomas Kennelly, which became Schindler's List for Hollywood, transferred very well to film.

DPinBucks · 07-09-2009, 5:16 PM

A. Good Films/Faithful Adaptations (subject to media limitations):
- Village Of The Damned (UK version)
- Jurassic Park (Part 1)
- Gone With The Wind
- The Time Machine (Rod Taylor)
- The Franchise Affair
- The Dam Busters

B. Good Films/Some Liberties With The Original:
- The War Of The Worlds (Tom Cruise)
- Musicals such as My Fair Lady, West Side Story

C. Good Films/Literal Films of Plays
- The Olivier Shakespeares
- Romeo & Juliet (di Caprio)
- The Importance Of Being Ernest

**mabo** · 07-09-2009, 5:25 PM

Surely the Luhrmann Romeo and Juliet would fall into the "liberties taken" category?

Sonic67 · 07-09-2009, 5:27 PM

Henry V (Kenneth Brannagh). I've sen this performed twice at Stratford but I still think this was the best version.

**mabo** · 07-09-2009, 5:39 PM

Putting my pedant's hat on, i don't think Shakespearean material can be counted as technically it's stage to screen rather than book to screen. Plays often seem to translate far more easily than books.

DPinBucks · 07-09-2009, 5:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mabo

Surely the Luhrmann Romeo and Juliet would fall into the "liberties taken" category?

Perhaps you're right. It's all a matter of opinion. It's pretty faithful to the script, though.

Need I have invented the categories in the first place? I was just trying to distinguish between those good films which follow the book pretty accurately all the way through, and those which are faithful to the plot and spirit, but take some liberties with the detail (well, often a lot of liberties - eg War Of The Worlds). The 3rd category was just meant to cover straight play-to-film.

DPinBucks · 07-09-2009, 5:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mabo

Putting my pedant's hat on, i don't think Shakespearean material can be counted as technically it's stage to screen rather than book to screen. Plays often seem to translate far more easily than books.

Yes, I'll buy that.

It also rules out My Fair Lady & West Side Story

I'm not sure about your last point. Plays on screen can often seem rather stilted.

domtheone · 07-09-2009, 5:46 PM

Jaws.

Ok book to an incredible film

Sonic67 · 07-09-2009, 5:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mabo

Putting my pedant's hat on, i don't think Shakespearean material can be counted as technically it's stage to screen rather than book to screen. Plays often seem to translate far more easily than books.

Funny you should say that but I'm reading Hamlet again.

**mabo** · 07-09-2009, 6:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DPinBucks

Perhaps you're right. It's all a matter of opinion. It's pretty faithful to the script, though

I can't recollect the exact criticism but i seem to remember when i had to study it that some of the soliloquies were out of order or such like. Perhaps someone can shed some light on this?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DPinBucks

Yes, I'll buy that.

It also rules out My Fair Lady & West Side Story

I'm not sure about your last point. Plays on screen can often seem rather stilted.

I'll admit there have been many problematic stage to screen adaptations but i'd still be surprised if the percentage of hits to misses wasn't above that of book adaptations, but perhaps that's simply down to the sheer number of novels that get picked up by studios.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonic67

Funny you should say that but I'm reading Hamlet again.

Ashamedly, i've never read it or even seen a film of it. It's one of those works that i think will be too complex for me to read/watch half heartedly and as such i never seem to get around to it.

DPinBucks · 07-09-2009, 6:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mabo

Ashamedly, i've never read it or even seen a film of it. It's one of those works that i think will be too complex for me to read/watch half heartedly and as such i never seem to get around to it.

I wouldn't bother. It's not original - it's mostly quotations.

AgentCool · 07-09-2009, 7:26 PM

I'm not going to argue that it's the best adaptation EVER but I honestly think 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' is a shining example of how to successfully translate a book to film. It retains the setting, story and characters but, even though it's aimed at children, doesn't water it down much at all and recreates the 'feel' of the book quite effectively.

Adaptation is all about making alterations to suit the change of medium without losing the soul of the source text. IMO, 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' does this perfectly.

whiskyboozer · 07-09-2009, 7:41 PM

'The Prestige' (Book) by Christopher Priest a wonderfully fascinating novel turned into a great film directed by Christopher Nolan.

Each has its own merits. I would find it difficult to say whether the book should be read first then the film watched or vice-versa.

spudtator · 07-09-2009, 11:13 PM

Misery by Stephen King. Kathy Bates pulls off the psycho roll superbly.

deanym · 08-09-2009, 8:29 AM

Another Stephen King one

The Body - Stand by Me

Sonic67 · 08-09-2009, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mabo

Ashamedly, i've never read it or even seen a film of it. It's one of those works that i think will be too complex for me to read/watch half heartedly and as such i never seem to get around to it.

The story is straight forward enough. Hamlet returns home to learn that his father, the King, has recently died and his mother, Gertrude, has already married his uncle, Claudius.

While suffering from the shock and grief of this, the young Prince Hamlet is visited by the ghost of his father, who claims that he was murdered by Claudius and wants revenge.

I watched the Franco Zeffirelli film with Mrs Sonic and she loved it. That version cut a lot out as its Shakespeares longest play. Kenneth Brannaghs version is the full version. Get a guide or have a look on the web for the basic plot and then try a DVD of it.

I prefer Henry V as its patriotic and as good as any war film but Hamlet tends to be the most popular I think (and I like the way Shakespeare gets a joke using the 'c' word past the censors).

kav · 08-09-2009, 12:07 PM

Some great ones in here, including a few I didn't even know about. Keep them coming.

Mabo, that's possibly a fair point about plays not being books etc, but for the sake of making the discussion as broad as possible, it's probably easiest just to include them.

bosque · 08-09-2009, 12:09 PM

Hamlet reads like a modernist novel so that Branagh adaptation which comes off like a 19th Century production seemd very old hat to me. Can't think of a good "film version" of Hamlet, though Kurosawa's Ran and Throne of Blood were very good adaptations of King Lear and Macbeth.

Sonic67 · 08-09-2009, 12:19 PM

How about the sci fi film Forbidden Planet and The Tempest?

**IronGiant** · 08-09-2009, 12:59 PM

Maybe a good idea not to go there, otherwise we may have to discuss My Fair Lady and The Taming of the Shrew...

Dave

Codehead · 08-09-2009, 1:40 PM

10 Things I Hate About You was a pretty good take on The Taming of the Shrew. I took the missus to see it instead of a new film called 'The Matrix' that was playing on the other screen.

D'oh!

GBDG1 · 09-09-2009, 8:08 PM

The Day of the Jackal (1973)

pringtef · 10-09-2009, 4:14 PM

Still watching it, but from what i've seen so far, Mist of Avalon is a pretty good adaption so far.