Films from Books

M

MommyOfaLittleBoy

New member
Any views on the best and worst films from books?

I thought Bridget Jones was done quite well, as was jurassic park. The Harry Potter ones aren't bad, but they keep missing out quite important pieces of information.

I thought Chocolat was pretty poor in comparison to the book, which is one of my favourite reaRAB.

Although willy Wonka wasa great film, it wasn't particularly close to the original story, therefore I have high expectations for the upcoming Tim Burton realease. Apparantly its going to be much darker.
 
First Blood was much better than the book.
Cobra must be the least recognisable adaptation in history. Taken from Paula Gosling's A Running Duck aka Fair Game), it makes you wonder why they bothered, apart from giving Brigitte Nielsen a chance to wear what may well be the worst wig in movie history. :eek:
 
Im a huge Stephen King fan and most of the films adapted are terrible and so dissapointing - watching them I'm always thinking 'did the director even bother to read the book at all?' (shawshank, greenmile and stand by me are exceptions tho!)
 
Yes, have to agree. IT the book was brilliant, film, er not so much!! Carrie was ok, but what with them making a sequel?!!!! :confused:

The shining wasn't too bad but still not as good as the book.

Did you ever see the TV version of Tommyknockers?
 
I did enjoy the film, though I do agree that the book was far superior.

One of the main things that made the film less effective was the introduction of the character of the Mayor (or whatever his title was) I remember reading somewhere that they felt that had to do this as it would upset the church too much having the priest as the main protagonist. This ruined the whole point of the film though and the undercurrents of paganism v christianity were so toned down as to become almost secondary.
 
i really like the Adrian Lyne version of "Lolita"-it captured the dreamy quality of the book,also Sophia Coppola's "Virgin suicides" i thought was better than the book
 
The new version of Salem's Lot is much better than Tobe Hooper's effort and almost does justice to Stephen King's book; which is more than can be said of Carrie 2 and the tv remakes of Carrie and The Shining. :eek:
 
I loved the book and coulcn't wait to see the film, but to be honest the film doesn't stick in my mind at all. Couldn't have made much of an impact on me.
 
no, i dont think so..but that is probably my least favourite of his books. I think riding the bullet has been released and there are rumours of future films of the mist and the talisman...i dont see how they could possibly do talisman justice tho!
 
the upcoming 'da vinci code will be interesting...I enjoyed the book but found the ending a huge anti-climax so the movie could improve it!!
 
I was sooo dissappointed when I saw the film The Beach with leonardo di caprio. the film was really bad compared to the book, which is still one of my favourite books and also the book that got me back in to reading many years ago.
 
Cant believe I forgot that one. I soo totally agree!! Saw the film first which urged me to rread the book, it was a million times better. For those of you who have seen the film but not read the book, you really should even if you didnt like the film!!
 
One of Ben Elton's books were made in to a film for tv, I can't remember what the film was called, but the book is called Inconceivable and is a really good and funny book. When I watched the film I didn't laugh once in fact I think I switched off the telly shortly after the programme started.

Same for Man & boy by Tony Parsons. When I read the book I thought it was one of the best books I'd ever read, then saw the film and was utterly disgusted.
 
Wasn't it Maybe Baby? And yes, it was awful compared to the book!

Lord of the Rings, loved the books and wasn't disappointed by the films.

Dune, loved the books, film was an absolute piece of tosh! Could be fantatstic if done properly, an epic to rival LOTR.

Both Saving Private Ryan and Schindlers List were excellent books and excellent films.

Casino, I think the film was better actually, but it was a while ago I read it.

Have to agree about King films too, very rarely do we get one that actually reflects the authors mood or intentions. Shame, some of them could be great.
 
The reason most Stephen King adaptations bomb so badly is, ironically, down to King's talent as a writer. It's his writing style which makes his books so good.
He'd probably be the first to admit that his plots aren't the world's most original.
Unfortunately, if the director doesn't find a visual equivalent of King's writing you get a rubbish film; if he does then you get a good movie.
For every Green Mile, Carrie, Christine and Shining, there's a Running Man, Thinner, Children of the Corn or Lawnmower Man. :eek:
 
What is the question about films from books? Are they good depending on how faithful they are to their sources or simply if they stand up in their right as good movies?

High Fidelity was a great adap. It should be held up as an example of how to translate a book to screen successfully. That is being able to make changes (like in location) but still pertaining the zeitgeist tapping spirit of the novel.

The Godfather on the other hand is one where the film is probably more highly regarded than the book. The book is really just a salacious potboiler. Coppola's movie, a resonant epic of the dark side of the American Dream. Polishing a turd if ever was the case.

Depending how you look at it a few other good ones: Adaptation, All the President's Men, Being There, The Big Sleep, Bubba Ho-Tep, Cabaret, The Exorcist, Fight Club, Frankenstein, Goodfellas, The Grapes of Wrath, Great Expectations, Jackie Brown, Jaws, Kiss Me Deadly, The Maltese Falcon, Mean Girls, Meet Me In St. Louis, Night of the Hunter, Oliver Twist, Out of Sight, Psycho, To Kill a Mockingbird, Trainspotting, The Wizard of Oz.

There are too many more to list here.
 
On that subject Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr. has been filmed twice as The Thing from Another World and John Carpenter's The Thing.

Christian Nyby's version from 1951 ditches most of the story
 
I love the James Patterson books about Alec Cross, so was looking forward to Kiss The Gils and Along Came A Spider when they came out at the movies but they where pure crap compared to the books.
 
Back
Top