movie vs. book

[Idril]

As a general rule, I rarely like movies made from books I've read. I often get way to worked up about changes of storyline and character from the serious, profound changes such as the Elves fighting at Helm's Deep and Faramir's severe personality change in The Two Towers to the trivial like Lestat having reddish hair and brown eyes in Queen of the Damned in spite of the fact that Anne Rice must state about a million times in every Vampire Chronicles she wrote that he has blonde hair and blue eyes.:rolleyes: What do you think are some of the best adaptations from book to movie and what are some of the worst?

[subterranean]

I supppose we arelady have some threads about this topic ;). Well, another one won't hurt. I agree with you though, the book version often wins compare to the movie version. I both like the book and movie versions of Fight Club and LOTR, and I don't want to call it the worst, but War of The Worlds book version rules.

[Idril]

I supppose we arelady have some threads about this topic ;).

Sorry. :( I didn't see one on the first couple of pages anyway and I suppose I could've done a search but that would've required an effort. :p

I didn't care for the movie version of LOTR. I didn't mind FOTR too much but the other two really got my blood boiling. Visually, they were very impressive and I think he got the environments and cultures and creatures down but the storyline was very seriously skewed in some places.

It's been awhile since I saw a movie version I really liked. I think they did a good job with World According to Garp and Hotel New Hampshire, The Unbearable Lightness of Being was quite good, I saw Memoirs of a Geisha the other day and I didn't hate it but then again, it's been quite awhile since I read the book so maybe I've just forgot enough of the details to make it work for me. ;)

[RobinHood3000]

The Great Train Robbery, as I've said, is excellent, as is Jurassic Park.

[RJbibliophil]

One of the best adaptations I know of is the new Chronicles of Narnia, the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. There is very little changed and they are even accurate down to hair color. It is very close to the book.

[kathycf]

I like some of Alice Hoffman's work and I was disapponted in the movie version of "Practical Magic". However, "Get Shorty" was a good movie adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel.

[EAP]

A good book >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> a good movie
An average book > an average movie
A bad movie >>>> a bad book

[EAP]

They adapted Practical Magic??????

[Idril]

They adapted Practical Magic??????

Yes, I never read the book and I never saw the movie but I do know it exists. Here's (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120791/) a little information about it.

[kathycf]

not necessarily, because often once the rights to a movie are sold by the novelist they can have little or no input on the screenwriters or the final project. That being said personal likes and dislikes of a book or movie are fairly subjective.


A good book >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> a good movie
An average book > an average movie
A bad movie >>>> a bad book

[Xamonas Chegwe]

As I said in the earlier thread.

The Magus - one of my favourite books by one of my favourite authors and possibly the biggest pile of crap ever to appear on screen. Sorry EAP, but watch that film and tell me your theory still stands.

[Julied112]

I usually don't care too much if they change certian things when the make a book to a movie, LOTR movies didn't bug me at all, even with the amount of changes. Mainly for me its when the changed something so important, or that will be important to the story....lI was very happy with the LOTR movies. I cant sya for sure about the Chronicals of Narnia, because its been over 12 years since I last read the book!

[subterranean]

The Unbearable Lightness of Being...


I don't know there's a movie version for this book. I did a little search and it's kinda an ol' movie (1988), but it has Daniel Day-Lewis in it ;). I'll try to see whether it's available here.

[Idril]

I don't know there's a movie version for this book. I did a little search and it's kinda an ol' movie (1988)...

That's it, make me feel even older than I already do. ;) :p :lol: I was already in my early 20's when it came out so if the move is old, what does that make me? :brow:

It's a good movie, I highly recommend it. Lean Olin is amazing and Juliette Binoche just breaks your heart and of course, Daniel Day-Lewis. I really need to watch that again.

[yunnie]

It's difficult to make a good movie from a book, cinema and writing don't have the same rules. I guess your deception in seeing LOTR movies, I hated The Return of the King when I saw it for the first time (the Shire! they could'nt do it!). But I understood the choices Jackson made and if you get the 4-DVD version, more things are explained (except for the Shire... :( )

Have you seen the last Pride and Prejudice movie? What do you think about it?

[Boris239]

I think that "Dune" movie was better than the book.

[Idril]

It's difficult to make a good movie from a book, cinema and writing don't have the same rules. I guess your deception in seeing LOTR movies, I hated The Return of the King when I saw it for the first time (the Shire! they could'nt do it!). But I understood the choices Jackson made and if you get the 4-DVD version, more things are explained (except for the Shire... :( )

Have you seen the last Pride and Prejudice movie? What do you think about it?

I have seen the extended version of LOTR and the extended version always seems to bring it a little closer to the book but it doesn't do a lot to placate me. :p Changes are necessary, yes, but some of the things that were done were...well...I've argued this ad nauseam on Tolkien sites and at some point, I just need to get over it and move on and I'm going to do that now. ;) :lol:

I have seen the new Pride and Prejudice and while I'm not a huge fan of Kiera Knightly and her massive teeth, I did enjoy the movie. I love the guy who played D'arcy, he was Tom on MI5 and I've always loved the way he broods. :brow:

[yunnie]

I understand what you think and I respect your opinion. I admit that no movie could be really faithful to such a trilogy! Cinema is not able to show all the talent of its author and the real world that he created!

Another example of cinema restriction is about Pride and Prejudice. I first really enjoyed the movie until I discovered the BBC version (I did not know it before because it was never show on French TV). Even if the end has disappointed me a little Iive found it really faithful: all the characters, the places, the dialogues... The Joe Wright movie (with the woman and her massive teeth! :lol: ) is however a good one for cinema. ;)

[yunnie]

I do appologize for my grammar, I've just seen it was not quite correct! :blush:

[Boris239]

I like LOTR movies but can't appreciate then as much as some of my friends because I was a huge Tolkien fan way before the movies. When you really like the book, it's almost impossible to find the movie great.
I prefer "Pride and Prejudice" with Sir Laurence Olivier.

[yunnie]

I was also a huge Tolkien fan before seeing Peter Jackson's movies! Perhaps I'm too lenient... But never a movie will be better than a book... not the same Art!

[Idril]

I was also a huge Tolkien fan before seeing Peter Jackson's movies! Perhaps I'm too lenient... But never a movie will be better than a book... not the same Art!

I always thought if you were a fan of the books before the movie, there was no way you could like the movies but some of the most heated discussions I had on the subject were with people who had been Tolkien fans much longer than I so I finally came to the conclusion that there is no right or wrong, no black and white, it's all a matter of opinion and I think that was very big of me. ;) :p :lol: There are certainly things about the movies that I liked very much so I can't say they were a complete waste of time, but that doesn't mean I can't still complain about them once in a while.


The Joe Wright movie (with the woman and her massive teeth! ) is however a good one for cinema.

I just find her teeth so incredibly distracting. I think she's a fine actress but she does this weird thing with her mouth so that you can see her bottom teeth constantly and she seems to have so many of them! :goof:

I like the BBC one as well although I've never seen it in it's entirety, just an episode here and there, I always seem to stumble upon it about two episodes into the series. And I didn't even know there was a version with Sir Laurence Olivier! Who played Elizabeth?

[Boris239]

Greer Garson played Elizabeth