Movies that lived up to the books they were based on...

**rara avis** · 04-12-2009, 04:13 PM

...or even outdid them.

I know I've seen one or two where I was struck by that thought, but it's such a rare thing that I do sometimes wonder why movie makers keep trying to pull off this particular trick. The world is crammed full of book-destroying movies. When I love a book of fiction, it's nightmarish to think that someone eventually will probably try to make a movie of it.

I liked the movie Fried Green Tomatoes a bit better than the book, even though they sanitized a lot of the romance from it.

Wonder Boys seemed about on par, though the book itself didn't really grab me, to start with.

This may be a very short thread. I don't think there are many films out there that qualify.

**Anumidium** · 04-12-2009, 04:21 PM

Hmm... I liked the Watchmen adaptation. And Fight Club. But possibly the best movie adaptation of a book I've seen is No Country For Old Men. Because the book is so short to begin with, the movie is almost a scene-by-scene, line-by-line copy of it. With beautiful cinematography, to boot.

**DanteFalling** · 04-12-2009, 04:24 PM

Random Harvest, anything by Jane Austen (sorry, I like her ideas but her writing style irks me), American Psycho, Schindler's List, Angels and Insects, Enchanted April, The Silence of the Lambs, The House of Mirth, possibly Eyes Wide Shut (still on the fence), The Handmaid's Tale.

**rara avis** · 04-12-2009, 04:28 PM

Hm, I like Margaret Atwood's writing too much to be able to agree on The Handmaid's Tale. The movie was alright, but I think the book kind of soaks into you in a way the film can't.

I haven't read Angels & Insects, but I really liked the movie, and I'd guess I would probably agree. Which is actually why I haven't read the book, I suppose, on top of a poor 2nd-hand impression I've had of the author.

**TheLastMohican** · 04-12-2009, 04:30 PM

The LoTR trilogy arguably improved on the books. I thought it made more sense (and was easier to folllow) with some of the minor characters being eliminated in favor of more tie-ins between the major ones. Also, the books were really begging to be rendered visually, so even a few detrimental changes to the story would have been acceptable when accompanied by the magic of Weta Productions.

**BlackOp** · 04-12-2009, 04:41 PM

I have really high hopes for this film due to come out in about 6 months. Its based on Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" and directed by John Hillcoat of "The Proposition". The Proposition was written by Nick Cave and the direction was excellent. This one deals with post apocalyptic survival and cannibalism. Cant go wrong with that....
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Here is a screening review-

I attended the first screening of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" last night on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It was directed by John Hillcoat of "The Proposition" and starred Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Michael K. Williams and Kodi-Smit McPhee. However, Viggo and Kodi were the only two on screen for 90% of the film. And Guy Pearce showed up for all of 5 minutes at the end.

For those not familiar with McCarthy's novel I highly recommend it. It was the stand-out book of last year and it stayed with me for a long time after I put it down. I believe the movie will have a similar impact on audiences. It's a faithful adaptation that stays true to the source with a few minor embellishments, mostly to beef up Charlize's role through flashbacks.

The story centers on the relationship of the father and son on their quest of survival through a devastated, nuclear wasteland of dead trees, ash gray skies, blackened, burnt-out cars and a consistent misty-drizzle that permeates everything. The film is BLEAK. Let me say that again... This film is fucking DEPRESSINGLY BLEAK. The world is dead. There is no food, barely any drinkable water, and crazy "Hannibal Lecter" fuckers with rifles roam the countryside in the back of pick-up trucks looking for fresh "meat." Like the novel, the film doesn't dive into the details of how our civilization ended. That's not the point. We're thrust into this fucked-up world and a few flashbacks of a colorful, loving relationship between Viggo and Charlize are all we get of the past. The film is focused on the aftermath and how our humanity has slowly eroded and devolved to the rock bottom point of our base survival instincts.

There are two main characters here: The ragged, desperate father, dying of a lung infliction, who will do anything to save his son and longs for the touch of his wife. His faith in humanity is gone. Everyone they meet is the enemy. His son is the heart of the movie. The small shining light of hope awash in a sea of blackness. He was born after the bombs were dropped and knows nothing of the comforts and luxuries of a civilized society. Yet at his core he is hopeful and feels compelled to connect with other "Good Guys."

Viggo is insanely good in this role. His eyes are sunken and haunted, his hands are black with dirt, his beard is Unabomber shaggy and you can count all of his rib bones through his back. The way he stares at his son is enough to break your heart. It certainly got to me, perhaps because I'm a father now, but I'm not usually a softie when it comes to movies and I choked-up at least twice.

Kodi is fine as his son. Some of the more emotional scenes seemed forced and slightly over-the-top but overall he got the job done.

One other actor worth mentioning is Michael K. Williams, or Omar to folks who watch "The Wire." He had a small role, only appearing on screen for about 10 mins, but his scene is easily the most powerful of the film. The father and son's opposing view points clashed. It was Survival vs. Hope & Humanity. It will be the one scene that friends and family will debate at the end of the film. What side of the argument will you fall on?

I don't want to go into all the details of the story and spoil it for everyone so I'll just end by saying that I really loved it. It got under my skin the same way the book did and I think it's easily a top contender for Picture of the Year. John Hillcoat has now made two amazing films in a row.

**rara avis** · 04-12-2009, 04:45 PM

Oh my god, I think that's the longest post you've ever made.

**BlackOp** · 04-12-2009, 04:47 PM

	Originally Posted by rara avis To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Oh my god, I think that's the longest post you've ever made.

cut and paste baby.....
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**rara avis** · 04-12-2009, 05:01 PM

The Thin Man

William Powell and Myrna Loy - their screen chemistry was a thing of its own.

**Dzepxich** · 04-12-2009, 05:08 PM

I really loved the 1973 version of "The Three Musketeers", with Michael York. I thought it followed the novel quite closely (it's a great read too, highly recomended).

**Jantei** · 04-12-2009, 05:59 PM

	Originally Posted by rara avis To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I don't think there are many films out there that qualify.

I'm not sure there are any, as far as I'm concerned. Blade Runner could be a candidate, but that's likely because I watched the movie multiple times before ever reading Philip K. Dick's book.

I'm not big on book adaptations these days. I prefer original screenplays.

**Samoan Corleone** · 04-12-2009, 06:02 PM

I didn't like the different direction that The Da Vinci Code took. I hope the Angels & Demons film is better. In my opinion Angels & Demons was a better story.

**jakeordie** · 04-12-2009, 06:08 PM

I'd like to agree with Fight Club, but the Hollywood ending jimmy-rigged onto the movie is preposterous (AFAIK there was no alternate true-to-the-book ending even filmed). Up to that point, great adaptation to film.

I thought High Fidelity was well done. Some details were Americanised & others glossed over, but Nick Hornby's message comes through loud & true. Casting was perfect.

**rara avis** · 04-12-2009, 06:44 PM

Yeah, there are a couple of fun authors who almost seem to write a movie-in-a-book. Nick Hornby had that one, and About A Boy translated pretty well, too.

Another author for that is Roddy Doyle, I think. The Commitments translated well... though the book has a lot of character in the way he spelled out the music and Irish dialect, which you don't get the same way in the film... though you do get to hear the music. Kind of a trade off.

Children's books made into movies are one of my major pet peeves, there has been a lot of waste and destruction in that arena. A kid will never be able to read and absorb Stuart Little as I wish they would, after they've sat and watched that animated pap version. And don't get me started on Dr Seuss.

I've heard that even Where The Wild Things Are is in production, and I think I nearly broke a tooth just thinking about it. How sad.

But I need to see Coraline, because when I read it a few years back, I thought right off that it had Tim Burton written all over it.

And the Anne of Green Gables series was really, really well done. I loved that as a preteen.

**Night Runner** · 04-12-2009, 07:57 PM

I feel compelled to add that Battlefield:Earth not only lived up to, but even outdid the book it was based on, even though it was horrible.
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**DanteFalling** · 04-12-2009, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by rara avis
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Yeah, there are a couple of fun authors who almost seem to write a movie-in-a-book. Nick Hornby had that one, and About A Boy translated pretty well, too.

Another author for that is Roddy Doyle, I think. The Commitments translated well... though the book has a lot of character in the way he spelled out the music and Irish dialect, which you don't get the same way in the film... though you do get to hear the music. Kind of a trade off.

Children's books made into movies are one of my major pet peeves, there has been a lot of waste and destruction in that arena. A kid will never be able to read and absorb Stuart Little as I wish they would, after they've sat and watched that animated pap version. And don't get me started on Dr Seuss.

I've heard that even Where The Wild Things Are is in production, and I think I nearly broke a tooth just thinking about it. How sad.

But I need to see Coraline, because when I read it a few years back, I thought right off that it had Tim Burton written all over it.

And the Anne of Green Gables series was really, really well done. I loved that as a preteen.

I loved those Anne of Green Gables too! I though I was her when I was a little kid.
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**floramacivor** · 04-12-2009, 08:56 PM

The Pride and Prejudice mini-series, the BBC/Wonderworks version of The Secret Garden, Sense and Sensibility (I also prefer Jane Austen movies over Jane Austen books).

**Orion79** · 04-12-2009, 10:20 PM

Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas. Johnny Depp was fantastic bringing the great gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson to life. I found the first half of the book/movie very entertaining with it's fast-paced dialogue and exploring what place the drug culture of the late 60's and early 70's would have in history. By the second half I felt a little disappointed in Dr. Thompson's irresponsible behavior and decadent drug usage.

1984, filmed during the year it was made in which some scenes were shot on the exact date that scenes from the novel took place. Visually, this is what I believe a dystopian society would look like with it's run down buildings and little attention to beauty or aesthetics. Very dark and dreary.

The Dune mini-series. More true to the book than the original film. What a mess that movie was. I wonder if the people who made that movie even read the book or just got a cliffs notes version of it.

Orion79 added to this post, 3 minutes and 51 seconds later...

	Originally Posted by rara avis To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	The Thin Man William Powell and Myrna Loy - their screen chemistry was a thing of its own.

I didn't know that was based on a book. I've only seen two of the films and you're right, their on-screen chemistry was amazing.

**rara avis** · 04-13-2009, 09:14 AM

	Originally Posted by Orion79 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I didn't know that was based on a book. I've only seen two of the films and you're right, their on-screen chemistry was amazing.

It was a Dashiell Hammett novel.

**Merle** · 04-13-2009, 09:33 AM

	Originally Posted by rara avis To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I've heard that even Where The Wild Things Are is in production, and I think I nearly broke a tooth just thinking about it. How sad.

Have you seen the trailer? I was aghast when I first heard about it... but from the trailer it looks incredible!

I think The Big Sleep is better on film.

And Twilight while not exactly brilliant... is a better film than the book deserves.

There's a film called Gabrielle which is an adaptation of a Joseph Conrad novella The Return - the book is told entirely from the husband's consciousness and the wife features only as the catalyst for his mental upheaval. The film opens up the action and focuses on the wife more and her motivations - it's really extraordinary, and a brilliant adaptation.

Rudy · 04-13-2009, 11:05 AM

Agreed on Watchmen, and a few others. Casino Royale, and some other James Bond movies. Hmm...

**Anumidium** · 04-13-2009, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by Orion79
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Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas. Johnny Depp was fantastic bringing the great gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson to life. I found the first half of the book/movie very entertaining with it's fast-paced dialogue and exploring what place the drug culture of the late 60's and early 70's would have in history. By the second half I felt a little disappointed in Dr. Thompson's irresponsible behavior and decadent drug usage.

Gah, forgot about that one. Though it does leave parts of the book out it's a very good adaptation and gets the message across perfectly. I think you're supposed to be disappointed in him, he says himself (on the Criterion DVD commentary, good stuff) that "the trip (to Vegas) was a failure".

If you want to get into miniseries, I really enjoyed the BBC adaptations of John le Carré's novels Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley's People, both with Sir Alec Guinness.

**Cthulhu** · 04-13-2009, 12:33 PM

The Shining

**Kisai** · 04-13-2009, 01:44 PM

The Club Dumas -> The Ninth Gate was a good representation. But the woodcuts in the book are nice to review whenever you want to.

The short Stephen King story The Mist was pretty good as well in adapting the story to the screen. That isn't to say that either is particuarly good in themselves, just a good adaptation.

**DewFuel** · 04-13-2009, 03:01 PM

Les Miserables...

two versions in particular

1) 1995 French version
2) 1998 (i believe) with Liam Neeson

I vaguely remember seeing a black / white version of the book. I was too young to remember it well.

Also To Kill A Mockingbird. Atticus Finch was perfectly cast.

04-12-2009, 04:13 PM	#1
rara avis Core Member [163%] MBTI: INTP Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 6,521	...or even outdid them. I know I've seen one or two where I was struck by that thought, but it's such a rare thing that I do sometimes wonder why movie makers keep trying to pull off this particular trick. The world is crammed full of book-destroying movies. When I love a book of fiction, it's nightmarish to think that someone eventually will probably try to make a movie of it. I liked the movie Fried Green Tomatoes a bit better than the book, even though they sanitized a lot of the romance from it. Wonder Boys seemed about on par, though the book itself didn't really grab me, to start with. This may be a very short thread. I don't think there are many films out there that qualify.
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04-12-2009, 04:21 PM	#2
Anumidium Member [05%] MBTI: INTx Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 226	Hmm... I liked the Watchmen adaptation. And Fight Club. But possibly the best movie adaptation of a book I've seen is No Country For Old Men. Because the book is so short to begin with, the movie is almost a scene-by-scene, line-by-line copy of it. With beautiful cinematography, to boot.
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04-12-2009, 04:24 PM	#3
DanteFalling Member [28%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,132	Random Harvest, anything by Jane Austen (sorry, I like her ideas but her writing style irks me), American Psycho, Schindler's List, Angels and Insects, Enchanted April, The Silence of the Lambs, The House of Mirth, possibly Eyes Wide Shut (still on the fence), The Handmaid's Tale.
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04-12-2009, 04:28 PM	#4
rara avis Core Member [163%] MBTI: INTP Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 6,521	Hm, I like Margaret Atwood's writing too much to be able to agree on The Handmaid's Tale. The movie was alright, but I think the book kind of soaks into you in a way the film can't. I haven't read Angels & Insects, but I really liked the movie, and I'd guess I would probably agree. Which is actually why I haven't read the book, I suppose, on top of a poor 2nd-hand impression I've had of the author.
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04-12-2009, 04:30 PM	#5
TheLastMohican Core Member [187%] MBTI: ENTJ Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 7,498	The LoTR trilogy arguably improved on the books. I thought it made more sense (and was easier to folllow) with some of the minor characters being eliminated in favor of more tie-ins between the major ones. Also, the books were really begging to be rendered visually, so even a few detrimental changes to the story would have been acceptable when accompanied by the magic of Weta Productions.
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04-12-2009, 04:41 PM	#6
BlackOp Veteran Member [78%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 3,154	I have really high hopes for this film due to come out in about 6 months. Its based on Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" and directed by John Hillcoat of "The Proposition". The Proposition was written by Nick Cave and the direction was excellent. This one deals with post apocalyptic survival and cannibalism. Cant go wrong with that.... To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Here is a screening review- I attended the first screening of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" last night on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It was directed by John Hillcoat of "The Proposition" and starred Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Michael K. Williams and Kodi-Smit McPhee. However, Viggo and Kodi were the only two on screen for 90% of the film. And Guy Pearce showed up for all of 5 minutes at the end. For those not familiar with McCarthy's novel I highly recommend it. It was the stand-out book of last year and it stayed with me for a long time after I put it down. I believe the movie will have a similar impact on audiences. It's a faithful adaptation that stays true to the source with a few minor embellishments, mostly to beef up Charlize's role through flashbacks. The story centers on the relationship of the father and son on their quest of survival through a devastated, nuclear wasteland of dead trees, ash gray skies, blackened, burnt-out cars and a consistent misty-drizzle that permeates everything. The film is BLEAK. Let me say that again... This film is fucking DEPRESSINGLY BLEAK. The world is dead. There is no food, barely any drinkable water, and crazy "Hannibal Lecter" fuckers with rifles roam the countryside in the back of pick-up trucks looking for fresh "meat." Like the novel, the film doesn't dive into the details of how our civilization ended. That's not the point. We're thrust into this fucked-up world and a few flashbacks of a colorful, loving relationship between Viggo and Charlize are all we get of the past. The film is focused on the aftermath and how our humanity has slowly eroded and devolved to the rock bottom point of our base survival instincts. There are two main characters here: The ragged, desperate father, dying of a lung infliction, who will do anything to save his son and longs for the touch of his wife. His faith in humanity is gone. Everyone they meet is the enemy. His son is the heart of the movie. The small shining light of hope awash in a sea of blackness. He was born after the bombs were dropped and knows nothing of the comforts and luxuries of a civilized society. Yet at his core he is hopeful and feels compelled to connect with other "Good Guys." Viggo is insanely good in this role. His eyes are sunken and haunted, his hands are black with dirt, his beard is Unabomber shaggy and you can count all of his rib bones through his back. The way he stares at his son is enough to break your heart. It certainly got to me, perhaps because I'm a father now, but I'm not usually a softie when it comes to movies and I choked-up at least twice. Kodi is fine as his son. Some of the more emotional scenes seemed forced and slightly over-the-top but overall he got the job done. One other actor worth mentioning is Michael K. Williams, or Omar to folks who watch "The Wire." He had a small role, only appearing on screen for about 10 mins, but his scene is easily the most powerful of the film. The father and son's opposing view points clashed. It was Survival vs. Hope & Humanity. It will be the one scene that friends and family will debate at the end of the film. What side of the argument will you fall on? I don't want to go into all the details of the story and spoil it for everyone so I'll just end by saying that I really loved it. It got under my skin the same way the book did and I think it's easily a top contender for Picture of the Year. John Hillcoat has now made two amazing films in a row.
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04-12-2009, 04:45 PM	#7
rara avis Core Member [163%] MBTI: INTP Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 6,521	Oh my god, I think that's the longest post you've ever made.
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04-12-2009, 05:01 PM	#9
rara avis Core Member [163%] MBTI: INTP Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 6,521	The Thin Man William Powell and Myrna Loy - their screen chemistry was a thing of its own.
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04-12-2009, 05:08 PM	#10
Dzepxich New Member [01%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 44	I really loved the 1973 version of "The Three Musketeers", with Michael York. I thought it followed the novel quite closely (it's a great read too, highly recomended).
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04-12-2009, 06:02 PM	#12
Samoan Corleone Core Member [151%] MBTI: INxJ Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 6,078	I didn't like the different direction that The Da Vinci Code took. I hope the Angels & Demons film is better. In my opinion Angels & Demons was a better story.
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04-12-2009, 06:08 PM	#13
jakeordie Member [02%] MBTI: XXXX Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 97	I'd like to agree with Fight Club, but the Hollywood ending jimmy-rigged onto the movie is preposterous (AFAIK there was no alternate true-to-the-book ending even filmed). Up to that point, great adaptation to film. I thought High Fidelity was well done. Some details were Americanised & others glossed over, but Nick Hornby's message comes through loud & true. Casting was perfect.
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04-12-2009, 06:44 PM	#14
rara avis Core Member [163%] MBTI: INTP Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 6,521	Yeah, there are a couple of fun authors who almost seem to write a movie-in-a-book. Nick Hornby had that one, and About A Boy translated pretty well, too. Another author for that is Roddy Doyle, I think. The Commitments translated well... though the book has a lot of character in the way he spelled out the music and Irish dialect, which you don't get the same way in the film... though you do get to hear the music. Kind of a trade off. Children's books made into movies are one of my major pet peeves, there has been a lot of waste and destruction in that arena. A kid will never be able to read and absorb Stuart Little as I wish they would, after they've sat and watched that animated pap version. And don't get me started on Dr Seuss. I've heard that even Where The Wild Things Are is in production, and I think I nearly broke a tooth just thinking about it. How sad. But I need to see Coraline, because when I read it a few years back, I thought right off that it had Tim Burton written all over it. And the Anne of Green Gables series was really, really well done. I loved that as a preteen.
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04-12-2009, 07:57 PM	#15
Night Runner Core Member [148%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,931	I feel compelled to add that Battlefield:Earth not only lived up to, but even outdid the book it was based on, even though it was horrible. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
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04-12-2009, 08:56 PM	#17
floramacivor Member [42%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,713	The Pride and Prejudice mini-series, the BBC/Wonderworks version of The Secret Garden, Sense and Sensibility (I also prefer Jane Austen movies over Jane Austen books).
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04-13-2009, 11:05 AM	#21
Rudy Administrator MBTI: INfJ Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 21,722	Agreed on Watchmen, and a few others. Casino Royale, and some other James Bond movies. Hmm...
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04-13-2009, 12:33 PM	#23
Cthulhu Member [30%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,237	The Shining
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04-13-2009, 01:44 PM	#24
Kisai Core Member [353%] MBTI: XXXX Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 14,140	The Club Dumas -> The Ninth Gate was a good representation. But the woodcuts in the book are nice to review whenever you want to. The short Stephen King story The Mist was pretty good as well in adapting the story to the screen. That isn't to say that either is particuarly good in themselves, just a good adaptation.
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04-13-2009, 03:01 PM	#25
DewFuel Member [19%] MBTI: INTP Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 761	Les Miserables... two versions in particular 1) 1995 French version 2) 1998 (i believe) with Liam Neeson I vaguely remember seeing a black / white version of the book. I was too young to remember it well. Also To Kill A Mockingbird. Atticus Finch was perfectly cast.
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