Book to Film

[Barb]

A common complaint heard by moviegoers is that the film that they have just shelled out $10 to see (add another $5 to $10 for snacks and drinks) does not in any way resemble the terrific, award-winning, life-affirming novel that they’ve recently read. “They butchered the book,” is a refrain I’ve heard as well as used more than once upon leaving the theater.

To be fair, books and movies operate on two different mediums. Movies are visual experiences. We see what is happening on the screen. We see the reactions of the characters and hear how loudly or softly they speak, depending on their circumstances.
Books require imagination. We don’t actually see the shark in ‘Jaws’ yet we feel the terror in the victim’s mind as they realize what’s in the water with them. We have to visualize what’s happening in the story. To be able to describe what is happening and make the reader feel the associated emotions (fear/love/joy/anger, etc) is a writer’s gift.

And some books are dialogue-heavy. Tolkien’s masterpiece ‘The Lord of the Rings’ comes to mind. Having seen two of the three films based on his books, I can honestly say I wasn’t surprised that Tom Bombadil was removed from the script of ‘Fellowship of the Ring’. As funny of a character as he was in the book, his presence in the film would have slowed the narrative down too much. Filming every single detail in every single book would have produced a film of approximately 24 or more hours’ length. Who besides rabid Tolkien fans would have paid to watch that?

Anyhow, my purpose in posting is to find out everyone’s favorite book-to-film translations and why you like it so much. Mine include:

Jaws. Bore only a passing resemblance to the book but Spielberg is a director par excellence, and there are scenes in this film that still make me jump after the 250th viewing.

This Island Earth. This film was MiSTied on the big screen but was actually based on a good short story. The story ends after the two scientists have built an Interociter—an intergalactic communications device—and one is invited to go to an alien world. The movie continues where the story ends and the viewer sees the destruction of Metaluna and its residents. Some of the effects are cheesy but overall it’s a pretty good effort.

Silence of the Lambs. Do not, and I repeat, do not watch this film if you are alone in your house. Thomas Harris created one of the all time great literary villains and Sir Anthony Hopkins brought him to life. Creepy.

The English Patient. Romantic and beautifully filmed, I loved this movie. The scene in which Kristin Scott Thomas climbs into a bathtub with Ralph Fiennes kept me good and warm for a few days.

L.A. Confidential. Noir at its finest. Based on a book by James Ellroy. The book is out of print (good luck finding an original copy) and the film is just as stylish as the book.

 

[A Concerned Solomon]

You know, for all this history of Stephen King's writing never translating to the big screen, The Green Mile certainly worked out. The movie had a different style from the book, which was key to its working. The serial novel format King employed skipped through time very often, and King had a few more scenes that drove the point home, but overall a great film.

 

[Jude]

Hm. Well, something to note, I'm not really sure if this is applicable, but one of my favourite movies of all time is actually and adaption of a novel into a screen play: a novel by the name of d'Entre les Morts, by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, translated to Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. Brilliant movie... I'm dying to read the novel.

And also Posession, based of A. S. Byatt's novel of the same name, Has anyone read either of these?

Though I also hear they're translating the children's series, Artemis Fowl into movies--that should be quite interesting to watch, methinks.

 

[vanished]

The Beach, by Alex Garland.

Enough said.

However, what about movie to novels? Ever After was HORRID.

 

[Flare-Espeon]

Although I some how always like the books better (bassicly because I'm just more a reader then a watcher) I have some faorites

Animal Farm Okay, I like the ending in the book better (I somehow always do) but It's so funny animated. And the sheeps make all up for everything (four legs good, two legs bééééééééd)

The horse Whisperer High Tower, (the horse playing Pilgrim) is just one of the best trained horses I've ever seen. And I got lost in the landscapes

Watership Down Easily said, it's inferior to the book, totaly. But there one thing that makes up soooo much and that's the Bright eyes scene (Right after Rabbit Hazel is believed to have died, his psychic Brother Fiver goes looking for him, thereby going in race with the Black Rabbit if Inlé, rabbit of dead) If you compare that to the chapter in the book dealing with this point (Fiver Beyond, for those interested) it's really superior. If there's one scene that made me cry, it's that one

 

[Barb]

As far as movie to novel, Alan Dean Foster writes novels of many scifi movies. He does a decent job.

 

[Tigrin]

Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island to Treasure Planet... hands down. I read the book a few months before I saw the movie, and the movie successfully captures all the feeling and excitement of the book down to the last detail. It's a pretty faithful and absolutely brilliant creative adaptation. ;P The directors were big fans of the book and kept all the little bits and pieces from the book... down to Silver dragging Jim along "like a dancing bear" on the hunt for the treasure, or the pirate chasing Jim up the mast when Jim comes back to the ship... probably Disney's best adaptation, ever. I'd venture to say it's better than the book, because it explores a lot more of the relationship aspect of it... the characters are a lot deeper. It's not all political, like I felt the book was. I could go on for days. ;P

The new version of The Time Machine was also rather clever, though not a whole lot like the book... and I haven't been too thrilled with the Harry Potter movies...

 

[Barb]

I have to agree with Flare-Espeon in that I'm more of a reader than a watcher. My motto is generally, "The book is always better than the movie," LOL.

But I did love the newest adaptation of "The Time Machine" with Guy Pearce.

 

[Misty Storms]

When I saw Guy Pearce's piccy on "The Time Machine" novel, I thought I was buying the latest movie adaptation, not the old "classic" novel! I would have loved to read the movie adaptation!

 

[Barb]

Stephen King is a prolific and talented writer and I'm often surprised at how badly Hollywood mangles his stories. I haven't seen the Green Mile yet. However, King did write a short story called "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" which translated into "The Shawshank Redemption" starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. Possibly the best prison movie ever and certainly the best King adapation I've seen. Brilliant on all counts.

And what about plays to movies? Broadway has given us West Side Story, which translated well to film (winning 10 Oscars), Guys and Dolls, etc. The movie version of "A Chorus Line" with Michael Douglas really didn't impress me much. But Mel Brooks struck Broadway gold in turning his movie "The Producers" into a play with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. It currently holds the record for Tony Awards won, with 12 wins including Lane for Best Actor in a Musical and Best Musical.

 

[A Concerned Solomon]

And don't forget Chicago, which cleaned house at the Oscars.