Jaws - The archetypal example of where the movie is better than the book?

thenakedanddead

I tried to read Jaws sometime last year. I wouldn't say it was the dullest read by any standards, but it was a drag.

Anyway, over a year later, I decided to watch the movie for the first time. (Yes, I know, it's on tv every fucking sunday, but I never had much inclination for it) and found it to be one of the best films I have seen. Granted, their were moments which moved at a snails pace, but the good one's far outnumbered them.

So, what I'm asking is, what makes Spielberg's movie such a classic when it's based off a book of lesser standards? Should I give Jaws, the novel another chance and if the title of this post is just, what are the components that the book lacks which makes the movie more enjoyable.

Of course, theirs no accounting for taste so I'll gladly except any post along the lines of "fuck you, the book rocks"

Revolution9

fuck you, I agree.

Kess73

Yeah the book is pretty awful in many ways, with the Hooper/Ellen storyline being quite mawkish and clumsy.

The film is a stunning watch in it's own right on so many levels, but when one takes into account the source material and how the film grew from sinippets of that, then the film is an even greater achievement.


I don't think it is so much what components the book lacks compared to the film that makes the film so much better, it is more a case of the film lacking so much of the storyline in the book that helped make the film what it was.

If Hooper was done like the book, then we would have had a bland character that was hard to root for in any way, let alone like him.


Although the ending in the book I did like, and would love to have seen what it would have been like if shot that way in the film with the same cast. Would be a cool alternative ending type thing on a blu ray.

Mind you I would never do away with the ending as happened in the film, the

"Smile you son of a bitch"

line is just too iconic now.

Skinfull

Kess73 wrote: »

Mind you I would never do away with the ending as happened in the film, the

"Smile you son of a bitch"

line is just too iconic now.

Really? You are putting SPOILER tags on a line from Jaws?! :eek:

Screw the Jaws book, Read The Trecnh by Steve Alten instead! Its class creature feature joy in a book!

But more importantly OP...you never saw Jaws up until NOW?!?! Holy Crap!

thenakedanddead

Skinfull wrote: »

But more importantly OP...you never saw Jaws up until NOW?!?! Holy Crap!

I know, I know.

norrie rugger

Skinfull wrote: »

Really? You are putting SPOILER tags on a line from Jaws?! :eek:
But more importantly OP...you never saw Jaws up until NOW?!?! Holy Crap!

Would these two statements show that there is always a potential that what you may have seen, others may not have.

pickarooney

There's no statute of limitations on spoilers. I doubt there's any film that everyone has seen yet.

Skinfull

pickarooney wrote: »

There's no statute of limitations on spoilers. I doubt there's any film that everyone has seen yet.

Oh please! Its a FAMOUS quote from a movie thats 35 years old!! Spoiler tags be GONE!

Skinfull

Skinfull wrote: »

Oh please! Its a FAMOUS quote from a movie thats 35 years old!! Spoiler tags be GONE!

Just because the film is famous does not mean that everyone has seen it. I really don't see how spoiler tags are such an inconvenience that people repeatedly complain about them. Maybe you could tell us some of the famous films you have never seen and we can discus key points of them without the use of spoiler tags.

Kess73

Skinfull wrote: »

Really? You are putting SPOILER tags on a line from Jaws?! :eek:

Screw the Jaws book, Read The Trecnh by Steve Alten instead! Its class creature feature joy in a book!

But more importantly OP...you never saw Jaws up until NOW?!?! Holy Crap!

The Trench would be pretty cool as would be it's predecessor. The latter books not so much. The fifth book in the series is due out next year as far as I know.


Mind you if we are looking at books by Alten, then The Loch could make for good viewing too if turned into a film, as would Kronos by Jeremy Robinson.



As for the spoiler, well a few weeks back someone here got there knickers in a twist when I did not put spoiler tags on a comment I made about a film, even though what I commented on was in the trailers and was even mentioned on the cinema poster for the film at the time it came out, so I was not in the mood for the same again over the line in Jaws.:)

DazMarz

I liked the original novel, but I much preferred the film Jaws; it scared the living Jaysus out of me as a kid and I still think it's one of the best films ever made.

The novel is littered with pacing problems, and the sub-plot of Brody's wife and Hooper having an affair is tacked on and feels very awkward, but I did like the social/class tensions that existed in the novel.

On a similar note; which other adapted novels are outdone by the silver-screen counterparts? I'd venture a guess at One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. I think that the film version much better captured the esscence of the story than the novel did, which I found flat and obtuse at times...

Phony Scott

Skinfull wrote: »

Screw the Jaws book, Read The Trecnh by Steve Alten instead! Its class creature feature joy in a book!

The fact that you call that book ‘The TRECNH’ cracks me up. You've misspelled it, but that seems like a reflection on the book itself, which is jam packed with spelling and grammatical errors. The book that preceded it, ‘Meg,’ is good trashy fun, a bit like Jurassic Park (the techno-babble) meets Jaws 3D, but it’s still trash and badly written at that. If they ever make a movie of Meg I’ll definitely go see it, but just for laughs. Steve Alten is a total hack.
Silence of the Lambs is an example of a movie that is far far superior to its book.

thenakedanddead

The Godfather is another example

Phony Scott

I can't argue with 'Jaws' or 'The Godfather,' but those are two brilliant films and at the end of the day, which medium do you gain more thrills or entertainment from? Sure, maybe the book is better written than the script for the film, but at the end of the day, the movie spoke to you on more levels. Leave it at that. It doesn’t make you less of a consumer of entertainment or whatever. I'd apply the same thing to Spielberg and Coppola as readers of a certain text. They took the best of what was and scrapped the rubbish bits.

Professey Chin

pickarooney wrote: »

There's no statute of limitations on spoilers. I doubt there's any film that everyone has seen yet.

If everyone hasnt seen Willy Wonka by know then we know theres an underground race with no tv

Sugarlumps

I really enjoyed the novel and have read it several times. Would love to see Jaws on the big screen as it’s my favourite movie of all time.

Skinfull

Deleted User wrote: »

Just because the film is famous does not mean that everyone has seen it. I really don't see how spoiler tags are such an inconvenience that people repeatedly complain about them. Maybe you could tell us some of the famous films you have never seen and we can discus key points of them without the use of spoiler tags.

Loads of famous movies I haven't seen or knew about in full before I had seen. I'd be pissed if I found out the plot / quote / reveal of a movie that was released recently. But movies that are older than me?! Fair game.

Not to mention this is a Thread discussing movie Vs Book...if you came in here and gave out about spoilers then you're an idiot.

And back on topic... I preferred the Jurassic Park movie more than the book.

norrie rugger

Deleted User wrote: »

Just because the film is famous does not mean that everyone has seen it. I really don't see how spoiler tags are such an inconvenience that people repeatedly complain about them. Maybe you could tell us some of the famous films you have never seen and we can discus key points of them without the use of spoiler tags.

Never seen Bladerunner here. For shame


The Bourne movies are better than the books

duckworth

I think A Clockwork Orange is better than the book. The book is great, but the film is a masterpiece.

Children of Men is far more superior than the book it's based on.

AnonoBoy

I would have said that

"We're gonna need a bigger boat"

is a more famous quote than

"Smile you son of a bitch"

.

Neither of the above quotes are spoilers.

00112984

The Mist is a much better film that book (well, novella).
As is Shawshank Redemption, come to think of it (though the novella is amazing).
Actually, another Stephen King book that made a better film was The Green Mile.

Come to think of it, nobody but Frank Darabont should ever adapt King.

Skinfull

00112984 wrote: »

The Mist is a much better film that book (well, novella).
As is Shawshank Redemption, come to think of it (though the novella is amazing).
Actually, another Stephen King book that made a better film was The Green Mile.

Come to think of it, nobody but Frank Darabont should ever adapt King.

There is something about the King / Darabont duo! Its the only one that really works!

Boo Radley

thenakedanddead wrote: »

I tried to read Jaws sometime last year. I wouldn't say it was the dullest read by any standards, but it was a drag.

Anyway, over a year later, I decided to watch the movie for the first time. (Yes, I know, it's on tv every fucking sunday, but I never had much inclination for it) and found it to be one of the best films I have seen. Granted, their were moments which moved at a snails pace, but the good one's far outnumbered them.

So, what I'm asking is, what makes Spielberg's movie such a classic when it's based off a book of lesser standards? Should I give Jaws, the novel another chance and if the title of this post is just, what are the components that the book lacks which makes the movie more enjoyable.

Of course, theirs no accounting for taste so I'll gladly except any post along the lines of "fuck you, the book rocks"

I'd say 'Fight Club' is pretty much one of the best adaptations of a book ever. It had much more to it the the written original.

00112984

Skinfull wrote: »

There is something about the King / Darabont duo! Its the only one that really works!

If Darabont ever did The BReathing Method, I'd die happy.

kraggy

An interesting fact about Jaws the movie, is that it was the first time that a distributor went with a massive, general release and thus began the summer blockbuster.

Before that, movies were released in smaller batches and thus word about the film would trickle from place to place.

Jaws was given such a wide release because of the good feedback the executives got from the previews. And so, they released it, pretty much nationwide.

It hadn't been done before that.

Mickeroo

Boo Radley wrote: »

I'd say 'Fight Club' is pretty much one of the best adaptations of a book ever. It had much more to it the the written original.

It was a pretty faithful adaptation apart from the ending I thought, but the style of the film elevated it for sure.

I reckon American Psycho was way better than the book, which was sporadically brilliant but really really boring for a lot of the time.

indough

ah now, the fight club movie was very different from the book

another suggestion of this kind is the prestige

Evac105

Skinfull wrote: »

Really?
Screw the Jaws book, Read The Trecnh by Steve Alten instead! Its class creature feature joy in a book!

For some reason I read that as The Tench - left me very curious as to the plot line that could propel that beastie into a position of menace...

Mickeroo

indough wrote: »

ah now, the fight club movie was very different from the book

Very long time since I read it but I remember thinking they were pretty similar, but I'll take your word for it