Best Book to Film adaptation ?

Nemici

IMO the movie version of "1984" with Richard Burton and John Hurt was one of the success stories of people trying to turn books-to-movies.

Do you think the idea itself is a road to nowhere ?

or if you think its a good move, then whats your favourite book-to-movie.

Makaveli

The Godfather
or was that the other way around?

Mr E

The Shawshank Redemption (from "Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King).

It stuck very closely to the original book.

- Dave.

ciano

In fairness, I think that lotr has kept mostly to the book (well, so far anyway).

Miguel_Sanchez

The Godfather Book came first and yes I agree was a tremendous adaptation.

The Princess Bride was also a great adaptation.

Stand By Me - another good one.

Now I haven't seen Adaptation but I hear it's great and it should probably be commended for the sheer audacity of the adaptation.

Tusky

Originally posted by ciano
In fairness, I think that lotr has kept mostly to the book (well, so far anyway).

Not really - they skiped loads of things, not saying thats bad as they are most likely beter films for it but you cant say he stuck 100% to the books..

Caesar_Bojangle

The godfather

off topic: what is the direct sequel to the book Omerto or The Sicilian?


Its ages since i read lotr but the movie actually diverges from the book a lot. Like the scene with Faramir, frodo,sam and gollum in the second movie when he's debating to himself over the ring. Great book shiite movie in my opinion.

michaelanthony

Contact

Pugsley

Originally posted by TmB
The Shawshank Redemption (from "Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King).

It stuck very closely to the original book.

- Dave.

Seconded.

lamda

Gone With the Wind.
Oh and I know its not a direct adaptation but Heart of Darkness transformed into Apocalypse Now.
Oh yeh and The Colour Purple.

ciano

Originally posted by Tusky
but you cant say he stuck 100% to the books..

I didnt.

Clintons Cat

Shawshank Redemption (king)

One Flew Over The Cockoos nest (kessy)

Animal Farm (orwell)

The Animated Lord of the Rings Part 1 (tolkien) pity they didnt finish the trilogy

M*A*S*H (don't know)

Monkey Planet (pierre boulle) thats planet of the apes dontcha know

Bridge Over The River Kwai (Pierre Boulle again)

Green Mile (king again)

Serpico (maas)

Kai

Generally its very hard to do a good changeover from a book to film. I dont think ive read a book and seen the film and thought the film came close to being as good, including all the LOTR.

I adore shawshank and the godfather films but ive never read the books so i dont know if they do the book justice. They are fantastic films but look at LOTR. Which left a bigger impact on you, the world in the book or the special effects in the film. Easy question to answer id imagine.

another id add would be [again i havent read the book] :
Fight Club

Karl Hungus

I'd definetly agree here that Stephen King books translate extremely well to the screen.

And although it was quite different, and not actually a book; From Hell.

jonno

The Shawshank Redemption was an excellent adaptation as was Thye Godfather, The Green Mile, and LOTR.

the celtic tiger

adaptation

Tyrrial

indeed adaptation was a fantastic adaptation, it was so origonal.

Byzantine

I Think the "Name of the Rose" carried the atmosphere of the book well into the film.
J M Coetzee's novel "Disgrace" just begs to be made into a movie

Thoughts.........??

Manach

- Bridge on the River Kwai
- Prisoner of Zenda (Fairbanks version)

ykt0di9url7bc3

all of clintons cat choices are great...

my favs would be

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
2001: A Space Odessey
Trainspotting

Caesar_Bojangle

One flew over the cuckoos nest, i've yet to see the film i even went as far as buying the dvd a year ago but i'm told its great. Read the book twice but once i read a book i never feel compelled to see the film

claudius

the old adage 'the film is no way near as good as the book ... ' holds true in the majority of cases. films cannot exactly translate books to the screen. a film can only hold true to the spirit of the book it is based on, but fault will invariably be found since the reader of the book will possess their own vision of what it should look like in celluloid.

since film is my first true love, when i read a novel i alway play it out in my mind like a movie. the only film adaptation i 've seen that, for me, was 100 per cent spot on as to how i perceived it would be 'fear & loathing in las vegas'. as good as the book.

at last count, i think the number of stephen king movie adaptations has reached the high 60s. but how many are good? only a handful since much of the source material is as ****e as the films made from them.

antwalsh

E.g. Dreamcatcher as a crap movie. Don't know what the book was like. Must have been ok though to get a movie made from it.

As for Fear & Loathing - it was a worthy enough attempt at translating the book but never really got there in my opinion.
One Flew over the Cuckoo's nest - the film perspective is from a different person so how can it be a good adaptation. It is a damn good film though - saw it for the first time last year and it was the best film I saw last year.

Is this thread concerned with films that closely follow the books on which they were based or with films that were good regardless of their similarities to their source material? Or both?

Clintons Cat

One Flew over the Cuckoo's nest - the film perspective is from a different person so how can it be a good adaptation. It is a damn good film though

Hollywood will never ever cast an American Indian as the main Character ever...

Take Windtalkers ...

Screenwriter:"Uh I've writtena War Movie"
Producer:"Great! Pearl Harbour Was a Smash Hit!Lets Here the Pitch sonny"
Screenwriter:"Its about navajoe Indian warheros"
Producer:"Great,Call Nic Cage See if he's Available"


I think for a film to be judged a good adeptation it has to capture the spirit of the book,OFOTC Nest manages that.

Dr. Loon

Originally posted by claudius
but how many are good? only a handful since much of the source material is as ****e as the films made from them.

True not many of the films are good, but the books are great. I wish they'd do a decent version of The Stand.

I'd say the Godfather, The Shining (Jack Nicholson), Misery - all great, and two of them Stephen King books.