May 8, 2008
Book To Film: Best and Worst
It’s finally happening! One of my favorite book series is coming to a theater near you. The best part is that today I got to take a peek at the trailer, and it looks fabulous!
For those unfamiliar with the YA vampire series by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight is the story about Edward and Bella, two soul mates who embark on an emotional journey of discovery and love. One of them (the hero) just so happens to be a vampire who’s been 17-years-old for a VERY long time.
Having read all three books in the series, I’m nervous about the movie. You know, my expectations are so high for this thing that I just hope it doesn’t suck. I mean, we’ve all been disappointed at times when our favorite books went to film.
For instance, I was extremely disappointed with Blood and Chocolate. The movie was based on the book by Annette Curtis Klause and it didn’t even begin to do the novel justice. I also hated the film version of John Grisham’s The Pelican Brief. Oh, and let me add What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson, The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe, Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson and Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks. BTW: I REALLY HATED the movie version of Message in a Bottle. Hated. Hated. Hated.
But there have been some good ones too. Here are some of my favorites:
1. The Painted Veil starring Naomi Watts and Edward Norton (from W. Somerset Maugham’s novel of the same title)
2. Somewhere in Time, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour (from Richard Matheson’s novel, Bid Time Return)
3. The Notebook, starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams (from Nicholas Sparks’ novel of the same title)
4. The Count of Monte Cristo starring James Caviezel and Dagmara Dominczyk (from Alexandre Dumas’ novel of the same title)
5. The Color Purple starring Whoopie Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah (from Alice Walker’s novel of the same title)
6. Bridges of Madison County starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood (from Robert James Waller’s novel of the same title) BTW, I liked the movie better than the book!
What are your favorite books-to-film and/or your least favorites?
PS: In case you’re a Twilight fan and haven’t seen the trailer, here you go. Enjoy!
I honestly couldn’t think of many books I’ve enjoyed that have been made into films, except some of the old classics–Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eytre, etc., which have had excellent adaptations…
Oh, I was very disappointed with the film version of The DaVinci Code, as much as I love Tom Hanks.
The one that made me swear I would never read a book and then see a movie was Delores Claiborne, Stephen King. They left out the most important aspects of the book–like WHY she did EVERYthing–the cut the entire motive form the book SHEESH!
I will say movies like Narnia and Harry Potter are good–they do cut a lot but it is for time consideration, but I think stuff like that is so iconic just getting to see it on the big screen is worth the cuts
Oh, I absolutely hated what they did to The Traveling Pants(I can’t remember the full name.) I absolutely loved the book. I picked it before the movie came out. And they did a Romeo and Juliet plot line. Give me a break.
As for Harry Potter, they did change a lot, but I still love the movies, because what I pictured in my mind is exactly how they made everything look. I personally think even if J.K. never wrote those books and they were only movies Harry Potter would still be as big.
The Color Purple, can’t bring myself to read the book. The movie makes me mad(in a good way) I know I’d be screaming. Plus, I watch the movie for Celie’s Blues. I love that scene.
I heard good things about Eragon the book, but the movie sucked big time. Nora Roberts book to Lifetime Movies sucked except for Blue Smoke.
Okay, I’m done now.
>>The Count of Monte Cristo starring James Caviezel
Never read the book. Loved the movie and James CAviezel!
Um I never read a HP book either. I Do own some though LOL I tried to read the Narnia books but I didn’t have any luck. *sigh*
IMO The Stand and The Green Mile were great book to film adaptations.
Never read or saw Bridges (and have no desire to), never read or saw any Nicholas Sparks moves/books (and have no desire to).
*gulp* Never finished Twilight, never read the other books. They just didn’t work for me. I know it’s like sacrelige but all the adverbs just kept vying for my attention, like hookers on Harry Hines and I finally gave up. I’ll probalby see the movie.
Eragon the movie SUCKED! The book….again the adverbs drove me away. And I don’t mean just because there were so many but all the telling that goes along with overuse of adverbs *sigh*
I think the only book that I’ve read that I’ve also seen the movie also is Pride and Prejudice and I only got around to reading the book in the last year or so.
I honestly view them as two separate animals, and If I see/read one version first, I’m *rarely* interested in seeing/reading the other afterwards, because I expect to be either disappointed or confused. considering the hit or miss nature of remakes of older tv shows/movies.
Jaq me too! That’s why I’ll probably never read the HP books
I actually liked Dolores - lol (Sunny ducks), but…I like the majority of King’s earlier works that went to film. I dislike the ones where he has a hand in ‘em, because the man’s a novelist, not a film maker. I like the Jane Austin adaptations (especially Emma Thompson’s version of “Pride & Prejudice”).
Raine,
I didn’t read the DaVinci code but I hated the movie. It bordered on the absurd.
Dennie,
I didn’t read the Narnia books, my kids did and they were very pleased with the film.
Melissa,
There are some nuances in TCP book that the movie doesn’t capture, but there are also nuances in the movie that the book doesn’t capture. All in all, it was a fair treatment. My favorite scene in the movie is Shug walking down that dirt road and singing God Is Trying To Tell You Something. Brings me to tears every time.
Cece,
With Twilight I think the story drew me in so much that I didn’t even notice the adverbs. Even now I’ll have to go back and see what you’re talking about because I honestly can’t remember them.
Edward’s characterization was so strong, that I fell right into the story. You know how anal I am when I critique right? But I’m telling you, I got so enthralled with the story that I stopped noticing the prose.
On the other hand, some of my friends couldn’t get into the story because they felt it didn’t have enough action and that the pacing was slow. I guess they feel that way because Twilight is a character-driven book. It all depends on what you like.
Jaq,
I LOVED the most recent P&P with Matthew Macfadyen. I think it’s one of the best.
Sunny,
I like King’s earlier movies. The latter ones seem to feel more redundant and stale. My favorite King movie/book is Carrie.
Cece,
I have never even been tempted to read HP. I’m just not into the whole child/teen wizard thingie.