For those who haven’t turned on a TV in the past few weeks, you may have missed the news that this summer marks the 50th anniversary of the movie Jaws. Like many of you, I rewatched the movie, seeing it for the third time after a twenty-five-year hiatus. It’s still a good one overall, though the fake shark did cause me to realize how spoiled computer-generated imaging has made me.
As so often happens when I watch a film adaptation, I immediately thought of the book. Then I remembered that Jaws was one of the few movies I saw before I read it. That’s not the natural order of events, at least not for me. As an avid reader, I’m kind of a snob when it comes to such things. I always like to experience the story on the page before having someone else interpret their vision of it on the screen.
This led me to think of a movie I saw last week, The Life of Chuck. Based on a same-titled Stephen King novella in the collection If It Bleeds, the film stars Tom Hiddleston. I enjoyed the movie so much—I laughed and cried and experienced the entire spectrum of emotions. Not so much for the people with whom I saw it. The movie made no sense to them. They didn’t get it. And so, they were bored. Because I’d read the story first, I knew what was happening in a way that perhaps novice eyes wouldn’t understand.
But I’m trying to be optimistic, so taking that into account, I’ve compiled a list of movies that, in my mind, (almost) meet the quality of the books. See what you think.
Shawshank Redemption, from the Stephen King novella “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,” in the collection Different Seasons. Starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. Adaptation score: 5+ stars. This is one movie that may actually eclipse the story.
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green. Starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort. Adaptation score: 5 tissues (I cried so hard reading the book I couldn’t see the page. The movie, too, is a sobfest).
The Bosch TV series on Amazon, based on the Harry Bosch book series by Michael Connelly. Starring Titus Welliver, this is another 5-star adaptation, largely because Welliver absolutely nails the characterization. I’ll never read another Bosch book without visualizing Welliver.
Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn. Starring Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck. Adaptation score: 4 stars. This might have ranked higher if I didn’t already know the twists that were coming. Also, if the male lead was someone other than Ben Affleck.
Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, and Josh Hutcherson. Adaptation score: 5 stars. The characters are well drawn, and the visuals are compelling.
Silence of the Lambs, by Thomas Harris. Starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. Here’s another movie I saw prior to reading the book, and the film version worked exceptionally well. Adaptation score: 5 stars.
Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton. Starring Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum. Adaptation score: 4 stars, but it might have scored lower without Goldblum. Visually, the movie was fabulous, but storywise, it simply couldn’t condense the complexity of the book.
Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice. Starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Kristen Dunst. Adaptation score: 3.5 stars. The richness of the book’s prose gets lost beneath a star-studded cast prancing about in pale makeup.
Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, and Ben Kingsley. Adaptation score: 5 stars. The cinematography successfully captures the book’s tone, and the acting is superb.
Which books worked as movies for you? And which ones didn’t?
The Callie Cassidy Mystery series is available on Amazon Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback.
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Lori Roberts Herbst writes the Callie Cassidy Mysteries, a cozy mystery series set in Rock Creek Village, Colorado, and the soon-to-be-released Seahorse Bay Mysteries, set in a Texas cruise port town. To find out more and to sign up for her newsletter, go to www.lorirobertsherbst.com
Your list did a good job nailing the ones I think were successes. Like you, I prefer reading a book. One to tat didn’t disappoint was Gone With the Wind.
ReplyDeleteHmm...I never actually read GWTW. I need to add it to my ever-growing list!
DeleteI'd suggest Dr. Zhivago to add to the list -- with the intermission, of course.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen that movie in years, and I so loved it. Time for a rewatch.
DeleteI can't really decide if it "works" as an adaption or not, but the one that always comes to mind for me is The Horse Whisperer. The book, which I read well before seeing the movie, gutted me. As a horsewoman who lives on a major truck route, the description of the horse/rider vs. tractor-trailer accident seriously traumatized me like no other. When the movie came out, I couldn't, wouldn't go see it despite starring Robert Redford. Years passed before I decided they couldn't put on film what the book implanted in my brain, so I got the DVD and watched. I was right. The accident scene didn't hit me nearly as hard in the film as in the book. However, I loathed how they changed the ending.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the ending, Annette!
DeleteI remember the book, and I know I saw the movie--it must not have made a big impression because I barely remember it.
DeleteLord of the Rings and Fahrenheit 451, one of my favorites
ReplyDeleteI am so embarrassed to admit I've neither read nor watched any Lord of the Rings. It's been on my to-do list forever--just seems so daunting of an undertaking!
DeleteAlthough there are exceptions, I find I usually prefer the "original," whether it is book or video, over the "adaptation," whether book or video.
ReplyDeleteThat makes sense. Originals usually carry some depth that remakes don't have.
DeleteI usually like the book better, but there have been some exceptions. I rewatch "To Kill a Mockingbird" every so often. I think it's a decent adaptation.
ReplyDeleteWe saw TKAM in the Broadway series with Richard Thomas. It was quite good!
DeleteOh, I so agree with Misery and Jaws. Both were fabulous. I read Shutter Island after I saw the movie and I wasn’t disappointed. I also recommend Benchley’s The Deep and The Island, but then, I’m a sucker for anything in the tropics.
ReplyDeleteSomehow scary books often seem to translate well on the screeen!
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