Klimtology
Footballguy
Shawshank Redemption aka Hope Springs Eternal
Donnie Brasco
Donnie Brasco
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
All-Time Favorite Book-to-Movie Adaptations (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Klimtology
- Start date
The Dreaded Marco
Footballguy
To Kill a Mockingbird
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
Princess Bride
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
Princess Bride
massraider
Footballguy
American Psycho.
Really well done movie, really really terrible book. Don't see that often.
Really well done movie, really really terrible book. Don't see that often.
Zow
Footballguy
I'm gauging this on how good the actual movie is as that seems to be the metric. With that in mind, here are my top 5:
1. A Clockwork Orange - brilliant book, of course, but man did the movie knock it out of the park, too. Easily the best combination of book + movie.
2. The Shining - Probably not even a top ten Stephen King book but obviously the movie crushes it (which is odd because, IIRC, King didn't like it). Kubrick is so good.
3. Primal Fear - Totally mediocre, ho hum thriller of a novel but Norton's portrayal of Aaron is so great. I think this is the biggest disparity of movie >>> book ever.
4. Dune - Great book and the new movie I thought nailed it.
5. Shawshank Redemption
1. A Clockwork Orange - brilliant book, of course, but man did the movie knock it out of the park, too. Easily the best combination of book + movie.
2. The Shining - Probably not even a top ten Stephen King book but obviously the movie crushes it (which is odd because, IIRC, King didn't like it). Kubrick is so good.
3. Primal Fear - Totally mediocre, ho hum thriller of a novel but Norton's portrayal of Aaron is so great. I think this is the biggest disparity of movie >>> book ever.
4. Dune - Great book and the new movie I thought nailed it.
5. Shawshank Redemption
Klimtology
Footballguy
The Shining is a good one for sure. Both the Book and the Movie scared the crap out of me.
Todem
Footballguy
Jaws
The book was a very good read......but I actually liked the movie even more. It is a classic.
The book had some really key differences too from the movie adaption. And since the book is over 40 years old I am going to tell you one of them
Brody’s wife sleeps with Hooper. So Brody did not bring Hooper up in the cage knowing this and of course he was eaten. Pretty awesome LOL.
The book was a very good read......but I actually liked the movie even more. It is a classic.
The book had some really key differences too from the movie adaption. And since the book is over 40 years old I am going to tell you one of them
Brody’s wife sleeps with Hooper. So Brody did not bring Hooper up in the cage knowing this and of course he was eaten. Pretty awesome LOL.
IvanKaramazov
Footballguy
Godfather and American Psycho are both top-tier nominees that have already been mentioned. A few others:
Fight Club. Not only is it a great film, but the book is also great. If you read the book before seeing the movie, you might wonder how they could possibly set this to film and still capture the general tone of the novel. They succeeded.
Trainspotting. I haven't read the book so I can't comment on the "adaptation" part, but the film slaps.
Lord of the Rings. Obvious. Nobody will ever make an adaptation of these books that tops Peter Jackson's trilogy. Nobody should bother to try.
Fight Club. Not only is it a great film, but the book is also great. If you read the book before seeing the movie, you might wonder how they could possibly set this to film and still capture the general tone of the novel. They succeeded.
Trainspotting. I haven't read the book so I can't comment on the "adaptation" part, but the film slaps.
Lord of the Rings. Obvious. Nobody will ever make an adaptation of these books that tops Peter Jackson's trilogy. Nobody should bother to try.
IvanKaramazov
Footballguy
A good idea for a companion thread would be "All-Time Worst Book-to-Movie Adaptations Other than Cloud Atlas."
Chaz McNulty
Footballguy
Shawshank and Lord of the Rings.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
Misery
Klimtology
Footballguy
The Firm was butchered imo
Klimtology
Footballguy
The lord of the rings was a great adaption. All Three.
It's why Grisham stopped giving control when selling the movie rights to his books. That was the first one and he didn't keep a say in the movie adaptation and he hated what they did.
I know the movie was vastly different than the book (The Firm) but I thought each of them were good as they were. The movie worked even with the changes.
ChiefD
Footballguy
I've read the Lord of the Rings many times and refuse to see the movies.
I've had these images in my head since I was a kid of how these characters "look". I don't want a movie to take those memories away from me. I know it's silly but I just can't do it.
Klimtology
Footballguy
I can understand this. TBS The Movies are amazing!
General Malaise
Footballguy
I read a Grisham book a few months ago after not reading him for 20+ years. I absolutely LOVED the book - "Playing for Pizza". I don't know if he ever sells this one to Hollywood, but the book was terrific. It would make for a fun film if they did it correctly.
General Malaise
Footballguy
I liked the book - LOVED the movie. They nailed this one. Many of his other books are complete flops on screen.
massraider
Footballguy
Two Elmore Leonard:
1. Out of Sight (Best captures the vibe in his writing, this movie comes the closest).
2. Jackie Brown, originally Rum Punch. It's a better movie than Out of Sight, I mean, it's Tarantino.
Never read 3:10 to Yuma, but the movie was great.
1. Out of Sight (Best captures the vibe in his writing, this movie comes the closest).
2. Jackie Brown, originally Rum Punch. It's a better movie than Out of Sight, I mean, it's Tarantino.
Never read 3:10 to Yuma, but the movie was great.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
The Grapes of Wrath
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
Beat me by 11 minutes.
Tarantino was so reverential to the source material he barely altered it, apart from Jackie Burke to Jackie Brown and the lead characters skin color.
I had read Rum Punch first and couldnt believe how closely Tarantino stuck to the excellent source material.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Another Lord of the Rings vote here. And while it was not a perfect adaptation as all movies made from books have to take some liberties, it was fabulous in so many ways.
IvanKaramazov
Footballguy
No Country for Old Men. Book and film are both phenomenal.
(The book makes it much clearer that Tommy Lee Jones is the main character. You kind of get that in the film, but not really. The effect is that the film's messaging is actual more subtle than the book's.)
(The book makes it much clearer that Tommy Lee Jones is the main character. You kind of get that in the film, but not really. The effect is that the film's messaging is actual more subtle than the book's.)
Zow
Footballguy
Oddly, it's the books that are just "good" (Misery, The Green Mile, Shawshank, The Shining, Carrie) that seem to make the best movies.
He wrote a short story as Richard Bachman entitled "Rage." I really, really wish that didn't turn into a real life movie but I am always compelled to mention it because, pre-Columbine before we knew much about school shooters, the short story is eerily realistic and well-written.
Interesting. I agree that The Shining probably isn't a top 10 King book but I still like it a lot and think it is better than the movie. I'm with King on the movie. The book was good because Danny, Wendy, and even Jack in his own way are all sympathetic characters and more importantly the family unit is one that you care about. In the movie both Jack and Wendy are so annoying that I find myself rooting for the hotel, and Danny, who should be kind of important since the title is "The Shining" seems like an afterthought.
Related topic - Anyone have an opinion on how Doctor Sleep compares with the book? I am intrigued since Ewan McGregor is in it, but my dislike of The Shining move is one of the reasons I haven't seen it.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Jaws 
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Best Book to Movie that Got Everything Just Right:
A Room With a View
Every casting choice, the script, music, production, etc. It's all just spot on (well I guess they couldn't get the flower color right for one big scene but that's like the only gripe). Other than that, they got literally everything from the E.M. Forster book perfectly into the film without going over or under on time, scenes.
Honorable Mentions: In Cold Blood, Revolutionary Road , Greta Gerwig's Little Women
Best Book to Move where the Task was Impossible but the result was Commendable:
Catch 22
The Mike Nichols' movie seems to have gotten a bit of a bum rap but I think it's because of how unadaptable and beloved the book was. It's a really really good movie. They got the tone right which is the biggest thing imo. They did as well as I think was possible, hats off.
Honorable Mentions: The Age of Innocence, The Remains of the Day, David Lean's Great Expectations
Best Book to Movie that Improved on an Already Good Book:
Double Indemnity
James M. Cain knows how to deal terse hard boiled fiction but Billy Wilder turned a great beach read into one a genre defining Hollywood classic.
Honorable Mentions: The Maltese Falcon, The Thin Man, No Country for Old Men
Botched Adaptation of a Very Adaptable Book:
The Black Dahlia
After how incredible L.A. Confidential is, this makes a total mockery of a great James Ellroy book. What a gd shame. I would love to see someone give this another swing. You can't just do a straight adaptation of his books but the blue print with LA was right there plus the famous murder. I loved this book and just hate what they did to it. Boxing, Old Hollywood, Famous Crimes, Weird Doctors, Crooked Cops. This thing had it all. Maybe a TV limited series? Someone?
Honorable Mentions: BUtterfield 8, A Farewell to Arms, The Girl on the Train
A Room With a View
Every casting choice, the script, music, production, etc. It's all just spot on (well I guess they couldn't get the flower color right for one big scene but that's like the only gripe). Other than that, they got literally everything from the E.M. Forster book perfectly into the film without going over or under on time, scenes.
Honorable Mentions: In Cold Blood, Revolutionary Road , Greta Gerwig's Little Women
Best Book to Move where the Task was Impossible but the result was Commendable:
Catch 22
The Mike Nichols' movie seems to have gotten a bit of a bum rap but I think it's because of how unadaptable and beloved the book was. It's a really really good movie. They got the tone right which is the biggest thing imo. They did as well as I think was possible, hats off.
Honorable Mentions: The Age of Innocence, The Remains of the Day, David Lean's Great Expectations
Best Book to Movie that Improved on an Already Good Book:
Double Indemnity
James M. Cain knows how to deal terse hard boiled fiction but Billy Wilder turned a great beach read into one a genre defining Hollywood classic.
Honorable Mentions: The Maltese Falcon, The Thin Man, No Country for Old Men
Botched Adaptation of a Very Adaptable Book:
The Black Dahlia
After how incredible L.A. Confidential is, this makes a total mockery of a great James Ellroy book. What a gd shame. I would love to see someone give this another swing. You can't just do a straight adaptation of his books but the blue print with LA was right there plus the famous murder. I loved this book and just hate what they did to it. Boxing, Old Hollywood, Famous Crimes, Weird Doctors, Crooked Cops. This thing had it all. Maybe a TV limited series? Someone?
Honorable Mentions: BUtterfield 8, A Farewell to Arms, The Girl on the Train
Last edited:
PIK95
Footballguy
The first movie was very good and mostly stayed to the books. The second and third movies lost me. He destroyed what the Enta were supposed to be especially. Although both of those movies were still miles ahead of the Hobbit movies. Wow, those were bad.
I thought the first two Harry Potter books were adapted perfectly by Chris Columbus fwiw. POA was my favorite book, but A Curon changed it around too much for my liking.
BlackCrowes
Footballguy
Hope someone does a movie on Project Hail Mary. Same author
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
The best TV ever made IMO. Just an amazing stretch of entertainment.
Similar threads
