# Best book to movie...



## mikek1710 (Jul 2, 2010)

After reading through the most disappointing book to movie thread I figured we should have a positive counter part, although I know it won't have nearly as many posts.  I know a few good ones were mentioned in the other thread but here it goes.

The best movie to book I've ever seen was the original Die Hard, based off of Roderick Thorp's Nothing Lasts Forever.  The book was good, but the movie was better.  For the most part it went the same way as the book.  A few things were tweaked and they were all things that made it better.  For instance in the book the main character (whose name was changed for the movie) was going to visit his daughter and not his wife as in the movie.


----------



## AlanBaxter (Sep 1, 2009)

Best book to movie for me is Frank Miller's Sin City. The graphic novel is awesome and the movie is a brilliant recreation of that.


----------



## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

The Green Mile.


----------



## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

A&E's 1995 mini-series "Pride and Prejudice." (I watch it in one sitting, so I'm counting it as a movie. LOL)


----------



## mikek1710 (Jul 2, 2010)

Cindy416 said:


> A&E's 1995 mini-series "Pride and Prejudice." (I watch it in one sitting, so I'm counting it as a movie. LOL)


LOL should've named the thread best book to screen.

Never read the Sin City graphic novel, but the movie was great.


----------



## rscully (Jun 5, 2010)

Half-Orc said:


> The Green Mile.


I agree! Awesome!!


----------



## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

mikek1710 said:


> LOL should've named the thread best book to screen.
> 
> Never read the Sin City graphic novel, but the movie was great.


Well, you could have, but then I wouldn't have been able to get in a plug for P&P!


----------



## Jorean (Jul 31, 2010)

Starship Troopers.. It was a good book and I enjoyed it and all but man.... That movie will forever keep me entertained and giggling.


----------



## Daniel Pyle (Aug 13, 2010)

I think _The Shawshank Redemption_ is not only the best King adaptation, but one of the best overall. Love it.


----------



## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

Half-Orc said:


> The Green Mile.


I remember one movie critic said about that movie: "If only watching 'The Green Mile' didn't feel like running it." For some reason I've never forgotten that line! 

There are so many choices. Probaly hundreds! Among my favorites are "Howards End," "The Remains of the Day," "The English Patient," "Pride and Prejudice" (A&E), "Wonder Boys." There are many many others.


----------



## AnelaBelladonna (Apr 8, 2009)

I did not care for the Lord of the Rings books but the movies are my all-time favorites.  I also loved the Pride and Prejudice mini-series.  I have seen it about 4 times now.


----------



## Guest (Aug 28, 2010)

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS

(This movie is the highlight of my life.)


----------



## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

AnelaBelladonna said:


> I did not care for the Lord of the Rings books but the movies are my all-time favorites. I also loved the Pride and Prejudice mini-series. I have seen it about 4 times now.


Yay! Another P&P fan.  I've seen P&P a number of times, and each time I watch it, I discover small things or nuances that I have missed when watching it before. Superb acting and great effort on the part of the screenwriter to remain true to the original text.


----------



## patrickt (Aug 28, 2010)

I don't like books that are written to be movies.

My favorite movie/book combo would be Moby Dick starring Gregory Peck.


----------



## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

Cindy416 said:


> Yay! Another P&P fan.  I've seen P&P a number of times, and each time I watch it, I discover small things or nuances that I have missed when watching it before. Superb acting and great effort on the part of the screenwriter to remain true to the original text.


Does everyone have the blu-ray edition of the mini-series? The original DVD releases have really awful transfers: all white and completely washed out. For the recent blu-ray release they have gone back to the original 16mm film negative and completely restored it. On the discs there's a documentary that showcases their restoration and the results are astonishing. It's shocking that a modern age film transfer could look as awful as the original DVDs looked - but it's true. Just see the blu-ray - you'll fall out of your chairs if you haven't already seen it!


----------



## Guest (Aug 28, 2010)

healeyb said:


> I agree with some that have already been posted (Green Mile, Shawshank Redemption) but I'll offer my own:
> 
> Jurassic Park.
> 
> I'm sure I'll get criticized for that considering the discrepancies between the book and movie, but the general emotion, pace and tense of the book was translated very well, I think. Plus, it had dinosaurs! (I was 10 when I first saw this...)


YUP!


----------



## William L.K. (Aug 5, 2010)

Half-Orc said:


> The Green Mile.


I gotta go with The Green Mile also.


----------



## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

> Just see the blu-ray - you'll fall out of your chairs if you haven't already seen it!


I just fall out of my chair thinking about Mr Darcy coming out of the stream.... Oh my

I agree , it is one of the better adaptations. If we're inlcuding include miniseries, then Anne of Green Gables was right up there for me.

Also liked
Green Mile
Shawshank Redemption
Lord of the Rings
Howard's End
Time Traveller's Wife


----------



## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

Lyndl said:


> I just fall out of my chair thinking about Mr Darcy coming out of the stream.... Oh my
> 
> Also liked
> Howard's End


Imagine Mr. Darcy climbing out of the stream in vivid color!

And the Criterion blu-ray of "Howards End" is stunning.


----------



## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

DYB said:


> Does everyone have the blu-ray edition of the mini-series? The original DVD releases have really awful transfers: all white and completely washed out. For the recent blu-ray release they have gone back to the original 16mm film negative and completely restored it. On the discs there's a documentary that showcases their restoration and the results are astonishing. It's shocking that a modern age film transfer could look as awful as the original DVDs looked - but it's true. Just see the blu-ray - you'll fall out of your chairs if you haven't already seen it!


I don't have blu-Ray, but do have the new, re-mastered DVDs that were releases last spring. The difference between the new ones and the old DVDs is amazing.


----------



## Taborcarn (Dec 15, 2009)

The Godfather


----------



## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

Lots of good choices so far. I'll add...

The Princess Bride
Jaws

Count me as another P&P fan.


----------



## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Monique said:


> Lots of good choices so far. I'll add...
> 
> The Princess Bride
> Jaws
> ...


I LOVE _Jaws,_ both the book and the movie. Yay for another P&P fan!

I loved the book, _Jurassic Park,_ too, and I think the movie version is very good.


----------



## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

Cindy416 said:


> I LOVE _Jaws,_ both the book and the movie. Yay for another P&P fan!
> 
> I loved the book, _Jurassic Park,_ too, and I think the movie version is very good.


I really enjoyed reading JP too, but the movie was such a... wow! I just saw dinosaurs. Amazing.

All this P&P talk has me thinking of wet-shirted Mr. D. *sigh* Might just have to watch a few scenes.


----------



## TWErvin2 (Aug 7, 2010)

*Lonesome Dove * (although they had to make a miniseries of it vs. a movie to do it right).


----------



## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Monique said:


> I really enjoyed reading JP too, but the movie was such a... wow! I just saw dinosaurs. Amazing.
> 
> All this P&P talk has me thinking of wet-shirted Mr. D. *sigh* Might just have to watch a few scenes.


When my daughters and I saw JP, we, too, were mesmerized by the incredible dinosaurs.

Same. I love when Lizzie goes to with her aunt and uncle. I may have to watch just that part (including the lake scene, of course) soon. And to think that the OP didn't intend tv movies in this thread!


----------



## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)




----------



## lonestar (Feb 9, 2010)

TWErvin2 said:


> *Lonesome Dove * (although they had to make a miniseries of it vs. a movie to do it right).


This is my choice as well. I loved the book and the mini series.


----------



## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Lyndl said:


>


Thanks a lot! You made me drool on my iPad!


----------



## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

Lyndl said:


>


Oh, Mr. Darcy.

*sigh*


----------



## julieannfelicity (Jun 28, 2010)

Lyndl said:


>


Drool ... he's so handsome!

I'll add Where the Heart Is. I'll also say The Green Mile and The Princess Bride.


----------



## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

This has nothing to do with the topic, but love, love, love the Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy pic! Thank you--you just made my lunch hour ten times better!

In regards to the actual topic, I think one of the best book-to-movie transitions ever is _A Room with a View_. Perfectly cast, beautifully filmed, and the script is exquisite.


----------



## LaRita (Oct 28, 2008)

Have to agree with "Lonesome Dove." Robert Duvall was awesome!

Would also like to add the PBS mini-series of Neville Shute's "A Town Like Alice."  Does anyone else remember this one?


----------



## MoyJoy (Aug 24, 2010)

American Psycho...  I actually think the movie was better.


----------



## sal (Aug 4, 2009)

My choices:

Bladerunner (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?)
Apocalypse Now (might be cheating, but I think it was based on Heart Of Darkness)


Sal


----------



## calypso (Aug 21, 2010)

memoirs of a geisha.

it could've been better but i like the fact that despite the minor changes they made in the movie and some of the scenes that they cut, i can still say that it did not sacrifice the quality of the story and it is by far the best book-to-movie version i have watched.

then again, i dont normally watch book-to-movie offerings as i end up being greatly disappointed, and i am such an OC person that i cannot watch a movie without reading the book if the said movie was based on a book.

i'm making pride and prejudice a must-see movie tho, based on the reviews here.


----------



## julieannfelicity (Jun 28, 2010)

calypso said:


> memoirs of a geisha.


Ah, yes! I loved both the book and the movie as well. Thank you for reminding me. I might just watch that tonight actually


----------



## originalgrissel (Mar 5, 2010)

Another vote for the P&P (A&E) mini-series as well as another for the Anne of Green Gables series starring Meegan Follows, parts 1 & 2 at least. I really wish they had stayed true to the books for the 3rd mini-series installment of Anne, though. 

A few more I (and my family)  enjoy immenseley are:

-The TV mini-series of The Stand. Even though it is condensed and some changes were madeI think overall it stayed very true to the book and has some lovely performances in it. 
-The Silence of the Lambs. Thought I still think the book is scarier, Anthony Hopkins was increcible in the film. (Hannibal was a horrible disappointment on screen, but that's because they were too afraid to stay true to the book)
-The first 2 Harry Potter films are the 2 that I feel stayed truest to the books they were based on.
-Holes by Louis Sachar- both my kids read the book and loved the movie.


----------



## MoyJoy (Aug 24, 2010)

calypso said:


> memoirs of a geisha.


Yes, I thought about this one as well. They did a beautiful job of translating it to movie.


----------



## calypso (Aug 21, 2010)

MoyJoy said:


> Yes, I thought about this one as well. They did a beautiful job of translating it to movie.





julieannfelicity said:


> Ah, yes! I loved both the book and the movie as well. Thank you for reminding me. I might just watch that tonight actually


no problem. memoirs of a geisha is the one book-to-movie that i actually like both book and movie.


----------



## JL Bryan (Aug 10, 2010)

"Forrest Gump" is, for me, the rare case of a movie being better than the book.  Not that I was a huge fan of either one, but I thought the movie was better.

I also thought the "Bladerunner" movie was as good as the book, though the story was pretty different.


----------



## sal (Aug 4, 2009)

It's pretty tough these days with all the 800+ page books to make a good movie out
of them. You are bound to leave out something people expect to be in there (unless you
make a really long movie or mini-series out of it).

I think novelettes and long short-stories translate better into movies. Even if they don't
stay entirely true to the story, they can at least leave most of the story in, and still pull it off in 2 hours.


Sal


----------



## JL Bryan (Aug 10, 2010)

sal said:


> I think novelettes and long short-stories translate better into movies. Even if they don't
> stay entirely true to the story, they can at least leave most of the story in, and still pull it off in 2 hours.
> 
> Sal


I agree. Short stories have the right amount of story for a movie. A full-length novel needs to be a long miniseries to capture the whole story, and you'll still lose much of it.


----------



## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

calypso said:


> memoirs of a geisha.
> 
> it could've been better but i like the fact that despite the minor changes they made in the movie and some of the scenes that they cut, i can still say that it did not sacrifice the quality of the story and it is by far the best book-to-movie version i have watched.
> 
> ...


Be sure that you see the 1995 A&E miniseries of Pride and Prejudice. Although the newer one with Keira Knightly and Matthew Macfayden is one that lots of people like, the must-see version is the A&E one. (I was disappointed by the new version because it progressed too quickly. I loved seeing the character development in the miniseries.)


----------



## 13500 (Apr 22, 2010)

DYB said:


> Does everyone have the blu-ray edition of the mini-series? The original DVD releases have really awful transfers: all white and completely washed out. For the recent blu-ray release they have gone back to the original 16mm film negative and completely restored it. On the discs there's a documentary that showcases their restoration and the results are astonishing. It's shocking that a modern age film transfer could look as awful as the original DVDs looked - but it's true. Just see the blu-ray - you'll fall out of your chairs if you haven't already seen it!
> 
> http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=kbpst-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001E2JNA6][/
> 
> ...


----------



## julieannfelicity (Jun 28, 2010)

Oh don't get me started, lol, I could turn this into a Colin Firth thread!  HAHA ... I loved him in Bridget Jones' Diary.  He's also fantastic in Nanny Mcphee, which they turned into a book.


----------



## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

julieannfelicity said:


> Oh don't get me started, lol, I could turn this into a Colin Firth thread! HAHA ... I loved him in Bridget Jones' Diary. He's also fantastic in Nanny Mcphee, which they turned into a book.


Me, too. There's a thread for Hugh Jackman (love him!). I don't see why we couldn't have one for Colin Firth, too. Speaking of BJD, didn't you LOVE the ending? Every time I saw it in the theater (which was too many to admit to), I wanted to go back and see it again. 

And to think that the OP of this thread was surprised when I mentioned P&P as my favorite book to movie. (Said that the title should have maybe been "book to screen" or something similar. LOL)


----------



## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

sal said:


> It's pretty tough these days with all the 800+ page books to make a good movie out
> of them. You are bound to leave out something people expect to be in there (unless you
> make a really long movie or mini-series out of it).
> Sal


I agree in some ways--for instance, although the Harry Potter movies are visually excellent, the story lines leave out way too much detail for me. It's funny, though--some filmmakers change the plot and leave stuff out, yet somehow still capture the spirit of the story, whereas others may be true to the factual details but miss the spirit of the story entirely.

I also agree with the others here about _Lonesome Dove_--great miniseries. I think the excellent casting really made it. I'll have to check out _Memoirs of a Geisha_ the movie--I love that book and had hesitated watching the movie because I didn't know how they would capture the subtle images the words created in my mind on film without changing it too much from how I imagined it.


----------



## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

One my my favorites is the A&E Horatio Hornblower Series.  2001  A Space Odessy is way superior to the book.


----------



## Disappointed (Jul 28, 2010)

Although King hated it, I think Kubrick's _The Shining_ is far superior to the book.


----------



## Capri142 (Sep 25, 2009)

mikek1710 said:


> After reading through the most disappointing book to movie thread I figured we should have a positive counter part, although I know it won't have nearly as many posts. I know a few good ones were mentioned in the other thread but here it goes.
> 
> The best one ever. has to be because I remember it so well after all these years: *To Kill a Mockingbird*. Both the book and the movie were superb!


----------



## D. Nathan Hilliard (Jun 5, 2010)

Tom Wood said:


> Although King hated it, I think Kubrick's _The Shining_ is far superior to the book.


I'll amend that to say that I think Kubricks movie made a better movie than one truer to the book would have made. I think The Shining is one of those cases where certain aspects of a great book simply wouldn't translate well into a movie. I think Jacks self mutilation near the end of the book would have come off totally wrong, and given the wrong impression, to the audience of a movie. So Kubricks changes to the end were for the best.


----------



## jbh13md (Aug 1, 2010)

sal said:


> My choices:
> 
> Bladerunner (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?)
> Apocalypse Now (might be cheating, but I think it was based on Heart Of Darkness)
> ...


Bladerunner is amazing. But you're not trying to say the movie is better than the story, are you? I don't think so, so I won't flip my wig. Also, "Stardust." The book is good, but the movie outshines it if you ask me (pun!).


----------



## sal (Aug 4, 2009)

jbh13md said:


> Bladerunner is amazing. But you're not trying to say the movie is better than the story, are you? I don't think so, so I won't flip my wig. Also, "Stardust." The book is good, but the movie outshines it if you ask me (pun!).


Don't panic! No, I don't think any movies based on PKD's books are better than the books. 
The most they can attain is to be true to the original. (and hopefully make people who see the movies
go in search of the books).

Bladerunner and A Scanner Darkly came the closest. Screamers and Paycheck fell far short.
And, I would argue that The Matrix and The 13th Floor owe PKD honorary mention.

Sal


----------



## jwasserman (Aug 30, 2010)

A Clockwork Orange- a great film that stayed very true to the book (which is amazing as well)


----------



## jbh13md (Aug 1, 2010)

sal said:


> Don't panic! No, I don't think any movies based on PKD's books are better than the books.
> The most they can attain is to be true to the original. (and hopefully make people who see the movies
> go in search of the books).
> 
> ...


I had a lot of mixed feelings when I saw A Scanner Darkly. Ultimately, I settled on "It's really cool looking." I don't think they did a great job with PKD's story, but they can't all be Bladerunner, I suppose.


----------



## CandyTX (Apr 13, 2009)

Pay It Forward - I didn't care for the book all that much.

No Country For Old Men - this is SO CLOSE, the movie adaptation was so good, I can't say which I liked more, so it's a draw, but I thought I'd mention it.

Shawshank Redemption, I've never read the book actually. Morgan Freeman's voice-overs completely pull me into that movie every time I see it, I'm not sure I'd like the book after watching the movie. Freeman steals the show for me, his voice, the music in the background, so perfectly filmed...

I'm also torn on Virgin Suicides. The book was about the boys, but I felt the movie was about the girls, if that makes sense...


----------



## jbh13md (Aug 1, 2010)

CandyTX said:


> Pay It Forward - I didn't care for the book all that much.
> 
> No Country For Old Men - this is SO CLOSE, the movie adaptation was so good, I can't say which I liked more, so it's a draw, but I thought I'd mention it.
> 
> ...


Wasn't Shawshank Redemption a movie first?


----------



## CandyTX (Apr 13, 2009)

jbh13md said:


> Wasn't Shawshank Redemption a movie first?


According to Wikipedia, the book (novella - Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption) came first... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawshank_redemption

Edit: Looks like that novella can be purchased as a part of the Different Seasons book from King.


----------



## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

I think these are even better than the books:

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

LA CONFIDENTIAL

THE GODFATHER


----------



## sal (Aug 4, 2009)

jbh13md said:


> I had a lot of mixed feelings when I saw A Scanner Darkly. Ultimately, I settled on "It's really cool looking." I don't think they did a great job with PKD's story, but they can't all be Bladerunner, I suppose.


Scanner Darkly is a tough one. If you hadn't read the book first it probably made no damn sense.
But it's not the sort of story that is easily conveyed on screen. I thought the casting was good,
and I liked it, but I can see what you mean. I guess I gave them an "A" for effort....

Sal


----------



## jbh13md (Aug 1, 2010)

sal said:


> Scanner Darkly is a tough one. If you hadn't read the book first it probably made no d*mn sense.
> But it's not the sort of story that is easily conveyed on screen. I thought the casting was good,
> and I liked it, but I can see what you mean. I guess I gave them an "A" for effort....
> 
> Sal


It was a great cast and I agree with your assessment of "A" for effort. Maybe seeing the movie made people want to read the book to fill in the plot. Hopefully, even. Also, Robert Downey Jr. has really upped his nerd cred in recent years and his paranoid performance in A Scanner Darkly was my favorite of a lot of really good performances in the film. To go off on a tangent, I really liked the new Sherlocke Holmes movie (also starring RDJ), but my friend, also an Arthur Conan Doyle fan, thought there was too much flash. I pointed out that a lot of stuff in the movie actually happens in the stories (Sherlocke shooting the mantle piece, Sherlocke being a boxer, various acts of animal cruelty, Sherlocke shooting other stuff, racing around on the Thames in a boat), but he maintains that it was all a little too explosiony for his taste. I also liked the Steampunkishness of it. He did not. Basil Rathbone is the only Sherlocke Holmes for him, but I'd like to see Guy Ritchie make a sequel if he can get the whole cast back.


----------



## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

jbh13md said:


> It was a great cast and I agree with your assessment of "A" for effort. Maybe seeing the movie made people want to read the book to fill in the plot. Hopefully, even. Also, Robert Downey Jr. has really upped his nerd cred in recent years and his paranoid performance in A Scanner Darkly was my favorite of a lot of really good performances in the film. To go off on a tangent, I really liked the new Sherlocke Holmes movie (also starring RDJ), but my friend, also an Arthur Conan Doyle fan, thought there was too much flash. I pointed out that a lot of stuff in the movie actually happens in the stories (Sherlocke shooting the mantle piece, Sherlocke being a boxer, various acts of animal cruelty, Sherlocke shooting other stuff, racing around on the Thames in a boat), but he maintains that it was all a little too explosiony for his taste. I also liked the Steampunkishness of it. He did not. Basil Rathbone is the only Sherlocke Holmes for him, but I'd like to see Guy Ritchie make a sequel if he can get the whole cast back.


I'm a big fan of steampunk and a Sherlockian. I thought it was a fun re-imagining. I really liked it. It's not the Jeremy Brett Holmes (right off the page), but it captured the essence and was a heck of a lot of fun.

Fwiw, the sequel to Sherlock Holmes is in pre-production.


----------



## catherinedurkinrobinson (Sep 3, 2010)

The Shining and To Kill a Mockingbird are my favorites.


----------



## jbh13md (Aug 1, 2010)

Monique said:


> I'm a big fan of steampunk and a Sherlockian. I thought it was a fun re-imagining. I really liked it. It's not the Jeremy Brett Holmes (right off the page), but it captured the essence and was a heck of a lot of fun.
> 
> Fwiw, the sequel to Sherlock Holmes is in pre-production.


Awesome. Did you see Windup Girl by Paolo Bacilagupi, a sort of steampunk novel (there is actually a lot of debate as to whether it is TRUE steampunk, but blah, blah, blah to that), just won the Hugo Award? They should make a steampunk movie better than Wild, Wild West. That's something I'd really like to see.


----------



## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

jbh13md said:


> Awesome. Did you see Windup Girl by Paolo Bacilagupi, a sort of steampunk novel (there is actually a lot of debate as to whether it is TRUE steampunk, but blah, blah, blah to that), just won the Hugo Award? They should make a steampunk movie better than Wild, Wild West. That's something I'd really like to see.


No, I haven't. Cool. I'll have to check that out. Thanks!


----------



## Joel Arnold (May 3, 2010)

My votes would go for *To Kill a Mockingbird*, *Lonesome Dove*, *Shawshank Redeption*, and *Stand By Me* (from King's *The Body* - which was also part of *Different Seasons*).


----------



## WilliamEsmont (May 3, 2010)

I thought The Stand was a pretty faithful adaptation of the book. Another good one was "Contact" with Jodie Foster.


----------



## musclehead (Dec 29, 2010)

This seems like a thread that shouldn't be allowed to die.

Usually I abhor every movie made from a book.  Somehow the process always kills the story.

The Count of Monte Cristo is an exception.  The book is amazing, but it's obviously too long to make the entire thing into a movie.  But the 2002 version with Jim Caviezel captures all excitement and intrigue of the book.  I enjoy both the movie and the book every time I watch or read.


----------



## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

I thought the TV mini-series based on James Michener's CENTENNIAL was done quite well.


----------



## TheRiddler (Nov 11, 2010)

Meh if you're bringing TV shows into it, how about a little shout out for Vampire Diaries? Shows that some things work better as TV shows then movies (yes Twilight, I'm looking at you! Robert Pattinson & Kristen thingy - what were the casters thinking?)

Otherwise I think people have already mentioned my favourties:
Shawshank 
Stand By Me
Bladerunner

Can I add in another PKD one pelase - Total Recall (which I believe was taken from 'We Sell Memories Wholesale') - really enjoyable film.
I also think the LOTR trilogy was done well - made the battle scenes that were sort of skipped over in the books actually understandable.


----------



## Chris Barraclough (Jan 25, 2011)

Definitely agree with Shawshank (the King story is quite faithfully adapted), Stand By Me (one of my fave King adaptations), and LA Confidential (amazing book and film).

I was put off reading A Clockwork Orange by the really unusual dialect, but was so glad I stuck with it as the book is now one of my favourites of all time. Kubrick did an amazing job adapting it, very few could have pulled it off the way he managed.

I'd also add Goodfellas, based on Nick Pileggi's Wiseguy.


----------



## joanhallhovey (Nov 7, 2010)

I can think of two, both Stephen King stories.

Misery

The Body (a novella in the book Different Seasons)  Stand by Me by director Rob Reiner


----------



## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

_Being There_. I've never cared for the book but the movie is brilliant.
Completely agree with _Jurassic Park_ and _Jaws_!
_The Bleak House _ (TV miniseries) - great acting, very atmospheric.
And I really loved both new Sherlock Holmeses - Guy Ritchie's and Steven Moffat's.


----------



## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

One movie from a book that stands out to me is 1973s _The Legend of Hell House_, directed by John Hough and scripted by Richard Matheson. Matheson adapted the script from his own novel (_Hell House_), and did a wonderful job on it.

Roddy McDowell gave a standout performance in this, I thought.

The novel has been enKindled.

Mike


----------



## RhondaRN (Dec 27, 2009)

For me personally, the very best movie made out of a book was Lord of the Rings trilogy movies.  I read the book too and though it was a very good book, I actually think the movie was better.  The book got a little tedious at times.

Also the Winds of War and War and Remembrance were very good movies....though they were made for TV mini-series.  (though the books were excellent and enthralling to me).


----------



## Ben White (Feb 11, 2011)

Lord of the Rings, of course.  (I actually have to say that or they'll kick me out of the country.) (But seriously though, I love the movies and much prefer them to the books.)

Die Hard is another good one, I definitely prefer the movie to the book.  I also enjoyed Fight Club more as a movie.  Oh, and Coraline, I love the book but the movie was just fantastic.


----------



## matt youngmark (Jan 11, 2011)

I'm a big fan of Mother Night, based on the Kurt Vonnegut book. That movie made me go back and re-read the book, and I liked it better the second time! And I loved Fight Club as well.


----------



## Jennybeanses (Jan 27, 2011)

I was happy with the "Lord of the Rings" adaptation, and one of my all-time favorite book to film adaptations was Neil Gaiman's "Stardust."


----------



## bashfulreader (Jan 29, 2011)

I'll throw a couple of new ones out there.  

Beaches... it's been years since I read it, so I can't really remember why, but the book didn't work for me at all.  I only finished it because someone loaned it to me.  However, the movie wasn't bad (but I'm a Bette Midler fan, so that probably helped).  

Somewhere in Time, by Richard Matheson.  It's one of my all-time favorite books, but I also really like the movie.  There were several key things they changed, but I felt like every one of them worked.  They were different, but both were good.  

And I also agree with The Princess Bride.  Love the movie, but was a bit disappointed by the book.  I might have felt differently if I had read it first, but I was already a fan of the movie.  

(And thanks to this thread, I'm going to have to put a copy of the P&P Bluray on my wish-list.  I've actually never seen a movie adaption of it, though I love the book.)


----------



## Mark Feggeler (Feb 7, 2011)

You can't go wrong with *The Maltese Falcon*. John Huston said in an interview something along the lines of almost not needing a screenplay because everything he needed could be taken directly from the book. Amazing book, amazing movie, smart director. Here's hoping someone, someday will be smart enough to treat Hammett's "Red Harvest" as kindly.


----------



## Julie Christensen (Oct 13, 2010)

First place to The Shawshank Redemption.  It's better than the book.
Second place, Thank You For Not Smoking.  Also better.
Third Place, A Room With A View.  

There are no other movies that are better than the book (that I've seen.  Haven't seen The Green Miles.  I'll rent it on Netflix.)


----------



## RhondaRN (Dec 27, 2009)

Another one I thought about:  I watched Fried Green Tomatoes when it came out and absolutely LOVED the movie.  I've watched it a billion times.  After I watched it the first time, I thought I would read the book.  The book, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café by Fannie Flagg was a really good book.  HOWEVER, they took a little creative license with the movie.  At the end of the movie, the movie version leads to a really special assumption at the very end.  In the book, however, that assumption is VERY CLEARLY not made.  I was very disappointed in the ending of the book, because that assumption in the movie absolutely MADE the movie even more special, in my opinion.  So in that regard, I loved the movie better.  I won't let on what that assumption was for anyone who has not read the  book or watched the movie.


----------



## Jamie Case (Feb 15, 2011)

A lot of the good ones have been mentioned, but I'll throw in two of my more recent favorites:

The Devil Wears Prada: Meryl Streep looks nothing like Anna Wintour and none of the other actors match the character descriptions in the book, but it works. I can't see anyone else but Meryl playing that role. 

Up in the Air: This movie should have died on arrival based on its subject matter, but George Clooney played it just right. A few details changed, but somehow it made the film even better.


----------

