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Original poster

Name a film that's better than the book

221 replies

pamplemoussemousse · 08/08/2023 20:01

Off the back of a discussion with DH where we can't think of any, is there a film adaptation (or tv adaptation) that's better than the original book?

I can think of some that are on par (Wolf of Wall Street, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, for example) but none where the screenplay was better!

I'm happy to read/watch any suggestions!

OP posts:
Egghead68 · 08/08/2023 21:39

Two TV series better than the book imo:
Wolf Hall
Slow Horses

LaMarschallin · 08/08/2023 21:41

Casino Royale

DelurkingAJ · 08/08/2023 21:43

Guys and Dolls (I like the Damon Runyon short stories but the musical is fab)
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (again, decent short story but a better film to my mind)

DaisyWaldron · 08/08/2023 21:43

Blade Runner.

The Sound of Music.

The Princess Bride

MariaVT65 · 08/08/2023 21:44

Sense and Sensibility!

And Matilda

LaMarschallin · 08/08/2023 21:45

I've never seen "The Princess Bride" but I recently struggled through the book.
Perhaps I should see the film.

Sunset6 · 08/08/2023 21:47

100% agree

Sunset6 · 08/08/2023 21:49

Whoops - didn’t do that right. The one I 100% agreed with was Trainspotting

Whinge · 08/08/2023 21:49

LaMarschallin · 08/08/2023 21:45

I've never seen "The Princess Bride" but I recently struggled through the book.
Perhaps I should see the film.

You won't be disappointed, it's brilliant.

EvenlyDetermined · 08/08/2023 21:49

JayeNC · 08/08/2023 20:07

Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society

Yes, I thought the book was pretty dire and to my amazement really enjoyed the film.

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pamplemoussemousse · 08/08/2023 21:49

Unicorn2022 · 08/08/2023 21:17

I can't think of any that haven't been mentioned. The shittest film of a book ever was My Sister's Keeper.

I see you and I raise you Pay it Forward. The WORST film adaptation of a book I've ever seen!

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thecatsthecats · 08/08/2023 21:50

Stardust.

How they turned that incoherent pile of crap into one of the best ensemble films of the century I'll never know.

The big denouement of the book version isn't filled with the peril of battling witches or else the heart of the star will be cut out.

It's one witch shambling up to the star and trying to persuade her that all men are bastards, and shuffling off when she fails.

The film version is almost unrecognisably better than the book.

LOTR does a different job brilliantly - creating a 99% perfect film version of the book. 1% is Justice for Faramir.

EvenlyDetermined · 08/08/2023 21:50

Diddykong · 08/08/2023 21:37

Had you read the book beforehand though? Because I watched it with dh who hadn't and he had no idea what was going on.

Show quote history

|I couldn’t bring myself to go and watch the film as I though the book was so dreadful, but I bet the scenery was amazing.

RightOnTheEdge · 08/08/2023 21:51

Another one who came here to say LOTR.
I loved the books but I think the films are even better.
All the good bits without all the lengthy poems and songs.

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pamplemoussemousse · 08/08/2023 21:51

WiggelyWooWorm · 08/08/2023 21:25

Absolutely 100% Jaws.

The book is really bloody awful. Too many bad sex scenes. Not enough shark.

This should have been on the movie poster! 🤣🤣

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BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 08/08/2023 21:51

Life of Pi. Book is an 8, movie is a 10.

Tv show Little Fires Everywhere was better than the book.

Viviennemary · 08/08/2023 21:53

Harry Potter. Because of the settings and great cast.

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pamplemoussemousse · 08/08/2023 21:53

RightOnTheEdge · 08/08/2023 21:51

Another one who came here to say LOTR.
I loved the books but I think the films are even better.
All the good bits without all the lengthy poems and songs.

But that's part of the charm!

I think I'm biased with LOTR as I read the books as a child and invented the whole world in my head as I read it, I felt the movies fell short as they didn't live up to my imagination 😬

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Original poster
pamplemoussemousse · 08/08/2023 21:55

I've watched GoT from start to end more than once and while I hated the last season I couldn't read the books more than once. I felt like I needed a degree to keep up!

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caerdydd12 · 08/08/2023 21:55

LaMarschallin · 08/08/2023 21:45

I've never seen "The Princess Bride" but I recently struggled through the book.
Perhaps I should see the film.

It's 80s goodness, but I'm not sure if watching it for the first time as an adult would give the same reward as growing up with it.

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pamplemoussemousse · 08/08/2023 21:57

LaMarschallin · 08/08/2023 21:45

I've never seen "The Princess Bride" but I recently struggled through the book.
Perhaps I should see the film.

The film was brilliant for my 80s self, I still love it now!

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pamplemoussemousse · 08/08/2023 22:00

Blaggingit123 · 08/08/2023 21:20

LOTR my first thought, but I have a feeling many purists will have the same feeling about that as I do about the Harry Potter comment up thread 😂

I really liked the Time Travellers Wife film as much as I love the book.

On worst adaptations, One Day all the way, though it’s one of my favourite books the film is unwatchable.

I loved One Day, I had to check the film was the same story as the book because it was so awful 😬

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Loverofoxbowlakes · 08/08/2023 22:03

NeedToKnow101 · 08/08/2023 21:04

Maybe Misery, but I've not read the book so I couldn't say.

The book is waaaay better than the film. Read it when I was about 14 then saw the film about 4 years later, hugely disappointed.

HeathenPlayingHouse · 08/08/2023 22:03

Definitely has to be Stardust!

I love Neil Gaiman but the film is worlds apart from the book. Captain Shakespeare's cancan, the reunion of Dunstan and Una, its wonderful!

LaMarschallin · 08/08/2023 22:04

I'm going to have to watch the Princess Bride film, I can see.
I've had it recommended as a good film but nobody had read the book. I picked it up in a discount book shop, but Oh! was it hard work. Gave it to a charity shop when I'd finished which I hardly ever do as I nearly always re-read books.

I'm not sure if watching it for the first time as an adult would give the same reward as growing up with it.

You may well be right. Don't know how I missed it the first time round. My daughters are adults now so might not benefit so much either.
However, I have a baby granddaughter, so she might get lucky Smile