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Movies that don't live up to the book

232 replies

Magicalmrmistofeles · 06/06/2015 21:31

Everyone thinks I'm weird, I don't do movies. The books are so much better...

I'm trying to watch Gone Girl now but god it's shit, the book wasn't great and now I'm bored.

OP posts:
ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 06/06/2015 23:12

Catch 22
book - just fantastic
film - wtaf?Confused

RiverTam · 06/06/2015 23:20

Oh, I quite like Catch 22! Bonkers in a different way to the book.

I would love it if someone could make the Harry Potters into tv shows, for the later books 6 hour long episodes would be great.

Alisvolatpropiis · 06/06/2015 23:21

Agree with The Golden Compass. Zero redeeming features except the fact it did eventually come to an end.

I can't really think of a film which lived up to the book it was adapted from. Maybe War Horse?

One Day was enjoyable as film though really quite different from the book. Wildly irritated they made Dexter's Welsh father fucking Scottish in the film I need to move on.

BillyBigchin · 06/06/2015 23:24

See I love the books and films of both World War Z and Children of Men - generally I don't think books translate well to film because there's just too much in them. I like the way WWZ and COM take the overall theme of the book and made it their own iyswim?

I'd like to watch We Have to Talk About Kevin as I found the book mind numbingly tedious in style and didn't get past the first 50 pages.

pootlebug · 06/06/2015 23:25

All of them except for The English Patient

BillyBigchin · 06/06/2015 23:25

Didn't like I Am Legend though - it didn't make any sense!

comedancing · 07/06/2015 00:01

Agree no film lives up to book mainly because in book you can hear what's.going on in their head and feel like screaming at the screen when none of that comes across. I just read Wild and now planning to see film but prepared for big disappointment .

BiscuitsForBreakfast · 07/06/2015 07:19

The Time Traveller's Wife. I was so looking forward to it and it was just meh.

RoseTheHat · 07/06/2015 07:31

The first Twilight film was a great adaptation of the book I thought. I think I helps when the source material is a great story but not so much great writing (see also GoT, which I adore on screen but the books are deathly)
I agree I was bitterly disappointed with The Golden Compass. I hope some else tries to do it, or attempt the next book, as I would love to see it on screen.

RoseTheHat · 07/06/2015 07:31

it helps

BikeRunSki · 07/06/2015 07:33

See, I hated that High Fidelity moved from London to LA or NYC or wherever it went, and couldn't ever really get over it.

Y Y to films of We Need to Talk About Kevin and Time Traveller's wife being awful adaptations of excellent books.

fairyfuckwings · 07/06/2015 07:34

I think Stephen King books are the exception (for me anyway). The Shining and Misery were both a lot better. There were extra things in the books, but I find his books really slow and hard to get into.

MadHettie · 07/06/2015 07:35

Not a film, but the current TV series of Jonathan strange and Mr Norrell is atrocious. The book is excellent.

fairyfuckwings · 07/06/2015 07:35

I liked "Trainspotting " as a film as well - probably because the soundtrack was so good.

SummerHouse · 07/06/2015 07:38

The beach - amazing book, crap film

Exception - the Shawshank redemption. It was a short story by Stephen king. Best film of all time.

YonicScrewdriver · 07/06/2015 07:41

Yy Rose. Plot driven books adapt better than character driven.

YoureAllABunchOfBastards · 07/06/2015 07:41

I always argue that the only film that is better than the book is Jaws.

Mind, I haven't read (or seen) Dr Zhivago, so might try that.

Feelingworriednow · 07/06/2015 07:44

The Duchess.
Actually the film was great but left out MASSIVELY parts of the book that had fundamental effects on her life and relationships! Her gambling for example and the ending so very unsatisfactory, we were just left hanging!

RoseTheHat · 07/06/2015 07:45

Ooh yes I love the film Trainspotting. Brilliant cast and sound track.

I love Stephen King and The Shining is one of my favourite books. The film is also great but not really the same story.

I refused to watch The Beach when it came out as I knew Leonardo de Caprio would be disappointing. stop ruining my favourite books Leonardo

littleostrich · 07/06/2015 07:47

I thought The Devil Wears Prada film was better than the book - Meryl Streep makes her character much more awful to work for than the author did. I found the book a bit 'blah' but the film was quite entertaining.

LindtSeventyPercent · 07/06/2015 07:49

War Horse. The book was amazing, the play was fantastic but I barely made it through the film it was so awful.

Tanaqui · 07/06/2015 08:05

Jaws is a better film than book, and apocalypse now was an interesting take on heart of darkness.

World was z was a good book and an okay film, but definitely bore less resemblance to the book than any other adaptation I have ever seen! I was v disappointed.

Agree that books with good plots but not necessarily the best writing make better films (which is why detective stories make good tv I guess- morse and bones both better than their source books IMO).

Tweezertastic · 07/06/2015 08:10

Too I totally agree about starter for ten. Absolutely love the book but where is all the humour in the film?

YesThisIsMe · 07/06/2015 08:23

Godfather the book is just tripe, but the film is of course a triumph, far far better. The general rule is that crap books often work better as films.

To lower the tone a bit, the DC and I were hugely disappointed by the Percy Jackson films. I wanted to see them get as far as book 5, which would be great on film, but they made a total hash of it.

Loving Strange and Norrell though - so much better than the hugely disappointing Gormenghast.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 07/06/2015 08:26

Thank goodness, another Godfather fan! My favourite films ever (parts 1 and 2 - 3 not up to the same standard, sadly). I read the book after I'd seen the films half a dozen times - what a letdown!