Any film adaptations that are better than the books?

[Walkthroughthefire]

I know it's a very rare case but have you ever thought a film as better than the book it was based on. Controversial, I know.

I've always thought Breakfast at Tiffany's was better and more recently, the Hunger Games.

I feel like I had another but I'm drawing a blank just now.

I thought the film Stardust was better than the book. It's not very often that happens, but it helps if I see the film first and then read the book, rather than the other way round otherwise it never lives up to expectations.

Thirty five years ago, I thought the film of The French Lieutenant's Woman was better than the novel.
I'm not sure if I would still think so - I haven't watched the film for a long time.

How I live now

The book is almost very childish and doesn't portray much seriousness

The film does

I agree it is rare. I love the Lord of the rings films and found the books a slog. The only other one I can think of is the English patient.

I wouldn't say it was better, but I thought that the film of Still Alice did at least match the book due to Julianne Moore's amazing performance.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks which was still is one of my favourite films when I was little.

Logan's Run (awful book!)
Mary Poppins (the books are so, so odd!)

Agree with Breakfast at Tiffany's, OP. The novella was crapola.

Oh yes, Bedknobs and Broomsticks is brilliant. Watched it with DS twice over Christmas on Netflix.

The Railway Children - just wonderful. Still makes me teary at the end.

Most Nicholas Sparks.

I think Brokeback Mountain matches the novella for beauty too.

Bladerunner is SO much better than Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep.

Agree Mary Poppins. She's a right nasty piece in the books.

Dr Zhivago.

I loved the Mary Poppins books as a child, comelucky. Agree they are odd and the film is quite different.

Cloud Atlas. The book was so tedious but I loved the film.

Shawshank Redemption. The book ends with Red hoping he can get there, as he says in the film. But it's the scene where he walks towards him in the film that I adore which is missing from the book. It's otherwise a good adaptation save for the identity he sets up for himself and such.

We Need to Talk About Kevin.

Love the film but the book was just annoying

The Godfather - it misses out all the mad stuff in the book about the huge vagina.

Anything written by Philip K Dick makes a better film. His writing is just awful.

Coraline - scarier than the book. It's not a bad book, and I love Neil Gaiman, but it doesn't paint the pictures the film does.

Ooh yes, bladerunner
I might even say Peter Pan too!

The novel of the Godfather is pulpy tosh, and the sex, as pp said is deeply

LOTR as they cut out a lot of the boring stuff.

And The Shawshank Redemption as the story it's based on is quite short.

I think the film version of The Horse Whisperer had a better ending than the book.