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.

[FourEyesGood]

The Silence of the Lambs: shit book (with far too much technical detail about guns), amazing film.

[LittleLionHeart]

The Martian. The film cut out all of the repetitive unnecessary detail and just left the science, and I found Matt Damon a more likeable Mark than in the book. The pacing was better too. They skipped the dull bits like the endless days in the van.

[IfItsGoodEnough4ShirleyBassey]

Ooh, that's fighting talk foureyes. Thomas Harris went wildly off the rails in the later Hannibal Lectern novels but SOTL is beautifully written, edge-of-the-seat gripping (I finished it at 5am on a school night, admittedly preDC) and makes some really solid feminist points.

[IfItsGoodEnough4ShirleyBassey]

Ooh, that's fighting talk foureyes. Thomas Harris went wildly off the rails in the later Hannibal Lecter novels but SOTL is beautifully written, edge-of-the-seat gripping (I finished it at 5am on a school night, admittedly preDC) and makes some really solid feminist points.

[mamapants]

Quite a few of you are a but crazy.
Am disagreeing with Lotr, Philip k dick and Neil gaiman statements.

Agree though that it always depends on which.order you experienced them, I don't think I've e er preferred a film if I read the book first but occasionally if I see the film first then I can prefer it. I think its to do with how you picture the characters and stories become fixed on first viewing/reading and deviating from that seems wrong.

[GloopyGhoul]

Stand by Me. I adore Stephen King, and the film adaptations of his novels are notoriously shite (with a few exceptions), but Stand by Me was SO good.

[TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge]

I'm shocked anyone would say Silence of the Lambs! The Book was brilliant, really took you in thinking about how Hannibal works - his mind is rather seductive

[Toffeelatteplease]

I think all the hannibal books are fantastic. The silence of the lambs movie was good but the rest were rubbish and awful compared to the books.

Totally agree that any version of Peter Pan is better than the book

Wizard of Oz

[JamieFraserssporranwarmer]

Dracula and Frankenstein - both books turgid...

[Moln]

Jaws - without a shadow of a doubt.

Also echo Shawshank Redemtion and Mary Poppins.

[TheHiphopopotamus]

Speaking of Stephen King, how about The Shining? The film is so much better than the novel.

[nameschangerer]

The Notebook. miles better than the book. Haven't read any of his other novels as don't imagine they're any good

[WiIdfire]

The only ones I've found are:

Jurassic Park. It's all about the special effects anyway isn't it?

City of Ember. The film actually had MORE storyline and detail than the book. The sequels aren't any better.

[rookiemere]

Ah The Shining is an interesting one. I watched the film for the first time about a year ago and then read the book shortly after. I thought they were both good but in different ways, I didn't like the way in the film the mother was reduced to purely a screaming victim, when she was much more than that in the book, but the role was definitely one that Jack Nicholson was born to play

[IfItsGoodEnough4ShirleyBassey]

Oh I like Dracula, it's a rollicking rollercoaster of a novel. Frankenstein OTOH is a turgid chore of a novel with a deeply irritating title character.

[misshornblowerwouldbuyit]

Never Let Me Go - although i know everyone will disagree with me!

I saw the film first though, so i think it does depend on what you see first.

[Muskey]

The devil wears prada and the monuments men

[TheMshipIsBack]

Not a film but a tv mini series, the Richard Armitage adaptation of Gaskell's North and South.

[SerenityReynolds]

Agree with LOTR - they cut out a lot of the boring waffle in the books, which I have always struggled to get through. Weirdly, The Hobbit films went the other way!

[SerenityReynolds]

Also The Green Mile. The book is good, but the film reduces me to tears every time.

[SerenityReynolds]

Oops, posted too soon! I meant The Green Mile film is much more emotive for me.

[Clawdy]

I thought the book The Shining was a more poignant and subtle story than the film,where Jack N is basically a possessed psychopath. In the book he struggles desperately against the possession and there's a heartbreaking moment where he fights it successfully for a few seconds and urges the little boy to run from him.

[Moln]

In my opinion misshornblowerwouldbuyit the film would have to be better, thought the book dire.

[Walkthroughthefire]

Yes! That's what it was- The Wizard of Oz! The books are awful.

I do like the both the book and film version of The Shining and Stand by me and The Green Mile are excellent but all other King adaptations are pretty terrible.

It seems to me that the actor has a lot to do with it? If it's well cast then that seems to help?

[Missyaggravation]

I didn't get on with notes on a scandal in book form, enjoyed the film though.