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Films of Books

40 replies

Bucketsofdynomite · 14/01/2007 19:41

What films of books have you liked/actively disliked?
Are there any you can't believe they bothered to make into a film? (This weekend I was astonished to see there was a film of The Shipping News, hated that book!)
I just read they've finished filming Notes on a Scandal with Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench. Quite excited about that.

OP posts:
DimpledThighs · 14/01/2007 19:49

am intrigued about how they have made perfume into a film - I can't remember the book but remember it was very sensual and can't think how it would translate to a film.

I tried to read the harry potter books to ds before seeing the films but christmas scheduling put paid to that.

Generally if there is a book and a film I would read the book first as the film kind of taints the book.

I am the other way round, loads of books I have read (Charlotte Gray, Memoirs of a Geisha) have been real let downs as films.

I liked the Shipping News, but the film was incoherant.

Forrest Gump is the only one that I think was better as a film.

DimpledThighs · 14/01/2007 19:50

ooh - didn't know about notes on a scandal would be as a film but would work well. Often I read a book and think it would make a good film e.g. time travellers wife

caffeinequeen · 14/01/2007 19:51

Girl with a pearl earring as a movie was good but missed out so much of the book IMO. Also hard to see Mr Arsey Darcy as the master. Can't see Colin Firth as anything else!

bakedpotato · 14/01/2007 20:03

If you love the book, there's no way a film will do it justice. So much has to get dropped along the way. Honorable exceptions that spring to mind: I Capture the Castle which, though it took a few liberties, was entirely in the spirit of the book. And Persuasion, the one with Amanda Root (what happened to her?). Not better than the novel but wonderfully faithful to it.
Tried to read Master and Commander after loving the film, but gave up after a chapter.

Sobernow · 14/01/2007 20:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Bucketsofdynomite · 14/01/2007 20:20

I thought the LOTR film was more exciting than the book and only 3hrs long, yay! Can't stand Tolkien, can just about stomach the films with the sound turned down so I don't have to hear the writing.

A Clockwork Orange is near perfect but for the ending that redeems the character (a little) in the book is cut.

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foxinsocks · 14/01/2007 20:22

oh no have recorded Shipping News in the hope that it was watchable

Talented Mr Ripley film I liked (though liked the book more)

wheresthehamster · 14/01/2007 20:31

Add Catch-22 to the list of worst films.

wheresthehamster · 14/01/2007 20:33

Forgot to add that I liked the film of Bridget Jones's Diary as much as I liked the book.

The follow up film was crap though.

DimpledThighs · 14/01/2007 20:46

I thought both the book and the film of bridget jones were crap!

foxinsocks I liked the shipping news so don't lose heart you might like it too.

Marina · 14/01/2007 20:50

I agree that Persuasion and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil were really true to the original books.
Actually, even though not a hardcore Tolkien fan, I think Peter Jackson's films of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy were pretty good too.
The one I quail for right now is The Secret History, rights bought by one Gwyneth Paltrow, but stalled in development hell because she wants her little brother to direct it...

DimpledThighs · 14/01/2007 20:54

oh no I loved the secret history and now itis going to be all spoilt and rubbishy.

poo.

nikkie · 14/01/2007 21:01

Worst films- can't believe noone has mentioned 'The Beach'

janeite · 14/01/2007 21:05

The films of TLOTR annoyed me, though I love the books. Some aspects were great - the scenery, the lovely Aragorn and gorgeous Gimli and Legolas - all very well cast; but I thought they were overlong and focused too much on bloomin' Arwen (can't stand Liv Tyler for some reason) - I hated the final one, as they missed out the return to the Shire and had all that boring Havens stuff instead.

I loved the Kiera Knightley "Pride and Prejudice" having fully expected to hate it. Sooooo steamy - fab - except for Mr Bennet's teeth. Also, the Emma Thompson "Sense And Sensibility" - she's far too old and Hugh Grant's a pain in it, but Kate Winslet, Greg Wise and Alan Rickman are great.

I won't watch Stephen King films. Happy to read horror but a wuss when it comes to watching it. Ditto the Tarantinos - have read the screen plays and enjoyed them but wouldn't dream of watching them.

Other books that I think worked well as films -

  • the 4th Harry Potter - I like the film even better than the book, as it's been cut to make film but I get the idea nobody dare try to edit the books now.
  • The Lemony Snicket film
DimpledThighs · 14/01/2007 21:32

the beach - oh that was SO bad.

Me and ds are reading harry potter at the moment and I love it because he keeps saying 'oh they don't really explain that inteh film' don't like the goblet of fire as they omit all the dobby stuff. Think the film of order of the phoneix MUSt be better than the book.

choosyfloosy · 14/01/2007 21:38

the one that killed me was 'fever pitch' - the book was great, why did nick hornby ruin his own book by doing the screenplay as the world's drippiest and least exciting romcom? also i'm afraid if his opinion of women was expressed by his creation of the main female character, no wonder he got divorced (I know it was more complicated that that, btw)

tv can do wonderful things for middlebrow fiction. 'jewel in the crown' was a lot better than the raj quartet, and 'inspector morse' made a real silk purse out of the horrific sow's ear that is colin dexter's plodding whodunnits

Pruni · 14/01/2007 21:50

Message withdrawn

Pruni · 14/01/2007 21:51

Message withdrawn

expatinscotland · 14/01/2007 21:53

The Shawshank Redemption.

I have a feeling/hope that the film 'The Last King of Scotland' is better than the book. Which I found crap.

calmontheoutside · 14/01/2007 21:58

I LOVED the Tolkien trilogy three times over during the years AND I also loved the films. And I SOOOO loved Aragorn. Gandolf was superb, as were all the fellowship characters. I need to watch it again...
I also loved all the Austen books into films.
Have never watched Memoirs of a Geisha, but so much enjoyed the book and have only heard negative comparisons.
About A Boy I enjoyed as much as the book. And any one with John Cusack surely is as good as the book.
There is a MrsJohnCusack on the MN already. That's very upsetting.

Pruni · 14/01/2007 21:59

Message withdrawn

choosyfloosy · 14/01/2007 22:03

snap pruni. [cusack addicts anonymous meeting starts now, and that very much includes his sister joan]

calmontheoutside · 14/01/2007 22:03

Yes, High Fidelity, that's it. I've really enjoyed most Hornby books. Is How To Be Good being turned into a film?

suedonim · 14/01/2007 22:04

I don't really watch all that many films of books but don't you think nowadays film makers have run out of ideas so they're plundering any and every book they can?

calmontheoutside · 14/01/2007 22:04

I love him more than Aragorn.