Films of Books

[Bucketsofdynomite]

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.

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Joan Cusack - Working Girl. 'Live and learn - always check the milligrams'

Grosse Pointe Blank.

Nine Months [barf - worst film ever made but doesn't change my opinion of her]

that Kevin Kline thing about the guy outed by a former student on Oscar Night

must be loads of others, surely?

Really dreadful CV actually. But who cares? She's AMAZING. Wish she would do Beatrice in a filmed Much Ado. In Forties gear. Can't think who could do Benedick opposite her.

Yes, but back to John. Grosse Pointe Blank is a favourite. Sorry to harp on and leave the thread a little. I watch far too many films (hundreds) but also have read hundreds of books (feel better about me please). Yes, John then.

(joan also marvellous in generally marvellous School of Rock)

Yes she was. By the way have they appeared in other films together?

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its great
is the devil wears prada any good
am readign it atm

a handmaid's tale was poosibly the worst film of a book I have ever seen (ok its old but only saw it recently).

Was also hugely disapointed by Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

Really like the LEmony Snickett film and the later HPs have been good.

I liked the LOTR films as never managed to get through the books as they were so boring.

the devil wears prada any good

DWP really good film, not as extreme as book but more believable and contains The Meryl.

Trying to imagine car crash effect of having Joan cusack and Meryl Streep in same film. No.

ooh yes High Fidelity was excellent (Joan's in that too and she's the baddie in a Muppet Xmas film.) I became hooked on Jack Black from High Fidelity.

cod, IMO, you would love devil wears prada, keen as you are on teh style threads. The clothes are fabulous and the girl who plays the senior assistant is BRILLIANT.

Oh, and Blade Runner - wonderful rendition of Philip K Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Agree about middlebrow fiction being transformed choosy - IMO The Balkan and Levant Trilogies were much better on the box than being read, ditto Brideshead Revisited.
Also agree that the Morse books are dreadully badly written - and that The Handmaid's Tale was a real turkey from a book that could have been dramatised really effectively. Look at what Alfonso Cuaron has done for Children of Men...

I find that if I enjoyed the book, the film can never match up to it. If I see the film first, the book is often a disappointment. And if the book was crap, the film can still be good.

I had to take DS to see Eragon recently. DD and I enjoyed it, but DS was terribly upset that it didn't follow the book.