Discussing 'When a book becomes a film ' in the Movie Lovers group

Discussions: When a book becomes a film

When a book becomes a film

Started by Stephen W, Sunday, July 20 2008. Last post Tuesday, July 22 2008.

I was looking at a copy of the Orchid Thief and remembering the film with a little pang of regret that such a good book could turn out to be such a disappointing film, although I liked the portrayal by Cage of the neurotic author and his worldly wise brother.
I was very disappointed in Streep as the journalist, let us hope she adopts a singing career soon after her willed successes in Mama mia.
Adaptation is a case where the project becomes bigger than the outcome, the pitch takes over and the creative resource becomes mired in its own invention.

Richard J - Sunday, July 20 2008

The only Book that became a movie, where the movie was far better than the book (That I've seen) was "Jaws" - The book was a tawdry little soap opera, where the Matt Hooper character was good looking and was sleeping with Chief Brody's wife. The shark was almost secondary. Bleech...

Joanne N - Monday, July 21 2008

agreed!
generally i like the movies a lot better if i haven't read the book first... then i have nothing to compare it to, and enjoy the movie for it's own merits. however, i will not read a book after watching the movie... i will do it the other way around, even though i know that it will be a disappointment. some people like to put off watching a recently released film, so they can read the book first... i go ahead and watch the movie... as i have too many books that i want to read, so if they make a movie and save me the job of reading the book, then it's a blessing!!

i'm trying to think of a movie that was better than the book... it's hard, perhaps "The Green Mile" ~ i would say the movie is not "better" but definitely did the book justice :)

Mark W - Monday, July 21 2008

Only once has a movie been better than the book, and that was "The Shawshank Redemption" based on Stephen King's short story "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption." I felt the movie gave the characters more depth and likability. It also brought to life a new character - the prison itself - which feels alive in the movie. Otherwise, the book always wins.

kris t - Tuesday, July 22 2008

I completely agree with you about The Shawshank Redemption. It's one of those movies, if I happen to find it on TV, I have to stop what I'm doing and watch it.

Meghan G - Tuesday, July 22 2008

In the sappy-movie category, I'll say that The Notebook made a much better movie than book, if only because the book was kind of...plain to begin with. Usually it's the other way around, but I have a theory on this. Normally when you read a book, it's like a sumptuous feast--like the best Thanksgiving Norman Rockwell ever created. Then to make the movie, they might take the same elements--the turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes--but they can never really re-create everything that made the feast great to begin with.

The Notebook was no feast--it was more like plain pasta. So it was easy to add some vegetables and oregano and Parmasan cheese to it to make a great movie.*

Does that make sense? Have I lost anybody?

*Edited to add the tomato sauce. How could I have a pasta analogy and not add the tomato sauce?

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Discussions: When a book becomes a film