book+adaptations
Based on Books
The new movie Twilight is filling the theaters with frenzied fans, amassing $70.6 million in its opening weekend. The book series by Stephenie Mayer is a huge phenomenon among the pre-teen/teenage/young adult crowd. It has vampires, adventures, love, sorrow… everything for a Blockbuster hit. It stars Robert Pattinson, who incidentally was also in a couple of the Harry Potter films—another based-on-book sensation whose success is unprecedented. The newest installment of that series hits theaters July 17, although it was supposed to premier this November. The world is bitter about that, Warner Brothers. Very, very bitter. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (book 6 of 7, in case you lost track) has a new trailer out that looks intense, artistic, witty, and much more.
With all the book/movie merriment, you can’t help but think of the best book adaptations ever made. Here’s an extensive list, put into the genres Blockbuster has given them. Feel free to comment with any movies not on the list!
Children’s Movies: There are tons, but some of the recent best are…
Bridge to Terabithia—Katherine Paterson. Don’t watch it; you will cry, but Ana-Sophia Robb is a great little actress.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory—Because the only thing better than a chocolate factory is Johnny Depp. Or, in the Willy Wonka version, Gene Wilder.
Sci-Fi or Fantasy:
2001: A Space Odyssey—Arthur C. Clarke
Children of Men—P.D. James. A more recent film, the cinematography is nearly flawless and the story is crazy good.
The Chronicles of Narnia—C.S. Lewis
Harry Potter—J.K. Rowling
Jurassic Park—Michael Crichton
Lord of the Rings—J.R.R. Tolkien
Minority Report—Philip K. Dick
Planet of the Apes—Based on the French book Monkey Planet by Pierre Boulle
Stardust—Neil Gaimon. A gay Robert DeNiro lightning pirate? We’ll take it.
Twilight—Stephenie Mayer
Comedy:
Bridget Jones’ Diary—Helen Fielding
The Princess Bride—William Goldman
Dr. Strangelove—Red Alert by Peter George. It’s apparently one of the funniest films ever—EVER—but the book had almost no comedy at all.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants—Ann Brashares
Romance:
Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice—Jane Austen
Message in a Bottle, Nights in Rodanthe, The Notebook, A Walk To Remember —Nicholas Sparks.
Action:
The Bourne Trilogy—Robert Ludlum
Casino Royale—Ian Fleming. The book that started it all.
Die Hard—Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorpe. It’s prequel, The Detective, was made in 1968 with the forceful John McClane character played by Frank Sinatra. No lie.
Jaws—Peter Benchley
Rambo—First Blood by David Morrell. Rambo actually died in the book and was somehow resurrected in the book’s sequel. ???
Scarface—Armitage Trail. Based on the misdeeds of Al Capone, he allegedly liked the movie so much he screened it in his home.
Inspirational:
A Beautiful Mind—Sylvia Nasar. The inspiring and haunting true story of John Nash. Russell Crowe is fantastic
To Kill a Mockingbird—Harper Lee
Of Mice and Men—John Steinbeck
Suspense:
No Country for Old Men—Cormac McCarthy
Psycho—Robert Bloch. Alfred Hitchcock wasn’t the genius who decided to kill off the main character early in the plot, but he did back it with some creepy violins
The Shining—Steven King
Silence of the Lambs—Thomas Harris
Drama: (an eclectic genre, evidently)
The Color Purple—Alice Walker
Field of Dreams—Shoeless Joe by W.P.Kinsella. If you build it, he will come.
Forrest Gump—Winston Groom. Impossible to dislike.
Friday Night Lights—H.G. Bissinger
The Godfather—Mario Puzo
The Last of the Mohicans—James Fenimore Cooper
Wuthering Heights—Emily Bronte
Schindler’s List—Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally
The Shawshank Redemption—Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
For more book adaptations, look here.
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