Any Movie Adaptions Better than their Books?

[Scoreboard Red]

As most know, movies that are made from novels are usually poorer than the original form;

Sleepers.
The Da Vinci Code.
Papillon.
Midnight Express.

What movies ahve you seen that are better than the book they are adapted from?

What about The Godfather? One of the best movies of all time, made with the close work of the book's author, Mario Puzo.

Any more?

 

[Alex]

Shawshank Redemption
Bladerunner- I think it was made off of a book
Silence of the Lambs

 

[Gambit]

Bladerunner- I think it was made off of a book

It was, it was called Do Androids dream of electric sheep? by Philip K Dick.
Add the Lord of the Rings trilogy to the list as well. There was some great stuff in the books but god, they did go on forever and got a bit boring.

 

[Wibble]

Shawshank Redemption Was a short story by Stephen King - a good one actually.
Bladerunner- I think it was made off of a book a short novel which had some even more interesting ideas but wasn't all that as a novel
Silence of the Lambs - The book was far better.

...

 

[Alex]

See thread title, 'book' is mentioned

 

[Wibble]

Hard to think of films that were better than the book.

The Godfather was a poor book. There are probably others we don't think of being adaptations because the book wasn't great.

Almost all film adaptations of John Grisham novels are better than the books on the basis that he is a terrible writer, worse than Dan Brown by an order of magnitude, who only writes glorified film scripts anyway.

 

[Wibble]

See thread title, 'book' is mentioned

Yes. It is.

 

[R.N7]

2001: A Space Odyssey
Die Hard
Children of Men

I haven't read the books but the movies are excellent.

 

[Gambit]

2001: A Space Odyssey

That was written by Clarke with Kubrick concurrently in time with the film.It was released after the movie in book form. If you want to see where the inspiration came from, you need to read various Arthur C Clarke short stories, ecpecially the Sentinel.

 

[Great Hat]

Brokeback Mountain: The film was well executed, moving and cleverly played-out; the book was just fourty pages of two men bumming each other on a hill and then one giggling when his wife didn't find out. Oh, and something about a dog which didn't make sense.

Don't Look Now: The film is really creepy, and one of the best early horror movies, but the short story is just silly and a bit trashy, and has some weird and stupid prelude about transvestites.

 

[CassiusClaymore]

The Godfather is the obvious one.

Fight Club the movie is at least on a par with the book if not better.

I'd agree with Shawshank and add Stand By Me (from the same Stephen King book). They both take good short stories and flesh them out into fantastic films.

 

[Lester Freamon]

As most know, movies that are made from novels are usually poorer than the original form;

Sleepers.
The Da Vinci Code.
Papillon.
Midnight Express.

Any more?

Are you serious about Papillon? I have rarely been as disappointed in a movie based on expectations raised by the book. The movie in itself is good but compared to the book it's nothing imo.

 

[Xander45]

Are you serious about Papillon? I have rarely been as disappointed in a movie based on expectations raised by the book. The movie in itself is good but compared to the book it's nothing imo.

I believe that's what he's saying. Aftwards he asks if there are any that are better than the book.

Interview with The Vampire is a pretty good one. One of my favourite films as well, Kirsten Dunst was a much better actress as a child.

 

[Decotron]

The Godfather is the obvious one.

Fight Club the movie is at least on a par with the book if not better.

I'd agree with Shawshank and add Stand By Me (from the same Stephen King book). They both take good short stories and flesh them out into fantastic films.

Really? Not for me, read it maybe 3 times. Fantastic book.

 

[CassiusClaymore]

For me - good book/great film.

I found the novel rather plodding in places, whereas I was gripped throughtout the duration of the movie.

I did see the film first though, which might have had some bearing on my opinion.

 

[djemba's arse]

Most James Bond movies

 

[Dave89]

Douglas Adams must be spinning in his grave at the 2005 Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

 

[Randall Flagg]

It was, it was called Do Androids dream of electric sheep? by Philip K Dick.
Add the Lord of the Rings trilogy to the list as well. There was some great stuff in the books but god, they did go on forever and got a bit boring.

Blasphemy. The books and films are both right up there for me. But the books edge it

 

[RedSky]

Blasphemy. The books and films are both right up there for me. But the books edge it

Agreed. So much depth in the books!

 

[esmufc07]

I've not yet read No Country for Old Men, but though the film was superb.

Anyone read it and think the book was better?

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I've not yet read No Country for Old Men, but though the film was superb.

Anyone read it and think the book was better?

I'd call it a dead heat but good shout all the same.

For me, it's probably the film that comes closest to exactly recreating the way I imagined the story when I first read the book (which is a really excellent book to begin with).

The Road is due out soon and is supposed to be a similarly accomplished adaptation.

 

[olesmyhero]

Jackie Brown.

 

[Nearco]

I'd agree with Shawshank and add Stand By Me (from the same Stephen King book). They both take good short stories and flesh them out into fantastic films.

Disagree, but I do think the cinematic version of Carrie is better (King agrees) and maybe The Shining as well.

 

[Adzzz]

It was, it was called Do Androids dream of electric sheep? by Philip K Dick.
Add the Lord of the Rings trilogy to the list as well. There was some great stuff in the books but god, they did go on forever and got a bit boring.

You seriously don't think the LOTR film trilogy better than the books?

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Really? Not for me, read it maybe 3 times. Fantastic book.

It's a good book but certainly had to have large swathes edited out to make it into a viable film.

It's been a long time since I've read it, though. Are portions of it incorporated into Part II?

 

[DouLou]

I love the Godfather films but the book is amazing, it adds that extra dimension films lack, the narrative in the characters mind so you really get an idea of how they think and their motives behind their actions. It's close though.

Blade Runner I enjoyed more than Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep but they have a lot of differences in the story.

Chronicles of Narnia films are better than the books but that's not saying much.

 

[DouLou]

It's a good book but certainly had to have large swathes edited out to make it into a viable film.

It's been a long time since I've read it, though. Are portions of it incorporated into Part II?

Yeah, but not part III.

 

[Wibble]

Disagree, but I do think the cinematic version of Carrie is better (King agrees) and maybe The Shining as well.

Carrie was pretty ordinary by his standards so the film was about on a par. The shining was a brilliant novel and a very ordinary film. Jack Nicholson overacting yet again with feck all else worth watching.

 

[Wibble]

I love the Godfather films but the book is amazing, it adds that extra dimension films lack

You have to be joking. The novel was at best a run of the mill Mafia tale written by a very ordinary writer. The first two films were stunningly good.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Yeah, but not part III.

Cheers, then it's difficult to say, really. The book is part of two films, which makes it pretty good.

I could have done without that whole cosmetic coochie surgery chapter, though...erotic as it was for a young impressionable reader.

 

[djemba's arse]

Blasphemy. The books and films are both right up there for me. But the books edge it

Tom Bombadil

It was incredibly brave for the film makers to leave anything out of the Lord of the Rings, but they did the right thing in my book (no pun intended)

 

[Wibble]

The Road is due out soon and is supposed to be a similarly accomplished adaptation.

If they get even close to the quality of the book there will be multiple oscars awarded. The book was superb. The best thing that I have read in years.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

I love the Godfather films but the book is amazing, it adds that extra dimension films lack, the narrative in the characters mind so you really get an idea of how they think and their motives behind their actions. It's close though.

The passage when Michael kills the cop and Sollozzo is definitely better in the book, the film didn't do it justice, really.

 

[Wibble]

Tom Bombadil

It was incredibly brave for the film makers to leave anything out of the Lord of the Rings, but they did the right thing in my book (no pun intended)

The Tom Bombadil bits of the books were the worst thing about the books so leaving them out of the films was a good idea. That said and no matter how good the films were the books were better. Just.

 

[CassiusClaymore]

Jaws

 

[pillory]

For me, it's probably the film that comes closest to exactly recreating the way I imagined the story when I first read the book (which is a really excellent book to begin with).

Word.

 

[Wonder Pigeon]

Fight Club and Psycho.

 

[Adzzz]

Tom Bombadil always came across as God-Like figure, he's pretty important to the Hobbits aswell, he helps them at two or three tricky moments. They left alot more than poor old Tom out of the films though.

 

[Nearco]

Jaws

Good call.

Anyone who loved LA Confidential should really get the book, one of my favourite ever novels.

 

[Nearco]

The shining was a brilliant novel and a very ordinary film. Jack Nicholson overacting yet again with feck all else worth watching.

I haven't read The Shining since I was 16 and did so immediately after finishing Salem's Lot so it probably suffered in comparison. As for the film, it obviously wasn't anywhere near his best but Kubrick never did ordinary films.