Books and Movies
Today's raffle is for a ten dollar gift certificate to Amazon and a ten dollar gift card to Blockbuster.
To enter, just leave me a comment telling me what the best book-to-film adaption you've seen is and the one you were most disappointed in.
Two answers.
Today's raffle is for a ten dollar gift certificate to Amazon and a ten dollar gift card to Blockbuster.
To enter, just leave me a comment telling me what the best book-to-film adaption you've seen is and the one you were most disappointed in.
Two answers.
84 comments:
Best - The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Worst - The Harry Potter books (so far)
Cheryl (aka Cheri)
Best book-to-film adaptation: For Whom The Bell Tolls with Gary Cooper.
One in which I was most disappointed: The Grapes of Wrath because the theme was changed so drastically from Steinbeck's intent.
Okay... it's a toughie but...
Best film adaptation: To Kill a Mocking Bird -
it didn't include everything from the book - it just couldn't - but what it did was nigh on perfect - and Grgory Peck and the little girl who played Scout couldn't be bettered...
Worst film adaptation: Volevo i Pantaloni
The book was a prize-winner whose subject-matter (child abuse) stigmatised the young authoress; the film was so awful it made me think it had been deliberately sabotaged to make people not bother with the book!
The Best: 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice
Great characterizations, stayed true to the book, and wasn't rushed like the 2005 version. (Which I like, but the BBC production is my favorite.)
The Worst: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
I loved the book. Loved it. I also liked how the first two movies really captured the magical feeling of Rowling's world, and I didn't feel that with this one. I'm sure there are worse film adaptations (Love in the Time of Cholera was a HORRID film, and I've heard the book was so much better, but honestly the movie completely put me off the book for the time being) but PoA is the one that was the most personally disappointing to me.
hmm Best: The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Yes they left some parts out, but this is an outstanding work of art that it makes the boring parts of the book way interesting.
Worst: The Cat in the Hat. Crude crude crude. and why is Paris Hilton in it?
Fun question...I tend to see movies before I read the books...not sure why, but usually the movie is what makes me want to read the book (or not).
Best: A Walk to Remember
Disappointment: Rose Hill (a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie based on Julie Garwood's For the Roses...it was NOTHING like the book...only similarities were a few characters and that 4 boys found a baby). I enjoyed the movie on its own, but once I read the book (I saw the movie first), I was disappointed that they didn't follow it more and use the same plot.
Best for me is Forrest Gump; disappointment would have to be the newest Grinch movie
Best: Pride and Prejudice
Worst:... I don't really know... the only thing I can think of off the top of my head is The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. But any movie that Hollywood takes and adds gratuitous sex to that wasn't in the original book is BAD in my book.
Best: The Shawshank Redemption (totally eight ways from brilliant!)
Worst: The new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (why, Johnny? Why?)
Best: Interview with the Vampire (wasn't bad at all!)
Worst: I Am Legend (it was so far off the book, it wasn't even funny!)
Best: Sense and Sensibility (the one with Hugh Grant).
Most disappointing: Frank Peretti's The Visitation. Book's great, but the cut out the best storyline for the movie.
Best: Stardust
Worst: Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
hannah DOT free AT gmail DOT com
I thought that Memoirs of a Geisha was a good book to movie adaptation. I really disliked the first Harry Potter movie (although the movies have gotten better!
Best: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
Worst: The Count of Monte Cristo
TheBookworm
emailthebookworm(at)yahoo(dot)com
Best? Chocolat--I loved the movie more than the book! Worst? Mansfield Park. Why has no one done a good job on this one?
allison DOT campbell AT gmail DOT com
Best film adaptation: The Jane Austen Book Club (because I liked the movie better than the book!)
Worst adaptation: The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising (If I hadn't known it was based on Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising, I wouldn't have recognized it!)
Best: The movie "The King and I" (love Yul Brynner) from the book "Anna and the King" by Margaret Landon.
Worst: The movie "Love Story" (Ali McGraw totally mis-acted the line "love means never having to say you're sorry") from the book "Love Story" by Erich Segal.
nbmars AT yahoo DOT com
There are so many to choose from!
Best: 1995 Pride and Prejudice. Also, the Devil Wears Prada was so much better than the book.
Worst: 2005 Pride and Prejudice. Casting Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennett. A complete travesty. The film isn't bad (aside from being way too short) if you take her out of it. And Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka? I'm sorry. That was a complete travesty too.
Best: The Joy Luck Club - seeing it in movie form made all the character switching make sense. And I cried a lot.
Most Disappointing: The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe. Overhyped.
I have so many favorite and not-so faves, so to narrow it down I will list scary ones (Halloween is coming soon!)
Favorite - Pet Semetary - Stephen King
Worst - I Am Legend (supposedly based on Matheson's story)
Best: Atonement
Worst: (and I am dating myself) Island of the Blue Dolphins
The best one I have seen recently is "The Kite Runner". But, I have a huge feeling that the book is ALWAYS better than the movie. So, I am always a little disappointed in the adaptation for some reason. I can't wait to see how they do Jodi Picoult's "My Sister's Keeper" and am also looking forward to Sue Monk Kidd's "The Secret Life of Bees"!
Staciele(at)netins.net
My favorite question!
Best: I Loved The Notebook!
Worst: I was so disappointed in Memoirs of A Geshia but I don't think any adaption could have lived up to the book
Best- Gone With the Wind
Worst- Battlestar Galactica!
Best - The Virgin Suicides
Most Disappointing - Queen of the Damned
untuneric at gmail dot com
Hmmm, hard to choose:
Best: Pride and Prejudice (BBC version)
Worst: Scarlet Letter
erodda(at)yahoo(dot)com
Best: To Kill a Mockingbird
Worst: Cold Mountain (because while I loathed the book, I actually liked the movie...although maybe that should qualify it for best adaptation?)
I LOVE Books into Movies (I even have a Yahoo group named that). Right off the bat I can tell you the worst one is Relic based on the book by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I have a hard time answering the best one though so the best one I've read recently is The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith. I love all of the movies based on this book!
Best- To Kill A Mockingbird
Worst- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Best: Cold Mountain
Worst: Practical Magic
Best: The Kite Runner, a very faithful adaption.
Worst:Ethan Fromme-they changed the ending.
Thanks for entering me.
The best book-to-film adaptation was the BBC version of Pride & Prejudice with Colin Firth
The worst book-to-film adaptation was The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
My favorite was Memoirs of a Geisha, I loved how easily I could follow along.
The worst I think was the 3rd Harry Potter Book. I know there is a lot they left out!
Best: Cold Mountain
Worst: the most recent Grinch.
Best: The Green Mile
Worst: The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Best: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Worst: Demi Moore's The Scarlet Letter
My favorite book to movie adaption is The Color Purple. My least fav is War of the Worlds (all of the movies).
Best: The Lord of The Rings trilogy
Worst: The Golden Compass. The book was so much better.
Best: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (based on The Odyssey) -- I thought the way it was reimagined in more modern times was genius.
Worst: The Bonfire of the Vanities
I think the best adaptation I've ever seen/read was Shawshank Redemption. Sadly, Sleeping With the Enemy was the worst book and movie I've read/watched. And I think that the most recent adaptation I was disappointed in was The Golden Compass. They really dumbed it down from the book.
Like Stacey said, I am also always disappointed in a movie. I should really learn. LOL. I think I should read the book first because I won't read it once I have seen the movie. But sometimes the movie and book are sooo different it doesn't even matter-they are two separate stories as in Ella Enchanted. But if I have to choose:
Favorite: Lord of the Rings Tril.
Worst: The Tenth Circle (I felt like they took too much out of the story line. Picoult books are so complicated, I am sure its hard to get it into a 2 hour movie, but that one was ruined for me, or rather would have been had I not had the extra info from having read the book.) I love her books by the way!
Best - The Two Towers (LOTR part 2) and the Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy version of Pride and Prejudice
Worst - ah, there are so many bad ones. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Johnny Depp, why???) and The Cat in the Hat (couldn't finish it, scared the crap out of my then 4 year old, what I saw was awful).
tracisharpton@msn.com
The best book to film adaptation has been: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
the worst: The Cat in the Hat with Mike Myers, he creeped me out a bit
http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/
Best: There are lots but The Hours comes to mind.
Worst: I'm finding it hard to think of any at the moment, although I have to agree with Flora that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was overhyped.
Best: (surprisingly) "Holes", but that's probably because the author also wrote the screenplay; and "Pride and Prejudice," BBC version.
Worst: "The Time Machine" with Guy Pierce and Jeremy Irons. Good movie, but lots of liberties with the book.
Oooh, this is hard...
Best: Sense & Sensibility (w/ Emma Thompson & Kate Winslet)
Worst: Harry Potter #5--I really can't believe they did that.
I think the best movie adaptation is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The worst would be the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp.
Hm,
Best: Matilda (Ronald Dahl)
Worst: Willy Wonka & the Cocolate Factory (Burton was more faithful to the book than the original)
I'd also like to take the moment to say that I fear what they will to do The Time Traveler's Wife movie..
This one is easy. Gone with the Wind is hands down the best adaptation for me. The worst was The House of Mirth with Gillian Anderson.
Best: The Devil Wears Prada
Worst: The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Best: the 1995 version of Little Princess
Worst: Ella Enchanted (good movie, BAD adaptation)
Aerinblogs AT aol DOT com
Best: Lord of the Rings
Worst: (okay, so this is a short story - but that's *part* of a book) Stephen King's The Mist (say, I don't remember that dreadful ending from when I read the story...)
Best book-to-film adaptation in my opinion: Anne of Green Gables
Worst: The Grinch (the live one). I couldn't bear it, though I made myself sit through the first half hour. Ug!
Cheryl Rainfield
Worst: Jurassic Park (they stripped everything interesting out of the movie)
Best: The Bourne Identity (the TV movie, NOT the Hollywood version that came out a few years ago)
Best: The Green Mile
Worst: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (with Johnny Depp)
Best: The Kite Runner
Worst: da Vinci Code
Best: BBC Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth
Worst: Blood and Chocolate by Klause
Best book to film: Chocolat
Most disappointing book to film: Angela's Ashes
So far I think the best I've seen is the Masterpiece Theatre version of Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen). The worst? I was pretty disappointed in Eragon (Christopher Paolini). Thanks for the giveaway!
Lindsey
ladyufshalott at yahoo.com
Best: BBC Pride and Prejudice
Worst: Jane Eyre (with Timothy Dalton) as Mr. Rochester. I could not stop seeing James Bond.
The worst adaption was "The Accidental Tourist".
The best adaption "The Longest Day", outstanding book and a great movie.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Darby
darbyscloset (at) yahoo (dot) com
I think my favorite adaptation is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
By far the worst for me was The Bourne Identity. Did the script writers even read the book?
I remember way back when being completely and utterly disgusted with the translation to film of 'Flowers in the Attic'. Horrid, simply horrid.
As for the best, nothing is as good as the book but I did love 'Memoirs of a Geisha' very much. I actually just watched it again a couple of days ago so it's fresh in my mind and once again, I was riveted from start to finish.
doot65{at}comcast[dot]net
Elizabeth
The best: The Princess Bride
The worst: Ella Enchanted
My Favorite: What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Most Disappointing: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
My favorite: The Notebook
The worst: Da Vinci Code
--Anna (Diary of an Eccentric)
diaryofaneccentric[at]hotmail[dot]com
For me:
Best: The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Worst:The new version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (I'm with you all on this one, yuk)
Best: The English Patient, or the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice
Most disappointing: The Golden Compass
I think my favorite would be the old Pride and Prejudice or Memoirs of a Geisha.
The worst in my opinion was PS I Love you. I like the way the movie was done if it wasn't based on a book but it was completely changed from the book. It made me almost hate the movie because of it. awalworth19(at)gmail(dot)com. I also agree with the new Charlie and the chocolate factory
WORST: Stephen King's The Tommyknockers
The book was excellent, but the movie blew hard. It was typical for most King books vs the movie, but yet so much worse. So much of the relevant storyline was completely left out of the movie, and it was just awful.
BEST: The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
These actually didn't go hand in hand wherein the details are concerned. There were several points that changed from book to movie, but both were excellent on their own.
RebekahC
littleminx@cox.net
Hmmm, it's hard to answer as usually I've either seen the movie OR read the book.
Best: Heidi by Johanna Spyrii, the movie is very close to the book as far as I can tell.
Worst: Cheaper by the Dozen. The movie was funny but NOTHING like the book.
callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca
Best: To Kill a Mockingbird
Worst: Cat in the Hat
Best: Atonement
Worst: The Da Vinci Code
Best: The Notebook
Worst: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Best-The Notebook
Worst-Message in a Bottle
Best- The Notebook and Charles Dickens Scrooge.
Worst- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the new Grinch.
Best: Forrest Gump
Worst: The Amityville Horror
I think that the books are always better than the movies! lol
The best would be Gone With the Wind.
The worst would be Jurassic Park.
mittens0831 AT aol Dot com
Best would be Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Worst would be I Capture the Castle.
nnjmom at yahoo dot com
My favorite was Last Of The Mohicans, and the one that just didn't work for me was, No Country For Old Men.
caity_mack(at)yahoo(dot)com
Best: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (i just think it follows the book really well and the kids LOOK like the characters)
Worst: I haven't read it, but apparently, Eragon wasn't the same as the book in a lot of ways (according to my friend) and the movie version of Pay it Forward is really different, according to the author Catherine Ryan Hyde.
As for my thoughts as to the worst....I don't know...Crucible maybe? It was just really different.
-Lauren
lauren51990 at aol dot com
Best: Interview With The Vampire
Worst: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
brightmyer249(at)hotmail(dot)com
I really enjoyed The Ultimate Gift although the movie wasn't exactly like the book, I loved them both. I didn't care for The Notebook~ I don't remember the constant kissing in the book.
Best: BBC Pride and Prejudice
Worst: Stuart Little
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