Movies based on books, what do you think?

[GraceJ]

Movies based on books, what do you think? which is your favorite(s)?
I basically love movies based on Jane Austen books, from Pride and Prejudice to Emma.
I know that there are movies that are better than the books, or at least sometimes I liked the movie much more than the book, for example "The scarlet letter", to my mind the movie was a better version than the book. But there are also books that are much better than the movies, and I could cite many examples, and I'm sure you too, so if you have any to share, please do so, since I am very interested in this topic
Lately I’ve watched two movies based on books, the first that I LOVED, it was “Young woman and the sea”, I’ve watched it several times, and I just love everything included the music, that was wrote by Amelia Warner, in this case I can't say which is better, the movie or the book, I loved both.
The second movie I watched was one called "Wallbanger" based on the book by Alice Clayton, and although the book was more or less ok, and little bit funny, the movie was a complete mess, since the movie started, the only question I had in mind is how is the apartment built?, cause I never understood how she could hear her neighbor who lives across the hall, from her bedroom that faces the street , anyway about half an hour later it was as exciting as watching paint dry so I better stopped watching it.

 

[Cherylndesigns]

I've usually read the book first and the movie is disappointing. One exception was Gone With The Wind. It was exactly like the book.

 

[AK_Tracy]

I've usually read the book first and the movie is disappointing. One exception was Gone With The Wind. It was exactly like the book.

Okay, I disagree. Gone with the wind was a better book but the movie was good. The movie left out a main part of Scarlett's life, her two children. She had a child with each husband. And the Frankly my Dear line was only in the movie! LOL When I read Grace's post I was thinking GWTW for a better book but good movie.

Over all I love the books and usually the movies are a let down. I did love Anne of Green Gables even though they did things out of order. I can not think of a single movie (at the moment) that I loved more then the book.

 

[AK_Tracy]

And the second Gone with the Wind, the sequel that was written YEARS later by a different author was NOT as good and neither was the made for tv version of the book. While the author did a great job, there's no way to follow GWTW.

 

[Cherylndesigns]

Okay, I disagree. Gone with the wind was a better book but the movie was good. The movie left out a main part of Scarlett's life, her two children. She had a child with each husband. And the Frankly my Dear line was only in the movie! LOL When I read Grace's post I was thinking GWTW for a better book but good movie.

Over all I love the books and usually the movies are a let down. I did love Anne of Green Gables even though they did things out of order. I can not think of a single movie (at the moment) that I loved more then the book.

I can't either, Tracy. I've been trying to think of one and I haven't come up with one yet.

 

[faerywings]

I loved all of the Happy Potter Books and was pleasantly surprised that the movies stayed pretty close to them.

 

[tanteva]

The Twilight Saga is an excellent example of how a movie can be million times better than the book. That saying more about the author than the quality of the movie thought. LOL

 

[BoatLady]

Where the Crawdads Sing....great book and movie..I loved the. Message in a Bottle...loved the book but the movie made me cry, I guess it was seeing it. Water for the Elephants was a good book but the movie creeped me out I guess it was some of the graphic scenes.

 

[JeanneMN]

I can't think of a movie I liked better than the books, I loved Where the Crawdads Sing, but still haven't read the book. And I can tell you I HATE the movie version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Maybe that's the reason I have a daylily named Boris Karlof in my garden?? Duh, I thought it was the horror movies that prompted me, it was the Grinch. I didn't like Polar Express either because they completely changed that book for the movie. The boy did believe in Santa in the book. My problem is I read the book, envision the characters a certain way, they make the movie, and I go REALLY that's not the way they look.

 

[GraceJ]

The Twilight Saga is an excellent example of how a movie can be million times better than the book. That saying more about the author than the quality of the movie thought. LOL

I totally agree with you, I liked more the movies than the book, another example for me is The Scarlet Letter, I read the book when I was in collage, and I disliked so much, and when it cames the movie some friends asked me to go with them to the theater, I went expecting to see another type of "story" but I was pleasantly surprised that they modified certain parts, especially the ending, although I would have preferred it if they modified it more radically

 

[GraceJ]

@JeanneMN I didn't like the version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas either, I think Jim Carrey overacts in all his movies, in fact I don't like majority of his movies for that reason, I think the only movie from him that I like is The mask and a movie he made in the beginning where he played an alien. I didn't like Polar Express either, the book as you mentioned it was a completely different story.

 

[GraceJ]

(...) there's no way to follow GWTW.

I totally agree with you.

 

[GraceJ]

I've usually read the book first and the movie is disappointing. One exception was Gone With The Wind (...)

I too enjoyed reading the book and watching the movie, I love both

 

[GraceJ]

Where the Crawdads Sing....great book and movie..I loved the. Message in a Bottle...loved the book but the movie made me cry, I guess it was seeing it. Water for the Elephants was a good book but the movie creeped me out I guess it was some of the graphic scenes.

I cried with Message in a bottle too, and Water for elephants was so rough (the movie), that I stopped to watch it, I guess it was for the graphic scenes, I felt that it was so cruel. I haven't watch Crawdads sing, and not reading the book, thank you so much for the heads up, I added it to my lists (reading and watching)

 

[Cherylndesigns]

I cried with Message in a bottle too, and Water for elephants was so rough (the movie), that I stopped to watch it, I guess it was for the graphic scenes, I felt that it was so cruel. I haven't watch Crawdads sing, and not reading the book, thank you so much for the heads up, I added it to my lists (reading and watching)

I read Where The Crawdads Sing, but haven't seen the movie. One of my graet disappoitnments was Gone Girl. The book was a best seller, but the movie wasn't - in my opinion.

 

[GraceJ]

I read Where The Crawdads Sing, but haven't seen the movie. One of my graet disappoitnments was Gone Girl. The book was a best seller, but the movie wasn't - in my opinion.

Now I'm more interested in read and watch The Crawdads sing.
I haven't read or watch Gone girl, added it to my lists thank you so much for the heads up my dear sweet friend

 

[Cherylndesigns]

Now I'm more interested in read and watch The Crawdads sing.
I haven't read or watch Gone girl, added it to my lists thank you so much for the heads up my dear sweet friend

Well, I hate to put a damper on it, but Chuck and I both loved the book, but the movie was so-so.

 

[GraceJ]

Well, I hate to put a damper on it, but Chuck and I both loved the book, but the movie was so-so.

Ok, so I will read just the book , thank you so much for saving me the movie time

 

[Cherylndesigns]

OMGOSH - I just remembered the biggest bust on reading the book first - Clan of The Cave Bear by Jean Auel. My whole family was reading "Clan of the Cave Bear" at the same time. Every time we got together that's all we talked about - Ayla and Jondalar. We almost named our first dog Ayla.

That movie STUNK - Darrel Hannah was Ayla. SO horrible.

 

[tanteva]

Message In A Bottle is the only book I have thrown in the trash after reading it, and I vowed never touch anything Nicholas Sparks again. That includes any movie based on his books. He's banned in this house!

 

[*sylvia*]

Personally, I don't think movies can be as good as books. When you read, you develop your own idea about the characters and then in the movie the actors don't fit in or scenes are cut or don't appear in the movie. My example of this is Papillon. The book is exciting and captivating. The movie and the remake don't even come close to it.

 

[Jam-on-toast]

Message In A Bottle is the only book I have thrown in the trash after reading it, and I vowed never touch anything Nicholas Sparks again. That includes any movie based on his books. He's banned in this house!

Same here! Loved every page of the book until the last paragraph - NEVER reading anything by Mr Sparks again.

 

[Jam-on-toast]

I generally choose books over movies... however, I prefer action movies to action/thriller books, so I'd rather watch Jason Bourne series than read - and yes, I read the books first and then watched the movies.

 

[faerywings]

Personally, I don't think movies can be as good as books. When you read, you develop your own idea about the characters and then in the movie the actors don't fit in or scenes are cut or don't appear in the movie. My example of this is Papillon. The book is exciting and captivating. The movie and the remake don't even come close to it.

I generally choose books over movies... however, I prefer action movies to action/thriller books, so I'd rather watch Jason Bourne series than read - and yes, I read the books first and then watched the movies.

I agree with this too. 99% of the time, I prefer the book over the movie. The one big exception was The Lord of the Rings. I saw the movies first and then tried to read the books. I had to give that up because my mind was trying to connect the text to the movie and it wasn't happening at all. I was fighting within my brain too much to enjoy the book.

 

[Jam-on-toast]

I agree with this too. 99% of the time, I prefer the book over the movie. The one big exception was The Lord of the Rings. I saw the movies first and then tried to read the books. I had to give that up because my mind was trying to connect the text to the movie and it wasn't happening at all. I was fighting within my brain too much to enjoy the book.

I know what you mean... I read Lord of the Rings and didn't really like it - too much world building for me and the endless poems were a distraction... the movies were way better.

 

[faerywings]

I know what you mean... I read Lord of the Rings and didn't really like it - too much world building for me and the endless poems were a distraction... the movies were way better.

Exactly! I got bogged down in the allll of the detail when I could already imagine some of the info that I had seen

 

[scribler]

The Twilight Saga is an excellent example of how a movie can be million times better than the book. That saying more about the author than the quality of the movie thought. LOL

I have to completely disagree. The first movie only worked if you had read the book first. Otherwise, to much info was missing.

My vote for movie over book would be The Outsiders. But that could be because I had seen the movie so many times by the time I read the book that it would have been impossible for me to like the book more

 

[tanteva]

I have to completely disagree. The first movie only worked if you had read the book first. Otherwise, to much info was missing.

I prefer the movies, cuz you don't have to listen to all of Bella's super annoying brain all the times. LOL

 

[GraceJ]

Personally, I don't think movies can be as good as books. When you read, you develop your own idea about the characters and then in the movie the actors don't fit in or scenes are cut or don't appear in the movie. My example of this is Papillon. The book is exciting and captivating. The movie and the remake don't even come close to it.

I totally agree with you, and it's true that a movie can be as good as a good book, that's why I think that if a movie is better than the book, then the book wasn't that good.
Papillon is an extraordinary book, I enjoyed reading it, and it was addictive, I disliked the movie (1973) and the remake too. It's the same as with Little women, the book is better than any movie, although the version that I accept the most is the one made with Winona Ryder, even so, I don't think it will ever surpass the book.

 

[GraceJ]

I have to completely disagree. The first movie only worked if you had read the book first. Otherwise, to much info was missing.

My vote for movie over book would be The Outsiders. But that could be because I had seen the movie so many times by the time I read the book that it would have been impossible for me to like the book more

I watched first the Twilight saga movies, and then I tried to read the book and I became lost, that's why I prefer the movies over the book.
I haven't read and not watched The Outsiders, adding it to my reading and watching list, thank you so much for the info.