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Thread: Movie As Good As Book?

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    Default Movie As Good As Book?

    This was inspired by another thread going on in here right now.

    We all know that most "movies based on books" are not as good as the books.

    A few, however, come to mind for me:

    The Shining (book by Stephen King)
    A Time To Kill (book by John Grisham)
    The Hunt For Red October (book by Tom Clancy)

    Can anyone else name movies that were just as good, or better, than the book? Feel free to refute my choices above as well.

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    God/dess Jenny's Avatar
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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Well, I am looking forward to seeing "Children of Men" (P.D. James); although I'm already nervous because of the (to me) rather bizarre choices they made with the plot; the book was very plot based - you really didn't need to add shit to flesh it out the way you do when a story is mainly internal, so, assuming it isn't whim, I'm left with this "So why did you choose to do that instead of this?"

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    God/dess MrChristopher's Avatar
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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    I read "Silence Of The Lambs" before the movie came out, and I thought the film was very well done. Generally I get mad about movie adaptations though.
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    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Big Fish was a terrible book - boring, unimaginative, and just dull. Tim Burton turned it into one of the greatest movies of all time. It ties with Zhang Yimou's To Live for my #1 all time favorite film... but yeah, the book was bloody awful.

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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jenny View Post
    Well, I am looking forward to seeing "Children of Men" (P.D. James); although I'm already nervous because of the (to me) rather bizarre choices they made with the plot; the book was very plot based - you really didn't need to add shit to flesh it out the way you do when a story is mainly internal, so, assuming it isn't whim, I'm left with this "So why did you choose to do that instead of this?"
    I didn't know that this was becoming a movie. I was on a cross country train trip (don't ask) and read this on the train...just consumed it. Thanks for the info.

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    God/dess Jenny's Avatar
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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Quote Originally Posted by DylanAngel View Post
    I didn't know that this was becoming a movie. I was on a cross country train trip (don't ask) and read this on the train...just consumed it. Thanks for the info.
    Well, we'll have to both see it and then message endlessly about whether the choice of the urban decay setting is superior to the sinister nature in the book.

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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    i think you like whatever you read or saw first. If you saw the movie first you like the movie more. if you read the book first you like the book more.

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    Featured Member Katherine's Avatar
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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Godfather

    Granted, the second godfather movie had a couple bits that were in the book.

    I think the movie was great if you didn't read the book, and I think the book was great even if you didn't see the movie! (I personally saw the movie first, and liked that I had character faces and stuff in my head. Then when I was reading bits in the book that was left out of the movie, I watched them in my head as if they were 'deleted scenes' from the movie).

    I personally think the books are better than the movies in this series, but the first two movies follwed pretty close to the book and were amazing to watch... Harry Potter. My (currently) 13 yr old cousin had seen the first three movies without having read the books. She said she didn't care about the books. I 'forced' her to read the books. After reading both the first and second, she 'gave up' and only wanted to see the movies. When the third movie came out and was further removed from the books, I got her to read that one too. And of course as there are more books out than movies in that series, she has since gone ahead and read all the books released so far. She now is a 'book believer...'

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    Featured Member Katherine's Avatar
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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Also, it's not a 'book' per se, it's a play. But I had to read 'closer' for my acting class a few years before the movie came out. I thought it was great to read and ok to see. Was impressed with movie, but still like reading it better...

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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jenny View Post
    Well, we'll have to both see it and then message endlessly about whether the choice of the urban decay setting is superior to the sinister nature in the book.
    Ok, viewed the site and I see what you mean.

    I'm actually a little worried about seeing this now. I really enjoyed this book and would hate to see this plot destroyed by making it into an Independence Day type of script.

    I would have liked it to play out as it is in the book, in an Anthem by Ayn Rand sort of way, or even Logan's Run (book, not movie) if that makes sense.

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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Quote Originally Posted by space_Cadet_28 View Post
    i think you like whatever you read or saw first. If you saw the movie first you like the movie more. if you read the book first you like the book more.

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    Don't agree on that one. Saw the Harry Potter movies first then read the books, now I like the books better.

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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    "IT" (Stephen King)
    It wasn't quite as good as the book, but it was a made-for-TV movie, so we have to remember that. They couldn't include a lot of things. They made a stellar choice casting Tim Curry as Pennywise though. No one could've done that role better.

    "The Stand" (Also Stephen King)
    Yay for Gary Sinise (mmmmm). Loved the book, Loved the movie..

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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Quote Originally Posted by DylanAngel View Post
    Ok, viewed the site and I see what you mean.

    I'm actually a little worried about seeing this now. I really enjoyed this book and would hate to see this plot destroyed by making it into an Independence Day type of script.

    I would have liked it to play out as it is in the book, in an Anthem by Ayn Rand sort of way, or even Logan's Run (book, not movie) if that makes sense.
    Yeah, remember the deer in the church? The sinister encroaching of nature? It seems so weird to discard that, as it is SO central to the concept and the story.

    As well - evidently in the movie it is the WOMEN who are infertile, not the men. Weird choice? Especially as the main conflict in the book was about which man got to lay claim to the child, and hence the power of having (or be perceived as having) the only reproductive sperm on the planet.
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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jenny View Post
    Yeah, remember the deer in the church? The sinister encroaching of nature? It seems so weird to discard that, as it is SO central to the concept and the story.

    As well - evidently in the movie it is the WOMEN who are infertile, not the men. Weird choice? Especially as the main conflict in the book was about which man got to lay claim to the child, and hence the power of having (or be perceived as having) the only reproductive sperm on the planet.
    I have no idea how they're going to change this script to accomodate the whole Theo, Luke, Rolf, Xan thing.

    Sigh, leave it to moviemakers to ruin a great book. Ah, screw it. I'm going to go dress my cats up as babies and have them baptized.

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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Do short stories count? Because Brokeback Mountain. I love that movie, like basically all Ang Lee movies.

    Also, I didn't care too much for The English Patient when I read it, but I really like the movie (evidently, I like the sappy stuff).

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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Quote Originally Posted by mollyzmoon View Post
    Do short stories count? Because Brokeback Mountain. I love that movie, like basically all Ang Lee movies.

    Also, I didn't care too much for The English Patient when I read it, but I really like the movie (evidently, I like the sappy stuff).
    Ooh, good one. The Ice Storm. Ang Lee v. Rick Moody. Let's put them in a ring and then make them fight to the death! Liked them both, but again, I think when you have the combo you are left with the inevitable "Well, THAT was an interesting choice."
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    madmaxine
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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    I was satisfied with the movie version of William Styron's "Sophie's Choice" because there was no way to capture more than a slice of the book in a movie. Meryl Streep's performance carried the film...even native Polish speakers commended her accent.

    & Besides, there needs to be a way to share the content of good books with book-haters...

    (I'm eager to see the movie version of Alice Sebold's "The Lovely Bones.")

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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Quote Originally Posted by madmaxine View Post
    & Besides, there needs to be a way to share the content of good books with book-haters...
    This is a very important comment and not just because of the actual content. I have seen many a non-reader purchase a book and read it because they've seen the movie.

    I think it's important to read not just to develop your vocabulary, but to be able to form your own opinions about things. You can do that with books. Movies are just someone's interpretation.

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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Quote Originally Posted by mollyzmoon View Post
    Do short stories count? Because Brokeback Mountain. I love that movie, like basically all Ang Lee movies.

    Also, I didn't care too much for The English Patient when I read it, but I really like the movie (evidently, I like the sappy stuff).
    Of course short stories count and that was a great example. If not for short stories like Stephen King's "The Body", we would not have had "Stand By Me", which is a definitive coming of age movie.

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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Gone with the Wind and A Clockwork Orange are both great books that got made into great movies.

    I wouldn't say better than the books...but different and equally good.

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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    The Green Mile. Also by Steven King. I thought the book was great, but when I saw the movie I was still moved. M. C. Duncan really nailed the character. I'm sure there are other's but off the top of my head this is by far one of my favorites'.
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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    Quote Originally Posted by Rhiannon View Post
    "The Stand" (Also Stephen King)
    Yay for Gary Sinise (mmmmm). Loved the book, Loved the movie..
    Yeah... I also loved him in American Gothic tv series. Shame it got cancelled as I was drooling over him in it. Anyway, agree about that movie.

    LoTR (Lord of the Rings) trilogy was IMO great movie.. I'm speaking Special Edition with all those little added extras as sometimes getting thru Tolkien and his three page long discriptions of places was a bit of a bore... not to mention I didn't mind Tom B. character not being included as I didn't really feel it added or took away from the story... was a bit ticked the ending wasn't like the book however that's okay... dramatic license and all.


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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    "The Beach" was a decent book (bizzare ending, though)... I caught the last 1/3 of the movie, and it appeared decent, although it def. didn't follow the book to a t.

    On the subject... I *was* disapointed when I finally watched "Fight Club"...

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    Default Re: Movie As Good As Book?

    I just wanted to say...I like to think I keep fairly current with my reading, but I have NEVER heard of "Children Of Men" before I saw the commercial for the movie the other day. I will be picking up the book with one of my Xmas B&N giftcards tomorrow. Thanks, ladies.
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    Bone Collector was rather spot on, despite the main character being VERY different looking from book to movie. Most book to movie deals piss me the frig off *cough*Hannibal*cough*
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