If you are anything like me, you have a lot of opinions about book-to-movie adaptations. They have the potential to be one of the best things you’ve ever seen and one of the worst. Don’t directors know that we’ve already formed an image of what each character looks like in our minds? And that we’ve envisioned how certain scenes will go? If only directors would ask us specifically about our favorite characters and our favorite plot lines, then we would never have to worry about a movie adaptation failing us.
As readers, we all know that it is challenging to condense a 300-page book into a 2-hour movie, but we still hope that the movie will stay faithful to the plot. Sometimes movies add something extra to a book, like if an actor gives an exceptional performance. But we’ve all experienced those feelings of disappointment when a plot point or character you think is crucial doesn’t show up in a movie. Luckily, there are some adaptations that are almost flawless.
Here are some of my favorite book-to-movie adaptations:
Pride and Prejudice (1995 BBC version). This one is cheating a bit since it isn’t a movie but rather a miniseries. Because it’s 6 hours long, it contains so many great scenes and dialogue and characters from the book. The 2005 movie starring Keira Knightley is fine but, in my opinion, it doesn’t hold a candle to Jennifer Ehle having an awkward conversation with a sopping wet Colin Firth next to a pond.
Clueless (1995). This movie is loosely based on Jane Austen’s Emma. I think it’s not only one of the been teen movies of all time but one of the best adaptations of Emma.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006). I read this book before I saw the movie and liked it. While there are some discrepancies between the book and the movie, I actually think the movie is better than the book. The actors make the characters come alive and Meryl Streep’s performance is perfect.
Jurassic Park (1993). I remember when this movie adaptation of Michael Crichton’s book came out – it was the definition of a summer blockbuster. Again, there are lots of differences between the book and the movie but seeing the dinosaurs on screen kind of make up for it.
Romeo + Juliet (1996). I love this modernized adaptation of Shakespeare’s play starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. The juxtaposition of the original Shakespearean dialogue and the contemporary setting is excellent.
The Last of the Mohicans (1992). I confess I’ve never read this book but I love the movie so much. I’ve heard that the movie is very different from the original novel but the scenery and the score in this movie are some of the best! Even if you hate the changes from the book, I would watch this movie just for the music.
These are just a few of my favorite book-to-movie adaptations. There are so many great adaptations out there that I couldn’t list them all. Let me know which ones I’ve missed!
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