# Any movies as good as or even better than the book? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 30, 2003, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195 "2003-03-30T08:27:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![skaterboarder87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@skaterboarder87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skaterboarder87)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/21 "2003-03-30T18:24:16Z")
**2001: A Space Odyssey** Even though the book is great up to the ending… ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/22 "2003-03-30T18:43:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > **I may be alone in this, but I preferred the film _The Heiress_ to Henry James’ _Washington Square_.** No, you are not alone. I like the novella, but the film is one of my favorites. It’s a matter of personal taste, but other films I prefer to the books: The Merchant-Ivory film _Maurice_. In E.M. Forster’s novel, Clive just sort of turns straight for no reason; in the film, he goes into the closet and gets married after one of his friends is arrested for picking up men in a bar and, a la Oscar Wilde, sent to prison. This seems much more plausible to me. _The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie_. Six of the schoolgirls in the novel are made into four girls in the film by combining some of their characteristics–pretty Jenny is consolidated with the girl “who is known for sex,” and Mary MacGregor becomes the girl who runs off to Spain. I think this gives them a little more depth and focuses the story on a smaller group. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/23 "2003-03-30T19:04:51Z")
_The Razor’s Edge_. The Bill Murray film cut out the narrator character altogether, thus removing all the most smug and useless bits of the book. And yes, I liked the film. ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/24 "2003-03-30T19:10:30Z")
[hijack] **jr8** - I just turned sigs back on and have seen yours for the first time in this thread. That is my most favourite joke in the whole world! I laugh EVERY time. I love Eric and Ernie. God bless you for having that sig.[/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/25 "2003-03-30T19:35:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Francesca \* > \*\*[hijack] **jr8** - I just turned sigs back on and have seen yours for the first time in this thread. That is my most favourite joke in the whole world! I laugh EVERY time. I love Eric and Ernie. God bless you for having that sig.[/hijack] \*\* Glad to be the bearer of happy thoughts. It makes me laugh every time too. ---
**Author:** ![Bjork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9de0a6/32.png) [@Bjork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bjork)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/26 "2003-03-30T20:23:44Z")
God thats scary, I was just coming on to say Fight Club! Well, I third the people who said it before me, the book is very simplisticly written compared to how brilliant the movie is. Um, also to be a complete teenager, Looking for Alabrandi, the movie is better, likewise with riding in cars with boys (although neither the book or the movie are overly good) Oh and Harry Potter the movie is so much better than the book! ---
**Author:** ![Bjork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9de0a6/32.png) [@Bjork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bjork)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/27 "2003-03-30T20:24:58Z")
Sorry, I was kidding with Harry Potter What do you think I’m crazy, the movie was terrible I considered leavign it there just to see what would happen, but I changed my mind its just too mean ---
**Author:** ![the\_Lady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@the\_Lady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_Lady)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/28 "2003-03-30T21:00:24Z")
another vote for \*\* The English Patient \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/29 "2003-03-30T22:27:02Z")
String me up, but I say the Lord of the Rings movies are better than the books. ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/30 "2003-03-30T23:26:47Z")
The movie “Goodfellas” was as good as the book “Wiseguys.” It streamlined the cast of characters, but was otherwise faithful. ---
**Author:** ![j\_kat\_251](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71c47a/32.png) [@j\_kat\_251](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_kat_251)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/31 "2003-03-31T02:00:37Z")
Hey, what is it with Morgan Freeman and being a character in a movie of a Stephen King book that’s different to the character in the actual book? Does he have dirt on King or something? “Hey, let me play the title role of Cujo or I’ll release a certain news statement, Kingy boy, bwa ha hahahaha”. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/32 "2003-03-31T02:14:07Z")
I’ll second Fight Club. It just hit a lot harder than the book did. It’s a shame that we’ll never get to see “Survivor” on the big screen because there’s a plane hijacking in it. Even though no one is killed in the hijacking, and it’s not done as a terrorist act. Studios dropped this one like a hot potato after 9/11. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/33 "2003-03-31T03:30:03Z")
**The 3 Musketeers** and **The Four Musketeers** … the early 70’s version with Michael York, Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Christopher Lee, Faye Dunaway and Charleton Heston (to drop a few names) was as good as the book. And that’s saying something. ---
**Author:** ![stringy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@stringy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stringy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/34 "2003-03-31T04:57:11Z")
I’ll add my voice to the crowd for _Fight Club_ - my housemate is a huge fan of the book and believes it’s better than the movie, but I can’t agree. **GMRyujin** , you’re not the only one who thinks _The Lord of the Rings_ movies are better than the books. I’ve read the books, but it was a struggle to get through them. I could watch the movies over and over again. And normally, I hate book-to-movie translations. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/35 "2003-03-31T05:03:06Z")
Oh, thank god **stringy** , every time I express that opinion, the geeks are all ready to have me executed for blasphemy. They get genuinely mad at me, especially when I don’t cave. But, to me, half of the durn series was “Poor old Frodo” and proper Elvish table settings and lots of filler. And yes, you can call it world-building, but I call it bloody annoying. And I’ve read the books too. The movie makes the story what it SHOULD be, as far as I’m concerned. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/36 "2003-03-31T05:09:06Z")
**Blade Runner** was a definite improvement over Dick’s _Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?_, and (it almost goes without saying) **Apocalypse Now** held its own against _Heart of Darkness_. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/37 "2003-03-31T06:00:32Z")
Day of the Jackal. The book was terrific and the movie was just as good. Not as many twists, but hey, the movie was only 2 hrs. 2001: I think the book was written AFTER the movie (or in conjuction with it), so Iwouldn’t say it counted. LOTR: The movies so far have been fantastic. The books are tough to get thru unless you really enjoy them-- then it’s well worth the experience. ---
**Author:** ![skaterboarder87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@skaterboarder87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skaterboarder87)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/38 "2003-03-31T06:08:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by John Mace \* > \*\* > 2001: I think the book was written AFTER the movie (or in conjuction with it), so Iwouldn’t say it counted. > \*\* It was written in conjuction, but the OP never specififed a specific order, thus any movie/book combo is fair game IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Daikona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Daikona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daikona)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/39 "2003-03-31T06:23:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff \* > \*\ ***Blade Runner** was a definite improvement over Dick’s _Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?_ \*\* The movie was flat, the characters had no dimension, and most of what made it anything beyind “look, he’s chasing androids. oh boy” was missing. The only way I can see it being an improvement is if you needed the reflective surface of the DVD as a mirror. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195/40 "2003-03-31T07:47:32Z")
I can’t swear to this since I can’t find the book but apparently “Dr. Stangelove” was a big improvemnet over “Red Alert” (like, they made it a comedy). > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElwoodCuse \* > \*\*I’ll second Fight Club. It just hit a lot harder than the book did. > > It’s a shame that we’ll never get to see “Survivor” on the big screen because there’s a plane hijacking in it. Even though no one is killed in the hijacking, and it’s not done as a terrorist act. Studios dropped this one like a hot potato after 9/11. \*\* ☹ Oh, that is just so supid. I hear they’re talking about “Choke” though… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-movies-as-good-as-or-even-better-than-the-book/165195.md?page=3)