I really have to disagree with A Simple Plan. Loved the book, hated the movie. Maybe because I read the book (actually listened to an audiobook) first and then saw the movie.
I would agree with the Lord of the Rings, I actually liked The Two Towers movie more than the book.
I’d also have to throw in almost anything done by Alfred Hitchcock since most of his movies were based on books.
Some other good film adaptations:
The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers, the first Musketeers novel split into two films.
Fight Club
A Clockwork Orange
The Name of the Rose
Catch-22
Shrek, a great movie from 32 pages of kid’s book without wrecking the original. Mind you they could have used some of the dialogue from the book :
“Oh ghastly you
With lips of blue
Your ruddy eyes
With carmine sties
enchant me.”
I’ve said it elsethread, but throw me in with Lord of the Rings, and let me say that I find the movies to be much better and more interesting than the books. The books could use some Goldman-in-the-Princess-Bride editing. (“Here Tolkien rambles for 30 pages about elven silverware”)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
The Book and Movie are pretty much the same. It kind of frightens me that someone could even comprehend Hunter S Thompsons life. Much less put it in a movie. BUt the movie did a good job
I agree with many of the choices listed thus far. I’d like to add David Lean’s adaption of E.M. Forster’s fine book, A Passage to India. The film version is just as moving as the novel – Lean made a key incident’s effect on an important relationship clear and direct. It seemed like he dialed down his visual overkill (which I tend to appreciate) for the movie.
The Maltese Falcon
I really liked Jane Campion’s film of Portrait of a Lady.
The novel is great, but her movie is also fascinating–for totally different reasons.
The characters are just that much more intriguing, the atmosphere really claustrophobic…and we don’t get Henry James’s densely wrought prose to help us dissect what is going on.
And who can resist John Malkovitch as the supremely snotty social-climbing ex-pat, and Nicole Kidman as the Emersonian heroine?
in one of my favourite lines, her cousin (handsome Ralph Touchett) screams out about the Malkovitch character: “He is a sterile dilettante!”…yup, I’ve used that line a few times.
Viggo Mortensen is in there too, looking very young and clean-cut and un-Aragorn-like…
Some Henry James purists HATED this film, but I thought it was great, gutsy and moving…
plus, there is a death scene there that gets me every time…
The Exorcist
Of Mice and Men recreated the book on screen to perfection IMHO, with amazing performances by John Malkovich and Gary Sinise.
I’ll agree with The Princess Bride and Clockwork Orange, the latter being no easy task yet pulled off by Kubric in so many ingenious ways from the sets to the performances to Wendy Carlos’ score, as to really capture the spirit and feel of the book.
And if plays count, I would also add Death of a Salesman (Hoffman, Malkovich version) though it was filmed more like a play than a movie. Still, best Willy. Loman. Ever.
There were two really good film translations of Vonnegut: SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE (1972) and MOTHER NIGHT (1996). The former was remarkable for how it filmed a nearly unfilmable story, and the second for how close it remained to the book.
The novel ABOUT A BOY was an excellent film adaptation. It completely changed the last third of the book, but it was necessary as to have left it the same would have required setting it in the early 1990s as it’s centered around the death of Kurt Cobain.
Hornsby’s book HIGH FIDELITY was also well adapted to screen even though they changed the nationality of the characters and setting.
Vonnegut’s BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS is probably the worst adaptation I’ve ever seen. I’m dreading Drew Barrymore’s adaptation of CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES, hoping that I’ll be pleasantly surprised.
I saw the movie first so may be affected by that, and it was many years ago, but for Cold War conspiracy and suspense, I’ll nominate The Manchurian Candidate.
Ah … your got to High Fidelity before I could.
I’m surprised to see no mention of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Hmmm … Minority Report wouldn’t qualify, being that it’s based on a Dick short story, not a novel.
another interesting thread - my favorites have already been mentioned - so a few comments
-How about Masterpiece Theatre mini-series versions of novels? I thought their adaptation of The Jewel in the Crown was wonderful. And the original PBS/Masterpiece version of the Forsyte Saga books was really good too.
-I prefer the version of Death of A Salsesman with Lee J. Cobb. I thought he was the perfect Willy Loman. A little man in a big man’s body.
-What does Drew Barrymore have to do with the wonderful Confederacy of Dunces? Can anyone clue me in? (or do I really want to be…)
Lonesome Dove The book and the movie are both excellent. There are a few differences but not enough to hurt the story. In some cases the movie actually improved a few scenes.
The sequels…well, I’d rather just forget they were ever made.
Robert Duvall’s performance as Gus was simply outstanding.
MoF I just finished watching it again today (I have the long version) I’ve seen it at least a dozen times over the years.