# Books you would like to see as films **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063 "2002-06-14T18:02:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/21 "2002-06-15T05:46:33Z")
There are a lot of comic books outside of mainstream superheroes that could potentially make good movies. **Watchmen** by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons **V for Vendetta** by Alan Moore and David Lloyd **Ronin** by Frank Miller **Colonel Sun** by Kingsley Amis is the best James Bond book that hasn’t been used for one of the movies. **Moonraker** is a very good Bond book that shares only its title with the movie, so it could safely be adapted without conflict. Some children’s books that, in the right hands\*, could make good movies: **Holes** by Louis Sachar **Maniac Magee** by Jerry Spinelli **Lyddie** by Katherine Patersen **Esperanza Rising** by Pam Munoz Ryan was the best children’s book of 2000, yet was ignored by all the major awards. **The View From Saturday** is E. L. Konigsburg’s best book, better even than **From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler**. \*Like Tim Burton (James and the Giant Peach) or Danny Devito (Matilda), but not whoever was responsible for that awful adaptation of **Harriet the Spy**. ---
**Author:** ![Broken\_Doll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Broken\_Doll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broken_Doll)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/22 "2002-06-15T06:14:21Z")
**Perfume** by Patrick Suskind - I can already see the film in my head, and how it should be made… **Valencia** by Michelle Tea ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/23 "2002-06-15T06:48:46Z")
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger. Have any of Kurt Vonnegut’s books been made into a movie? That might be a good idea also. ---
**Author:** ![grendel72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/91b2a8/32.png) [@grendel72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grendel72)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/24 "2002-06-15T08:22:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blalron \* > \*\*Have any of Kurt Vonnegut’s books been made into a movie? That might be a good idea also. \*\* **Mother Night** , starring Nick Nolte was pretty good and captured the spirit of the novel; **Breakfast of Champions** was made into a movie starring Bruce Willis, it sucked mainly because the source novel is pretty much unfilmable; **Harrison Burgeron** was made into a made for cable movie I haven’t seen (I have a feeling it blew); Most infamously, **Slapstick** was made into a movie with a latter day Jerry Lewis- it blew _and_ sucked. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/25 "2002-06-15T15:51:09Z")
I’d love to see Asimov’s “FOUNDATION” series turned into a movie…however, adapting such a long, complex story would be difficult. Hollywood would almost certainly screw it up! I can just imagine what Hari Seldon would look like-and, the metal-covered world of TRANTOR! ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/26 "2002-06-15T15:58:40Z")
So many books don’t translate well into movies due to time contrainsts (Clan of the Cave Bear comes to mind.) The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption were excellent, but they were fairly short works (Green Mile was a serialized novel, Shawshank was a novelette) that turned into fairly long films. I would like to see Outlander by Diana Gabaldon as a 6-8 hour miniseries, or The First Man of Rome by Colleen McCullogh, also as a 6-8 hour miniseries. The godawful butchering of Mists of Avalon by TNT should make it evident that miniseries based on novels should be shorter than six hours. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/27 "2002-06-15T16:00:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ivylass \* > \*\*I would like to see Outlander by Diana Gabaldon as a 6-8 hour miniseries, or The First Man of Rome by Colleen McCullogh, also as a 6-8 hour miniseries. The godawful butchering of Mists of Avalon by TNT should make it evident that miniseries based on novels should be shorter than six hours. \*\* Obviously, that should be “should \*\*not \*\*be shorter than six hours.” Remember, preview is your friend ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/28 "2002-06-15T16:16:37Z")
There was also a movie version of _Slaughterhouse Five_. I’d like to see _The Man who Folded Himself_ by David Gerrold. It’s a thorough exploration of personal time travel. _Tyrant lo Blanc_. I’ve really got no idea of how you could film this, but perhaps Terry Gilliam would be the man to try. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/29 "2002-06-15T16:53:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Number Six \* > \*\ ***The View From Saturday** is E. L. Konigsburg’s best book, better even than **From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler**. > > \*Like Tim Burton (James and the Giant Peach) or Danny Devito (Matilda), but not whoever was responsible for that awful adaptation of **Harriet the Spy**. \*\* I’m pretty sure there was an Afterschool Special made of _From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler_. I’m guessing that doesn’t count as a “film,” though. 😉 I blame the awful adaptation of _Harriet the Spy_ on Rosie O’Donnell. Yeah, it’s all her fault, that’s it. 😉 Actually, though, my kids liked it. > [@](#): > > \*\*The Griffin said: > A Dean R Koontz book. \*\* I know several of his books have been made into Made-For-TV movies. _Watchers, Sole Survivor_ and _Intensity_ spring to mind off the top of my head. They are probably available on video. _Watchers_ was really bad, didn’t follow the book at all. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/30 "2002-06-15T19:29:47Z")
‘Three Men In a Boat’ by Jerome K. Jerome. ‘Good As Gold’ by Joseph Heller. ‘The Gun Seller’ by Hugh Laurie. I think there are plenty of non-fiction books which contain some great raw material that could be adapated for movies. It would be strangely parasitic, but ‘Final Cut’ by Stephen Bach would make a wonderfully funny film. It’s about the making of ‘Heaven’s Gate’, the Michael Cimino movie which made such a loss it bankrupted an entire movie studio. A good adapater/screenwriter could make a _terrific_ movie out of this raw material. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/31 "2002-06-15T20:52:47Z")
I think a film version of “Good Omens”, cowritten by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, would be cool. I think there were development plans in progress, but I haven’t heard anything about it in…gosh, years I think. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/32 "2002-06-15T22:55:05Z")
Another vote for The Foundation (first three books) but not as a movie but as a miniseries. My favourite though would be “Tunnel in the sky” by Heinleim. They could make a blockbuster with it. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/33 "2002-06-15T23:14:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ashtar \* > \*\*I think a film version of “Good Omens”, cowritten by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, would be cool. > > I think there were development plans in progress, but I haven’t heard anything about it in…gosh, years I think. \*\* It’s set for 2003 and directed by Terry Gilliam : see [Good Omens](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0155724). My own book I’d love to see as a movie is “Young Adults” by Daniel M. Pinkwater ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bad_Astronomer)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/34 "2002-06-16T00:53:47Z")
Stephen King’s _The Stand_, because it’s never been made into a movie. Do you understand? _It’s never, ever, ever been made into a movie_. Oh, and: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blalron \* > \*\*Have any of Kurt Vonnegut’s books been made into a movie? T \*\* Are you kidding? _Slaughterhouse 5_ is a classic! You should find it and rent it. It is interestingly done. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/35 "2002-06-16T01:11:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Bad Astronomer \* > \*\*Stephen King’s _The Stand_, because it’s never been made into a movie. Do you understand? _It’s never, ever, ever been made into a movie_. \*\* I assume you don’t count the ABC mini-series that aired in the early nineties as a movie then, do you? I saw the first couple parts of it when it re-aired on the sci-fi channel and it seemed good, but my memory is foggy and I really am bad when it comes to reviewing movies. But seeing as that was a five or six part mini-series, that is easily over 6 hours worth (each part was two hours.) A LOT would be cut to make a (at most) three-hour movie. Anyways, I always thought that the **Chronicles** Trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman would make an excellent screen trilogy. This, of course, depends on who Wizards of the Coast got to do it (since I do believe they own the rights.) It could turn out like the **Dungeons and Dragons Movie** (shudder)…but then again, it could also turn out to be a lot like **Lord of the Rings** , so who knows… ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/36 "2002-06-16T04:27:25Z")
**Flat Stanley** \*\*Edward & the Pirates \*\* \*\*Edward in the Jungle \*\* Ok, so I’m into kids books right now. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/37 "2002-06-16T04:28:30Z")
\*\*Donbas \*\* by Jacque Sandelesque. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/38 "2002-06-16T04:37:27Z")
**Jennie** (aka **The Abandoned** ) by Paul Gallico. **A Fine and Private Place** by Peter Beagle. The _Fafhrd and Grey Mouser_ stories by Fritz Leiber. “Red Nails” by Robert E. Howard. **A Free Man of Color** or **A Stranger at the Wedding** by Barbara Hambly. ---
**Author:** ![SLingshot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@SLingshot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SLingshot)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/39 "2002-06-16T04:48:26Z")
**He, She, and It** by Marge Piercy And I want whoever did the back-and-forthing for **The English Patient** to also work on this movie. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063/40 "2002-06-16T06:18:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eutychus \* > \*\* > > It’s set for 2003 and directed by Terry Gilliam : see [Good Omens](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0155724). > > My own book I’d love to see as a movie is “Young Adults” by Daniel M. Pinkwater \*\* Gaiman, Pratchett, and Gilliam… :eek: It’s a blessing from above! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-you-would-like-to-see-as-films/114063.md?page=3)