# Has a movie adaptation of a beloved book ever lived up to your expectations? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2018, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760 "2018-01-02T17:26:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/41 "2018-01-02T22:00:01Z")
The reason most films fail to live up to expectations is because a movie is basically a short story, not a novel. By definition, a short story “can be read in one sitting,” just like a movie. You just cannot shoehorn an entire novel into a normal-length movie. The best movie adaptations are made from shorter works, like “Of Mice And Men” or Poe’s stories. For a really good adaptation of a novel, you either need a trilogy of really long movies (LoTR), or to only focus on a subset of the novel (Godfather), or to stretch it into a mini-series. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/42 "2018-01-02T22:21:06Z")
The recent adaptation of _Ender’s Game_ was halfway decent. Which I suppose is a success, since the best it could have possibly been under the circumstances was halfway decent. Certainly it could have been much, much worse. > [@purplehearingaid](#): > > …and the movie ‘Lord of the Files’ was a lot better than I expected it to be . Did you know they’re filming a remake, but with [all girls instead of boys?](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/aug/31/lord-of-the-flies-remake-to-star-all-girl-cast) The horror… ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/43 "2018-01-02T22:37:58Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > For a really good adaptation of a novel, you either need a trilogy of really long movies (LoTR), or to only focus on a subset of the novel (Godfather), or to stretch it into a mini-series. Like _The English Patient_ movie was made from about ten pages of the novel. It did those ten pages well. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/44 "2018-01-02T22:47:40Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > It did those ten pages well. Just like Gerry Studds. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/45 "2018-01-02T22:54:39Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > The reason most films fail to live up to expectations is because a movie is basically a short story, not a novel. By definition, a short story “can be read in one sitting,” just like a movie. I agree, and this is why movie adaptations usually seem so superficial if you’ve read the book. There are certainly exceptions. You can’t fault the movie version of _Silence of the Lambs_ which is terrifically well done. I thought _House of Sand and Fog_, based on the Andre Dubus novel, was also very well done, thanks to great performances by Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/46 "2018-01-02T22:56:34Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I agree, and this is why movie adaptations usually seem so superficial if you’ve read the book. There are certainly exceptions. You can’t fault the movie version of _Silence of the Lambs_ which is terrifically well done. I thought _House of Sand and Fog_, based on the Andre Dubus novel, was also very well done, thanks to great performances by Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley. Maybe this is why juveniles do so well. _Holes_ was a rather short book, but adapted well. Same with The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. LotR only did so well as it was made into three huge movies. ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/47 "2018-01-02T22:56:58Z")
I thought the 1995 miniseries of Pride and Prejudice did a pretty good job of adapting the novel. I still enjoy other, less complete adaptations as well, though. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/48 "2018-01-02T23:16:25Z")
> [@Dropo](#): > > Re: _The Hobbit_ - Anyone seen this: > [Skazochnoe puteshestvie mistera Bilbo Begginsa, Khobbita (TV Special 1985) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2563662/?ref_=kw_li_tt) YouTube has it: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7Sab9LgUxg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7Sab9LgUxg) (Sorry, I did not find a subtitled version.) Filmed for television, intended for small children, and a very low budget. Production values similar to an old Sid & Marty Kroft show. I haven’t watched the whole thing, but here is one review: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/91zUQxAQRHA/maxresdefault.jpg "Brandon's Cult Movie Reviews: THE HOBBIT USSR") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91zUQxAQRHA) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/49 "2018-01-03T00:19:23Z")
“The Mist,” even with the changed ending. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/50 "2018-01-03T01:18:15Z")
Stephen King said he wished he had come up with that ending. ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/51 "2018-01-03T01:27:52Z")
If miniseries are being mentioned then Shōgun certainly gets a nod from me, of course it helped that James Clavell was a screen writer and knew how his work should be whittled down. //i\ ---
**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:** [January 3, 2018, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/52 "2018-01-03T01:44:58Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > The reason most films fail to live up to expectations is because a movie is basically a short story, not a novel. By definition, a short story “can be read in one sitting,” just like a movie. You just cannot shoehorn an entire novel into a normal-length movie. The best movie adaptations are made from shorter works, like “Of Mice And Men” or Poe’s stories. > > For a really good adaptation of a novel, you either need a trilogy of really long movies (LoTR), or to only focus on a subset of the novel (Godfather), or to stretch it into a mini-series. I’m not buying that last part. I think if calculated the ratio of WORDS IN THE BOOKS : MINUTES RUN TIME OF THE MOVIES you would not be particularly out of whack with your typical novel adapted to the screen. > [@wolfpup](#): > > I thought _House of Sand and Fog_, based on the Andre Dubus novel, was also very well done, thanks to great performances by Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley. I have not read the book, but what a terrific little film that was! I’ve seen it maybe 3 times. I enjoyed _A Beautiful Mind_ so much that I got the book and read it. I liked the book, but it was so, so dry. The film was much better. Similarly, I read _Out of Africa_ after seeing the film and it was so different from the film that it’s hard to compare the two. All I know is that the film is on my best films list. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/53 "2018-01-03T01:57:05Z")
> [@Skara\_Brae](#): > > I thought the 1995 miniseries of Pride and Prejudice did a pretty good job of adapting the novel. I still enjoy other, less complete adaptations as well, though. This is what I came in to mention. Really outstanding adaptation. Damn, some of those scenes are awkward to read about but even worse to watch! ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/54 "2018-01-03T02:30:01Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes, and I am sorry there were no sequels as planned. > > Russle Crowe did need to be a little pudgier,😛 but that is a nitpick. The film captured the spirit very well. True, and Paul Bettany needed to be 8 inches shorter, with a threadbare wig. I’m willing to live with those transgressions if it got those two excellent actors in the movie. IIRC, someone on this board once suggested Gerard Depardieu for Jack Aubrey. A Frenchman. Playing Jack Aubrey. ---
**Author:** ![Arizona\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Arizona\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arizona_Mike)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/55 "2018-01-03T04:14:43Z")
Ditto for _ **LOTR, The Martian, John Carter.** _ Some that jump to mind: The 1984 adaptation of _ **1984** _. Absolutely perfect adaptation, with John Hurt perfectly cast as Winston Smith and a great, understated last performance by Richard Burton. Great job of designing a view of 1984 technology as imagined in 1948. _ **The Dead Zone** _ - probably my favorite of all King adaptations, excellent performances by Chris Walken, Herbert Lom, and Martin Sheen. Did a superior job (as did _ **L.A. Confidential** _) of collapsing multiple subplots from complex novels. Both King and Ellroy liked the adaptations. As a miniseries adaptation, I enjoyed _ **Man in the High Castle** _, which adapts and expands Dick’s novel admirably. I think he would have liked it. Also _ **"A Series of Unfortunate Events."** _ Speaking of PKD, I love both “Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep” and _ **Blade Runner** _, but it’s not a very close adaptation, of course. But I think _ **A Scanner Darkly** _ is the best and closest adaptation of any PKD novel. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/56 "2018-01-03T04:48:28Z")
The adaptation of Stephen King’s novella “The Langoliers” perfectly captured the native plot, the characters, and the overall feel of the writing. His works have been so badly bungled so often so this was quite refreshing. If you’ve never seen it, acquire a copy from the library or something and watch it. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/57 "2018-01-03T13:15:05Z")
> [@Arizona\_Mike](#): > > Ditto for _ **LOTR, The Martian, John Carter.** _ > Speaking of PKD, I love both “Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep” and _ **Blade Runner** _, but it’s not a very close adaptation, of course. But I think _ **A Scanner Darkly** _ is the best and closest adaptation of any PKD novel. I’ll agree with that. Most Philip K. Dick adaptations stray too far from his work, and audience reaction seems to be to make too much of Dick’s “is it live or is it Memorex” vibe about the slipperiness of reality, which wasn’t intended by Dick or (at least originally) by the filmmakers. There’s not a hint in Dick’s books that Deckard is a replicant, or that the second half of _Minority Report_ takes place in Tom Cruise’ character’s mind. There wasn’t any hint in the movies, either\* It’s been noted that the “Flash-forward” sequence in the original _The Terminator_ owes more than a little to Philip K. Dick’s short story _Second Variety_ – Dick asked “Why would you build a robot that looked _exactly_ like a human, if it didn’t improve its functionality?” and one of the compelling answers he came up with was “to infiltrate among people”. The story was explicitly the basis of the 1995 movie **screamers** , which also wasn’t bad. But I like the movie **Payroll** , based on the Philip K. Dick short story of the same name. Even though they padded it outrageously, it’s pretty faithful to the story. And it doesn’t get involved in any “nature of reality” stuff. - (Damn your unicorn dream “evidence” – if the audience had failed to puick up on an interpretation that important Ridley Scott would have spoken up about it in 1982, not waited for decades before suggesting it.) ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/58 "2018-01-03T13:19:09Z")
I did read it after the fact but I thought “The Prestige” movie was as good or better than the book by Christopher Priest. And, though not a movie, I think The Last Kingdom series is a very faithful and good adaptation of one of my favorite book series by Bernard Cornwell. King Alfred especially was perfectly cast and acted. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/59 "2018-01-03T14:08:57Z")
My top three would be To Kill A Mockingbird, The Shawshank Redemption and the Green Mile. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760/60 "2018-01-03T15:09:55Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > The 2005 The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was an almost perfect translation of book to film. The only real misstep was the frozen river crossing, which was turned into a thrill ride not evident in the book. But, as movie revisions go, that’s a minor gripe. Otherwise, the casting, the vision of Narnia, and the storytelling were perfect. Would that the sequels were as faithful. I agree. I adored the Narnia books even though I didn’t discover them until high school. I wrote several English class papers on them and on C.S. Lewis (there wasn’t the wealth of information on him available in 1966 that there is today). I was very hesitant to see The LW&W because I was afraid of how it would be done. But virtually everything in the movie was EXACTLY the way I had always pictured it in my head. I also feel like the 1965 movie [Ship of Fools](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059712/) was a good translation of the Katherine Anne Porter novel (which I understand took her 20+ years to write). The movie captured the melancholy mood and impending-doom tone of the book very well. I highly recommend this movie if you can find it. Great cast of actors and great cast of characters. I agree that the mini-series [Shogun](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080274/?ref_=nv_sr_1)did a great job or representing this fabulous book. I remember a bunch of us at work were watching the show and we were learning basic Japanese along with Richard Chamberlain and worked it into our conversations. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-movie-adaptation-of-a-beloved-book-ever-lived-up-to-your-expectations/805760.md?page=4)