# Movies that were better than books... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 14, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391 "2010-05-14T03:46:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/1 "2010-05-14T03:46:32Z")
I’m sure this has been done before, but I haven’t seen it. I’d nominate _The Talented Mr. Ripley_ as a far better movie than book (I found the book almost unreadable), same with Stephen King’s _Carrie_, and last but not least, _Primal Fear_ from the William Diehl book by the same name. Got any more? ---
**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/2 "2010-05-14T03:54:20Z")
_LA Confidential_. The book is a fun read if the movie leaves you wanting more; but, I feel that the book goes a bit too far _out there._ ---
**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:** [May 14, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/3 "2010-05-14T03:58:21Z")
What the hell is a book? I’d say fight club. I don’t really get the appeal of Palahniuk’s books, but the movie was much better. Then again I only read 2 of them, and one was fight club. American psycho the film was also better than the book. ---
**Author:** ![MentalGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MentalGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MentalGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/4 "2010-05-14T03:58:57Z")
I liked \*Field of Dreams \*better than the book it was based on. I have never read the book, but I believe _The Godfather_ may be the best example of this. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/5 "2010-05-14T04:09:34Z")
I liked _Bram Stoker’s Dracula_ better than Bram Stoker’s _Dracula._ ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/6 "2010-05-14T04:09:55Z")
The Princess Bride Blade Runner The Neverending Story Alice Adams To Kill A Mockingbird One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Those last three? Hard to choose; both books and movies were amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Snite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Snite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snite)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/7 "2010-05-14T04:16:06Z")
_V for Vendetta_ was definitely better than the comic it’s based on. Couldn’t get into the comic at all. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/8 "2010-05-14T04:18:48Z")
_Jaws_ is my standard in this regard. A crap book but a great movie. Some would say _The Godfather_, but the book is nowhere near as bad as _Jaws_. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/9 "2010-05-14T04:50:23Z")
**2001: A Space Odyssey** (though the book handled Hal’s death better) ---
**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:** [May 14, 2010, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/10 "2010-05-14T06:46:48Z")
> [@Snite](#): > > _V for Vendetta_ was definitely better than the comic it’s based on. Couldn’t get into the comic at all. If we’re including graphic novels, a history of violence had a much better story in the movie than the comic. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/11 "2010-05-14T07:00:37Z")
_Who Framed Roger Rabbit_ ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/12 "2010-05-14T07:02:45Z")
The Harry Potter films – Ms. Rowling is a great storyteller, but her prose is unbearable, even for children’s literature. Also, there are some very enjoyable adaptations of James Patterson novels. I would sooner nail my soft bits to a tree than suffer through one of his novels, but a “based on a novel by…” credit of his on a film is actually a selling point for me. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/13 "2010-05-14T07:04:30Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > The Harry Potter films – Ms. Rowling is a great storyteller, but her prose is unbearable, even for children’s literature. This has got to be a joke. The real answer is _Fight Club_. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/14 "2010-05-14T08:27:56Z")
2nd vote for Bladerunner (book was Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) Even the book title is boring. There was something about a turtle in it. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/15 "2010-05-14T08:39:16Z")
The Devil Wears Prada - The book is poorly written, while the movie has Meryl Streep in good form No Country for Old Men - Not because the book was bad, but because the movie is a masterpiece. The Coen brothers took a good story and brought it to another level. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/16 "2010-05-14T08:48:16Z")
The Warriors, yeah I know it was a crappy cheesy 80’s flick but the book was a total abortion ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/17 "2010-05-14T08:54:15Z")
**Goldfinger**. In the book, the plan is to actually steal the gold from Fort Knox. The idea of detonating an atomic bomb, and thereby increasing the value of Goldfinger’s own holdings, is new to the movie. The scene where he reveals his plan to Bond is excellent, as though he’s finally found someone who can appreciate how truly clever he is. (I disagree with it slightly from a character perspective, but it is a clever idea.) The description of how Bond winds up in Goldfinger’s company, and goes along on the raid, is also a bit more clumsy in the book, if I remember correctly. CalMeacham will be along shortly to agree with me. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/18 "2010-05-14T09:29:28Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > _Who Framed Roger Rabbit_ You mean [Who Censored Roger Rabbit](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Censored_Roger_Rabbit%3F) … I have the book and really wish the movie was closer to the book plot. ---
**Author:** ![drillrod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@drillrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drillrod)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/19 "2010-05-14T09:42:05Z")
\*\*Carrie \*\*was Stephen King’s first big novel and really isn’t a very good book. I’d say it’s probably his worst. De Palma’s movie, on the other hand, is fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Baboonanza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f475e1/32.png) [@Baboonanza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baboonanza)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391/20 "2010-05-14T12:07:17Z")
‘LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring’ was better as a film than a book IMO. Mainly because they had to cut a lot of the chuff that was completely irrelevant to the story, such as Tom Bombadil. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-better-than-books/539391.md?page=2)