# Which books have been made into movies multiple times, but never well? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2006, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141 "2006-12-14T15:52:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/21 "2006-12-14T19:34:31Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Do you mean [this](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407304/) (w/ Tom Cruise) one or [this](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425638/) one? (The latter being set in 1899 or 1900, and which I haven’t seen – never came to any of the local theaters; and nobody seems to think well of it.) [/QUOTE] The Tom Cruise version. Never even knew the other existed, until now. Though judging by the reviews on the site you posted, I ain’t missing much. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/22 "2006-12-14T19:37:11Z")
[QUOTE=Ethilrist] I haven’t seen many of them myself, but my father (an English writing teacher and playwright) feels that attempts to make _Huckleberry Finn_ into a movie always fall flat when they run into the Dauphin, because finally, some interesting characters, and the writing goes off on a wild tangent and they never get back on track. [/QUOTE] _The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_ is the first book I thought of when I read this thread’s title. The movie or TV versions I’ve seen mostly eliminate the novel’s satire and darker aspects. Also, many episodes are left out altogether (e.g., the Grangerford/Sheperdson feud is often missing). The end product always seems to be a sanitized 'lite" version of the book. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/23 "2006-12-14T20:12:07Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] I don’t demand slavish imitation of the book, but the movie ought to be true to its spirit and feel. **The Shining** wasn’t. [/QUOTE] Totally agreed. Word has it (I don’t know if this is true or not, 'cause it sounds like BS to me) that Kubrick didn’t even read the entire novel, merely the first hundred pages or so and a summary. One writer-director team I like that doesn’t try for the “spirit and feel” of the books they adapt is Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor (_Election_, _About Schmidt_, _Sideways_). Anyone who has read the novel _About Schmidt_ will agree that the unlikable, bigoted asshole of the eponymous character is almost impossible to empathize with, while the Warren Schmidt of the movie is far more likeable (if totally pathetic). You can see why he wants to prevent his daughter from marrying a waterbed salesman cum mid-level marketing scammer, whereas the novel Schmidt was just an anti-Semetic ass. [QUOTE=kaylasdad99] _\< **kaylasdad99** writes **Stranger On A Train** ’s name on a slip of paper, places paper into an envelope marked “Naughty”, and heads to the Post Office…\>_ You’re in for it, now. [/QUOTE] Urk? Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/24 "2006-12-14T20:37:27Z")
Kipling’s **Jungle Book**. I can’t say I’ve seen [every version filmed](http://imdb.com/find?s=all&q=jungle+book) (or _shudder_ drawn) but every one I _have_ seen has been uniformly God-awful. They either lose the spirit of the story entirely or else are just plain boring. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/25 "2006-12-14T20:51:42Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] **Alice in Wonderland** – been done many time, never particularly well. The problem is that Alice really has no plot and no character, just incidents. In addition, you end up having to put bits from **Through the Looking Glass** into it because people expect things like Jaberwocky and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. This means major adjustments to squeeze them in. The closest anyone came to a decent version was the [1999 TV version](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0164993/), but that just barely rises above mediocre. [/QUOTE] **Reality Chuck** thanks for reminding us of that delightful “Pogo’s Christmas song” in your signature every year. Sure do miss that comic strip, and Walt Kelly! ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/26 "2006-12-14T21:44:35Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Arguably, **I, Robot**. The Will Smith movie, as we all know by now, wasn’t even originally an adaptation of the book. IIRC, one of the British 1960s SF shows did this ( **Out of this World** or **Out of the Unknown** ), but with their limited time (short episode) and legebdarily low budget it can’t have been all that good. And amn asimov-blessed script was written (by Harlan Ellison), which I liked (although YMMV) [/QUOTE] I got a copy of the Ellison script because I had always heard it was so good. IMHO, it’s unfilmable. ---
**Author:** ![Autumn\_Almanac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d26b3c/32.png) [@Autumn\_Almanac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autumn_Almanac)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/27 "2006-12-14T21:47:53Z")
[QUOTE=Malthus] Never even knew the other existed, until now. Though judging by the reviews on the site you posted, I ain’t missing much. 😉 [/QUOTE] Those IMDB reviews are hilarious! I almost want to see this now. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/28 "2006-12-14T21:54:33Z")
[QUOTE=Stranger On A Train] > [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **kaylasdad99** > \<_ **kaylasdad99** writes **Stranger On A Train** ’s name on a slip of paper, places paper into an envelope marked “Naughty”, and heads to the Post Office…_\> > > You’re in for it, now. Urk? Stranger [/QUOTE] After the mean things you said about the only Bond film worth watching, I don’t think Santa’s going to be very happy with you. Fortunately for you, it turns out that I don’t have enough money to buy stamps for first-class postage to the North Pole, right now. So if you want to take that back some time before tomorrow morning, Mr. C. never has to know nuttin’. And that’s my final offer. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/29 "2006-12-14T21:59:29Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] **Of Human Bondage** , by W. Somerset Maugham. Each time (three times, most recently in 1964), the casting has been poor and the plot butchered. [/QUOTE] Bette Davis has risen from her grave and is headed to your house to slap you. I’d suggest Lord of the Rings but I imagine I’d be run out of the thread on a rail. Sorry, but I couldn’t stand the Peter Jackson version and the animated version was naff as well. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/30 "2006-12-14T22:23:31Z")
[QUOTE=kaylasdad99] After the mean things you said about the only Bond film worth watching, I don’t think Santa’s going to be very happy with you. Fortunately for you, it turns out that I don’t have enough money to buy stamps for first-class postage to the North Pole, right now. So if you want to take that back some time before tomorrow morning, Mr. C. never has to know nuttin’. And that’s my final offer. [/QUOTE] Sorry, but I know for a fact that Santa thinks the David Niven Casino Royal sucked, even though the big guy’s a Niven fan. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/31 "2006-12-14T22:28:19Z")
[QUOTE=Bippy the Beardless] Sorry, but I know for a fact that Santa thinks the David Niven Casino Royal sucked, even though the big guy’s a Niven fan. [/QUOTE] _\_ Sure, **Bippy** , whatever you say. 😃 ---
**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:** [December 14, 2006, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/32 "2006-12-14T22:29:39Z")
_Casino Royale_ is the funniest comedy of the sixties. ---
**Author:** ![Manatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manatee)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/33 "2006-12-14T23:21:30Z")
Pretty much any Arthurian text, but especially _Sir Gawain and the Green Knight_ and Malory’s _Le Morte D’Arthur_. Both have been attempted a couple of times each, but nobody’s really captured the flavor of either very satisfactorially. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/34 "2006-12-14T23:58:06Z")
[QUOTE=Jake] **Reality Chuck** thanks for reminding us of that delightful “Pogo’s Christmas song” in your signature every year. Sure do miss that comic strip, and Walt Kelly! [/QUOTE] You’re welcome. Some traditions must be upheld. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/35 "2006-12-15T00:51:12Z")
The recent attempt to do “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” was a noble attempt but they tried to cram too much content into the movie. It’s a shame that Hollywood has shied away from making long movies in the vein as “Gone with the Wind” because I really think it’s better to have a faithful yet longer adaptation than to try to cram too much into 2 hours. I think that “Dune” is nearly impossible to do on film because there’s no easy way to explain the history and politics that are integral to the story. Though I must say that the '80’s version wasn’t entirely without merit; Sting in a diaper was worth the price of admission. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/36 "2006-12-15T05:38:42Z")
[QUOTE=PunditLisa] The recent attempt to do “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” was a noble attempt but they tried to cram too much content into the movie. It’s a shame that Hollywood has shied away from making long movies in the vein as “Gone with the Wind” because I really think it’s better to have a faithful yet longer adaptation than to try to cram too much into 2 hours. [/quote] But after the recent, ultra-successful example of **LotR** (which has to be at least part of the impetus to finally adapt Narnia to film), you’d think they wouldn’t be shy about making a longer movie. I’m thinking of \*\*RotK \*\* with its 3 hours and 517 Oscars. > [@](#): > > I think that “Dune” is nearly impossible to do on film because there’s no easy way to explain the history and politics that are integral to the story. Though I must say that the '80’s version wasn’t entirely without merit; Sting in a diaper was worth the price of admission. I guess it’s all in the eye of the beholder: as a hetero male, Sting in a diaper was pretty much the nadir of **Dune** for me. I just didn’t need to know that much about **Mr. Sumner’s Weirding Module** ™. 😃😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/37 "2006-12-15T06:31:51Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Another short – Asimov’s classic **Nightfall** has been made into two appallingly bad movies. I’m sure it could be done well. I’ve done it in my head. [/QUOTE] Really? I’ve only seen one of them. I wonder what the other is like. That said, I really liked Asimov’s story, and I also really liked the movie. On the other hand, while they both have the same premise, other than that they are extremely different. I’m going to have to vote for The Bible. I haven’t seen that really done justice, even in parts. Nor the Oddysey. And I’m very disapointed that the Greek epic has been filmed so many times, but the Roman counterpart, Vergil’s Aenied, has never seen the light of celluloid. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/38 "2006-12-15T06:40:48Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] **Alice in Wonderland** – been done many time, never particularly well. The problem is that Alice really has no plot and no character, just incidents. In addition, you end up having to put bits from **Through the Looking Glass** into it because people expect things like Jaberwocky and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. This means major adjustments to squeeze them in. The closest anyone came to a decent version was the [1999 TV version](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0164993/), but that just barely rises above mediocre. [/QUOTE] You need to see Jan Svankmajer’s [_Alice_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095715/). It’s the only one that’s suitably dark and twisted to capture some of the flavor of the original. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/39 "2006-12-15T06:43:05Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] You need to see Jan Svankmajer’s [_Alice_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095715/). It’s the only one that’s suitably dark and twisted to capture some of the flavor of the original. [/QUOTE] This paper’s [capsule review.](http://onfilm.chicagoreader.com/movies/capsules/27293_ALICE) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141/40 "2006-12-15T17:08:32Z")
[QUOTE=PunditLisa] The recent attempt to do “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” was a noble attempt but they tried to cram too much content into the movie. It’s a shame that Hollywood has shied away from making long movies in the vein as “Gone with the Wind” because I really think it’s better to have a faithful yet longer adaptation than to try to cram too much into 2 hours. [/QUOTE] But it’s a short book! What’s the point of making a movie that takes longer to watch than the book does to read? And it’s not like Hollywood hasn’t made any long movies recently. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-books-have-been-made-into-movies-multiple-times-but-never-well/384141.md?page=3)