Books to Movies?

We've seen it happen to The End of the Affair, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, Gone With The Wind, Catch Me If You Can... And we're seeing it happen more and more recently.
So what happens when our favorite books are turned into movies? Do you approve? Do you go just to mock? I must be honest here. When I find a movie is being done of a book I've read and loved, I will usually go to see it merely so I can see what they did to the beloved story. I then end up yelling at the screen and/or mocking. Yes, I am one of those loud, annoying movie-goers when the book has been turned to film.
But this thread is for you to voice your opinion. Have you read a book that was violated by a producer? Are there good instances where they did a marvelous job with the literature?
Gone With the Wind was a good one, however it's sequel was an utter waste of time. When they change major situations and happenings, I just feel there's no point.
And Shakesepeare cannot be butchered. I was frightened with the Claire Danes/Leonardo DiCaprio version, but as it turns out, I have the movie's logo (the heart with the flowers and flame) on my derriere. I am in love with Shakespeare's plays, and have yet to see one adapted to film poorly. I hold his plays (especially R & J) close to my heart, because not only was it the first of his plays I ever read, but I am a hopeless romantic.

So, enough of my ramblings. What do y'all think of film adaptions of the books we love? Books are about imagery; things are what we make of it in our minds. Books are a simple and pleasurable escape; so do we enjoy leaving that world? Lemme know!
 
i loved bridget jones's diary the movie before i ever read the book... then when i read the book... they left a lot out in the movie! still think the movie is good tho... guess it just depends which you read/see first

as long as it gets the basic jist of the story and ends the same, its all good to me :D
 
i think it can be a good thing...take for example Fight Club which was an awesome book by Chuck Palahniuk and was made into a rare case of when the movie is almost better than the book...

A Walk to Remember wasn't bad at all, either was American Psycho (the book definitely beats it though)

but then you have things like In the Cut, White Oleander, and others that I can't think of right now that are pretty bad...I think it all depends on the director and the way the writers put the book into a script.

either way, i think it's better to read the book before seeing the movie ;)
 
Some, like Jurassic Park, Master and Commander, and Strangers on a Train are good adaptations from book to movie. Others, like Harry Potter series, the books of which I love, the movies weren't that great, and ruin a lot of the imagination involved.
 
My teacher always said "The book is always better than the movie"...and I totally agree with that. Although some movies get really close to it...they still cant beat the book.
 
book's always better. I hate it when you see a movie based on a favorite book and they changed up the plot, twisted the characters, or didn't make it look like you imagined. :(
 
The book is always better because you use your imagination to visualise characters/scenes the way you see it. The director has their own vision, and things often get changed or adapted. Or you get a hopeless director who changes things totally and stuffs the film up.
 
If in the right hands of course a movie can work...Jim Uhls and David Fincher did a wonderful/magnificent job bringing Fight Club to life from Chuck Palahniuks amazing work
 
I think books to movies can be a good idea.

What i hear from a lot of people after seeing a movie based on a book, (if they enjoy the movie)
is: "I have to read that book."

I think using movies are great, because they encourage people to read.
 
It depends, for instance I'm usually of the opinion that an original book tends to be superior to the film adaptation, for example the Harry Potter books.

However in the right hands a film can be just as good or even better that the source material, for instance I found the film version of Chocolat to be much more enjoyable than the book, the characters were easier to connect with and the change in period also added to the believabilty.

In the end it really comes down to the ability of the screenwriter and director to capture the spirit of a story.
 
I personally hate it when they turn a book into a movie. Everyone that I've seen so far, if I've read the book first, I've hated the movie. Now, if I haven't read the book, then it's not too bad, but man, watch out if you have.
 
SiriCerasi said:
I think the book is always better. Unless its a book made from the movie.

Lord of the Rings is awfully close though ;)
I don't agree.

I think the movies were really great, but the books are much much better.
 
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