Best Book-to-Movie Adaptation

[Wonky Pundit]

In your opinion, what was the best adaptation of a book to the screen? (You can also mention the worst adaptation, if you like.)

Thanks to MaggieMae for this idea.

I'm going with Sophie's Choice (1982) - IMDb

 

[dblack]

The Shining.

Much better than the book, actually.

 

[jillian]

I think the three best book to film adaptations are of Stephen King novels...

Stand By Me (from The Body)
The Shawshank Redemption (from Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption)
The Green Mile

I didn't like the film, Sophie's Choice. Meryl Streep didn't look like what Sophie looked like in the book. (well, in my head, anyway).

 

[Bern80]

Lord of the Rings
Blade Runner

 

[Montrovant]

All good choices so far.

I'd probably have to go with LotR. I actually didn't care too much for the books.

Shawshank is probably the best movie made from a book I can think of, but I enjoyed the book as well, so the disparity is less.

 

[Grace]

Shawshank Redemption and Gone With The Wind.

 

[Foxfyre]

I'm going with "Airport". Old, old movie but of the timeless variety. The plot, character development, humor and drama closely followed Arthur Hailey's vision.

 

[Nate]

Though I may lose man points for this one, I'd have to say Memoirs of a Geisha. The director and screen writers kept pretty close to the book.

 

[eflatminor]

Uh...The Godfather?

 

[Truthmatters]

everything is illuminated

Lord of the rings.

 

[Two Thumbs]

The Old Testament into "The Ten Commandments".

It was so good, people actually think it was historically acurate. It wasn't even close, but that's not important.

Now to expose my vast amounts of nerd cred

Spiderman and the 3rd version of The Punisher.

worste; Dungeons and Dragons. They tried to follow the game rules and failed, miserably.

 

[Two Thumbs]

Though I may lose man points for this one, I'd have to say Memoirs of a Geisha. The director and screen writers kept pretty close to the book.

Please turn in your membership to the "He man, woman haters club" immediatly.

 

[rightwinger]

I think the three best book to film adaptations are of Stephen King novels...

Stand By Me (from The Body)
The Shawshank Redemption (from Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption)
The Green Mile

I didn't like the film, Sophie's Choice. Meryl Streep didn't look like what Sophie looked like in the book. (well, in my head, anyway).

I agree. All three movies were much better than what king wrote and proved that King drama translates better than King horror

 

[boedicca]

Quo Vadis
Ben Hur
Gone With The Wind

And I adored The Golden Compass. It's too bad the sequels were cancelled.

 

[RadiomanATL]

Godfather I and II. The book was really both of those films, but it was so layered they had to make two movies to cover it.

 

[rightwinger]

To Kill a Mockingbird

Gregory Peck IS Atticus Finch

 

[boedicca]

It's not technically a book to movie, but the miniseries of "I Claudius" is also a fabulous adaptation - and one of the best ensemble casts ever.

 

[xsited1]

This was really good:

Into the Wild (2007) - IMDb

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Godfather I and II. The book was really both of those films, but it was so layered they had to make two movies to cover it.

I have no reason to post in this thread except to say ^^THIS!!

 

[CrusaderFrank]

The Silence of the Lambs