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Meme: Top Ten Tuesdays: Top Ten Book to Movie Adaptations

This meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. To see more favourite book-to-movie adaptations, head over there to see which movies the other participants have nominated.

I am going to cheat and interpret ‘movie’ as ‘film’, so I can include television adaptations.

  • Oscar and Lucinda, from the book by Peter Carey. Apart from the changed ending it is an incredibly faithful adaptation, with every character perfectly cast.
  • The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, from the book by Stieg Larsson. This one actually improves on the book, which is well plotted but badly written.
  • Cold Comfort Farm, from the book by Stella Gibbons. Perfect casting and quite faithful to the original.
  • High Fidelity, from the book by Nick Hornby. Moving the story to America didn’t hurt it one bit.
  • Fried Green Tomatoes (at the Whistle Stop Café), from the book by Fannie Flagg. Perfect casting and faithful to the story.
  • Pride and Prejudice from the book by Jane Austen, the latest BBC adaptation. Incredibly faithful to the story, apart from the “wet Darcy” scene, which didn’t hurt it at all.
  • The Princess Bride from the book by William Goldman. One of the rare instances where the film is better than the book, but perhaps that’s just because I saw the film first... nah, it’s just better.
  • The Color Purple from the book by Alice Walker. Amazing movie based on an amazing book.
  • Emma, from the book by Jane Austen. This is the one with Gwyneth Paltrow (the only movie I have ever liked her in, but that’s another story...)
  • Coraline, from the book by Neil Gaiman. An excellent dark fantasy for children that may actually be scarier for adults than for kids.

Honurable mention:
  • The Enchanted April, from the book by Elizabeth von Arnim.

Comments

Laura said…
I was amazed at how faithful to the book High Fidelity was, even though it's location changed... It was awesome!

Great list, mine is here :): http://devouringtexts.blogspot.com
Laura said…
Oh yeah, and also, Gwyneth? I can't actually deal with her. Except for that time in se7en when her head was in a box. That was pretty great.
Enchanted April is my favorite movie-from-book. The movie is actually a little better than the book, I think.

Thank you for your list.

Here's my post: http://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2011/02/top-ten-book-to-movie-adaptations.html
Dorte H said…
My, you have succeeded in mentioning FIVE films I know and like - we really must have quite a bit in common. Two of them are Austen films, of course, but Fried Green Tomatoes is also a huge favourite in this family.
High Fidelity is one of my most favorite movies! Great list!

Jess @ Gone with the Words
George said…
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO was my favorite movie of 2010. You're right about the movie version being better than the book.
Book Nympho said…
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo--oh no, is it really badly written? I've resolved to read it this year so I hope it's not too hard to get through. Haven't seen the movie though.
Stephen said…
I forgot about "Fried Green Tomatoes"! One of my favorite movies, and I read the book in high school at some point.One of my sister's friends growing up reminded me very much of Idgie Threadgood.
Rummanah Aasi said…
I really enjoyed High Fidelity and I thought the setting didn't make a big difference at all. John Cusack and Jack Black were awesome in that movie.
Dusky Literati said…
The Color Purple was on my list as well. Whoopi deserved an Oscar for that performance.
Yvette said…
I have COLD COMFORT FARM on my list as well. :) Great adaptation, and so darned funny.

I didn't mind Gwynneth in EMMA, though she is not my favorite, I admit. I did also like her in POSSESSION. Didn't read the book though, so couldn't list it.

Emma is not my favorite Jane Austen, though. But I didn't hold that against G.P. :)

I really have to re-watch THE PRINCESS BRIDE. I know I saw it, but I simply can't remember anything about it except...not much. Well, the blond prince, of course. That dashing teeny tiny little mustache...Ha!

Great list. I can see I'm really going to like this meme.
Anonymous said…
The wet Darcy scene really is an excellent addition, haha. I have seen Oscar & Lucinda and loved it but haven't read the book yet. It's on my list of books to finish this year
Very thoughtful list. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I like many of the movies that you mentioned but I haven't read the book such as High Fidelity, Princess Bride. I love the book The Color Purple but I've never seen the movie. And I completely agree with you about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Good call!
I'm also a fan of Color Purple and Fried Green Tomatoes...classics!
Bibliophile said…
Dusky Literati, I agree. To not get it for The Color Purple and then win it for Ghost was just preposterous.
Bibliophile said…
Book Nympho, it's pretty badly written, but if you persevere for about 200 pages the story takes off and you forget the bad writing.

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