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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.
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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
February 22, 2011 11:07 am
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.
February 22, 2011 11:09 am
Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said…
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
February 22, 2011 12:03 pm
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.
February 22, 2011 3:23 pm
Jess (Gone with the Words) said…
High Fidelity is one of my most favorite movies! Great list!

Jess @ Gone with the Words
February 22, 2011 3:37 pm
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.
February 22, 2011 4:37 pm
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.
February 22, 2011 4:49 pm
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.
February 22, 2011 5:19 pm
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.
February 22, 2011 6:25 pm
Dusky Literati said…
The Color Purple was on my list as well. Whoopi deserved an Oscar for that performance.
February 23, 2011 12:38 am
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.
February 23, 2011 1:33 am
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
February 23, 2011 2:26 am
Anne@HeadFullofBooks said…
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!
February 23, 2011 2:55 am
Peppermint Ph.D. said…
I'm also a fan of Color Purple and Fried Green Tomatoes...classics!
February 23, 2011 5:22 am
Bibliophile said…
Dusky Literati, I agree. To not get it for The Color Purple and then win it for Ghost was just preposterous.
February 23, 2011 9:42 am
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.
February 23, 2011 9:49 am
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