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The Book was better...
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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Sat here watching 'American Psycho' and as is with many movie adaptation of a written novel; as good as it is (Christian Bale is great as Patrick Bateman), it's just not a patch on the book.
What other films are there you've seen that fall short of their written source?
...or as rare as it may be, what film have you seen that was better than the book it was based on? |
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By *dfabMan
over a year ago
Dunboyne |
"Aside from possibly The Green Mile, pretty much most Stephen King adaptations "
I often find the adaptations of his short stories much better than those of the full novels, a la Stand By Me and Shawshank.
At least they are mostly getting the respect they deserve now and, largely, being done well. |
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By *aybus9Couple
over a year ago
Leeds |
‘Christine’
Used to quite enjoy the film. Read the book (more than once) and now can’t watch the film as it’s a very poor adaptation of the book.
As stated previously, pretty much goes for most of Mr Kings novels to films. |
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By *dfabMan
over a year ago
Dunboyne |
"‘Christine’
Used to quite enjoy the film. Read the book (more than once) and now can’t watch the film as it’s a very poor adaptation of the book.
As stated previously, pretty much goes for most of Mr Kings novels to films."
Agreed. Shite movie in comparison to book.
You'll be glad to know there's a remake in the works  |
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By *ack688Man
over a year ago
abruzzo Italy (and UK) |
I’m not sure that I’ve seen any film that I think was better than the book, there’s always too much taken out for the length of a film, but some of the recent serialisations that have come out such as Big little lies, or Little fires everywhere have been close. And there are certainly films I just wont watch as I don’t want to ruin the image of the book in my head, like Time travellers wife |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I tend to have a way to compartmentalise books and films as separate entities with a similar plot.
The book is a film in my head and the film is a separate story from someone else's. |
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By *ea monkeyMan
over a year ago
Manchester (he/him) |
No film is ever going to surpass a book. It’s impossible to move all of the nuance and imagery that skilful writing paints into a film.
There are a few that have done their source material justice but not many.
It’s impossible for the director to put how you see the book, onto the screen and that’s the failing with adaptations. Plus trying to squeeze several hundred pages into a two hour film is never going to be an improvement |
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I prefered the film Stardust to the book. Probably in large part due to Robert De Niro's character being so brilliant in the film, but maybe a bit to do with the happier ending. I'm a sucker for a happy ending  |
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"‘Christine’
Used to quite enjoy the film. Read the book (more than once) and now can’t watch the film as it’s a very poor adaptation of the book.
As stated previously, pretty much goes for most of Mr Kings novels to films."
Yep have to agree, I preferred the book of Stephen king's it. I do however prefer the movie of Stephen king's mist to the book. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Books are almost always better. Some specific ones I will point out are:
The Beach
The Martian
Everything Stephen King except Shashank redemption and The Shining. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Aside from possibly The Green Mile, pretty much most Stephen King adaptations "
I have felt the same about Stephen King books being adapted. There are some films which did a good job like Green Mile, Shashank redemption and Shining. But most others fall short.
Reason is that Stephen King's strength lies in writing more than storytelling. If you look at just the plots, most of them are pretty simple/ordinary. It's the way he writes the scenes which makes his books hard to put down. These things are hard to reproduce on screen. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I don’t read as much as others, but I did intentionally read life of Pi before the film. That filmMissed the points of what the book brought to me. His internal beliefs and faith from what I remember in the book was watered down to visual narrations and skipped and missed most of his character.
But, to add Harry poster books were presented quite perfectly on screen. The childish magic and the simple fun is just as enjoyable as it was in all the books.
The hobbit is an great example that you can’t present even a small book unless you take 9rs-+, 1 and 1/2 hrs will not cut it.
*n oh t a film critic, just a fan.  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I think Lord of the Rings is better as the film. But, the hobbit was one of my favourite books as a child so I still prefer the book to the film. "
I love the hobbit book. Left to much of the meeting with Beorn out in the movie.
And I loved the lord of the rings trilogy, but again they missed the bit with Tom Bombadil out completely  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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The jack reacher films are ok if you can get past 5”7 Tom cruise playing a 6”5 monster of a man
So looking forward to the series being made on Amazon though. |
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By *ea monkeyMan
over a year ago
Manchester (he/him) |
"I think Lord of the Rings is better as the film. But, the hobbit was one of my favourite books as a child so I still prefer the book to the film.
I love the hobbit book. Left to much of the meeting with Beorn out in the movie.
And I loved the lord of the rings trilogy, but again they missed the bit with Tom Bombadil out completely "
I’m glad they missed Bombadil out, it’s a completely pointless section |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I think Lord of the Rings is better as the film. But, the hobbit was one of my favourite books as a child so I still prefer the book to the film.
I love the hobbit book. Left to much of the meeting with Beorn out in the movie.
And I loved the lord of the rings trilogy, but again they missed the bit with Tom Bombadil out completely
I’m glad they missed Bombadil out, it’s a completely pointless section "
Yes I guess it’s not that important, in the LOTR books, but Beorn was only really touched upon in the hobbit and he’s an immense character I was disappointed with how they made him look in the film. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Majority of steven kings.
Also 'girl on a train' both movie and and book were great but the book portrayed a different vision to the film  "
I read the book and then watched the film and it was completely different. Turns out there's a book called 'girl on the train' and that's what I had read.  |
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I always think the book is better because you get to know the characters much better with all the inner monologues.
Having said that, I really enjoyed the BBC show 'The Watch' recently but that could be because it was so unlike how I imagined it, it didn't feel like an adaptation. I have enjoyed the few adaptations of Terry Pratchett books like Hogfather and Going Postal as well though.
I absolutely detested the first Jack Reacher film. He's my secret crush so to cast Tom Cruise really upset me, and I think it just became another Mission Impossible film.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I always think the book is better because you get to know the characters much better with all the inner monologues.
Having said that, I really enjoyed the BBC show 'The Watch' recently but that could be because it was so unlike how I imagined it, it didn't feel like an adaptation. I have enjoyed the few adaptations of Terry Pratchett books like Hogfather and Going Postal as well though.
I absolutely detested the first Jack Reacher film. He's my secret crush so to cast Tom Cruise really upset me, and I think it just became another Mission Impossible film.
"
The guy they’ve cast in the Amazon series is so much more in character. And starts at book one the killing floor |
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"I always think the book is better because you get to know the characters much better with all the inner monologues.
Having said that, I really enjoyed the BBC show 'The Watch' recently but that could be because it was so unlike how I imagined it, it didn't feel like an adaptation. I have enjoyed the few adaptations of Terry Pratchett books like Hogfather and Going Postal as well though.
I absolutely detested the first Jack Reacher film. He's my secret crush so to cast Tom Cruise really upset me, and I think it just became another Mission Impossible film.
The guy they’ve cast in the Amazon series is so much more in character. And starts at book one the killing floor "
I'll have to have a look at that, I didn't know there was a series. Thank you  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I always think the book is better because you get to know the characters much better with all the inner monologues.
Having said that, I really enjoyed the BBC show 'The Watch' recently but that could be because it was so unlike how I imagined it, it didn't feel like an adaptation. I have enjoyed the few adaptations of Terry Pratchett books like Hogfather and Going Postal as well though.
I absolutely detested the first Jack Reacher film. He's my secret crush so to cast Tom Cruise really upset me, and I think it just became another Mission Impossible film.
The guy they’ve cast in the Amazon series is so much more in character. And starts at book one the killing floor
I'll have to have a look at that, I didn't know there was a series. Thank you "
It’s not been finished yet… think it’s next year it comes out |
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"I always think the book is better because you get to know the characters much better with all the inner monologues.
Having said that, I really enjoyed the BBC show 'The Watch' recently but that could be because it was so unlike how I imagined it, it didn't feel like an adaptation. I have enjoyed the few adaptations of Terry Pratchett books like Hogfather and Going Postal as well though.
I absolutely detested the first Jack Reacher film. He's my secret crush so to cast Tom Cruise really upset me, and I think it just became another Mission Impossible film.
The guy they’ve cast in the Amazon series is so much more in character. And starts at book one the killing floor
I'll have to have a look at that, I didn't know there was a series. Thank you
It’s not been finished yet… think it’s next year it comes out "
I'll keep an eye out thanks |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"Dune, the film was good but the books timeline went further
"
any idea if they're going to fix that with the new one? Saw the trailer for it the other day and couldn't decide whether I was excited or not...  |
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The Harry Potter films really annoyed me at times. They left out important plot details, and invented bits to fill the holes.
Forrest Gump is one of the rare ones where the film is possibly better. Although the film is so different to the book, that it's essentially two different stories! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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The Bourne Identity is, in my view, better than the film.
To go the other way the plot (if not the size of the lead actor) in Never Look Back is much better than the book. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Not in the group of serious films at all but I love the confessions of a shopaholic series and they made the first book into a film......it was nothing like the book! They made them all American for a start!! I was really disappointed because I love the books so much.
Danish x |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"‘Christine’
Used to quite enjoy the film. Read the book (more than once) and now can’t watch the film as it’s a very poor adaptation of the book.
As stated previously, pretty much goes for most of Mr Kings novels to films."
Absolutely this. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"The Harry Potter films really annoyed me at times. They left out important plot details, and invented bits to fill the holes."
I grew to love the films, because of the books... I must admit I wasn't a fan to begin with but by the time the half blood prince came out they were getting dark enough to balance the sickly sweet side of the story, so I had to read the deathly hallows before the movies came out. Started from the very beginning though and loved them, which actually rasied my opinion of the films (nowhere near as good, but captured the spirit I think).
The biggest missed opportunity for me, from book to film, has to be in the Order of the Phoenix; Fred and George Weasley crashing the OWLS exams and raising merry hell!! I actually giggled with glee reading it!   |
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