A FEW OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS MADE INTO MOVIES—with commentary
Ghost
Stories:
The Uninvited, based on Dorothy Macardle’s book, Uneasy
Freehold. Both are really good. TCM likes the movie, too. I prefer the book, but
only because it’s longer.
The Haunting, based on Shirley Jackson’s
book, The Haunting of Hill House.
Again, prefer the book.
The Woman in Black, based on the same named book by Susan Hill. The book
had a better ending.
Twilight, based on Stephenie
Meyer’s book of the same name. Neither encouraged me to read or watch beyond
the first one.
Love Stories:
Doctor
Zhivago, based on Boris Pasternak’s book of the same name. I struggled with the
book but love the movie.
Gone
With the Wind, based on Margaret Mitchel’s book of the same name. Love them
equally.
Musicales and
Comedies:
Meet
Me in St. Louis, based on by Sally Benson’s book of the same name. I love the
book but the movie has a joyousness the book lacks, not that it’s gloomy, just
different.
Our Hearts Were Young and Gay based on
Cornelia Otis Skinner’s book of the same name. Both are delightful.
Cheaper By the Dozen, based on Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey’s
book of the same name. The book is a hoot but the movie skimped on everything
that happened to the family in this combination biography/memoir.
The Egg and I, by Betty MacDonald’s book
of the same name. I regularly reread this just for the laughs. This is where Ma
and Pa Kettle came from. They were real people. The movie was a big hit but I
thought it was so-so.
Dramas:
The Jewel in the Crown, based on Paul
Scott’s book, The Raj Quartet. The
movie was on Masterpiece Theater and I loved it so much I bought a copy. I
started the book once, but got bogged down, will have to try again.
Rebecca, based on Daphne duMaurier’s
book of the same name. Really like them both.
Nicholas and Alexandra based on Robert
K. Massie’s book of the same name. I’m a nut about Russian history and loved
the book, but there was too much history in the book to be covered in a movie.
Winter’s Bone, based on Daniel
Woodrell’s book of the same name. I really liked them both, but the movie had
Marideth Sisco singing—what a plus.
Obviously, this is a very incomplete list and,
just as obviously, most of the books are older. I don’t read anything that
might appear on the Hallmark channel or the list would be longer, and so many
current movies are all about special effects or are from young adult books.
Producers aren’t looking for what I read. Nevertheless, I always stay through
the credits, just in case.
Find Karla Stover here: http://bookswelove.net/stover.php
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Not being a movie buff I usually like the book better. Loved Dr. Zivago in book form. Movie disappointed me. The movies I felt really put the book across The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Watching the movie, I could remember parts of the book . The A & E version of Pride and Prejudice was wonderful and caught the essence of the book. I tend to watch this once a year.
ReplyDeleteKarla, You pushed some of my buttons in this blog by mentioning a few of my all-time favorites. I LOVED Nicholas and Alexandra, but never saw the movie. Rebecca, of course--both book and move versions. IMHO, books are nearly always better than their film counterparts, but some stand out as being almost equal: Lord of the Flies (the 1960s-something version), and The Collector, with a very young, creepy but gorgeous Terrance Stamp. I loved Dr. Zhivago (the book) and when I saw the movie in its original released, I loved it, too. Seeing it again recently, tho', I was disappointed. And how about Little Big Man? Both book and movie were excellent. Another, Natalie Babbitt's YA, Tuck Everlasting...just popped into my head. Both are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the mental prod:-)
I didn't know Little Big man came from a book but I don't think it would be something I'd read. That being said, I do read and watch Longmire on TV--not a movie, but oh well. Thanks for responding. Karla
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