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Books vs. Movies
Some books have...
Some books have been turned into movies. To me, the books are always better than the movie, since some movies don't really match the book or leave out important plot points.
Books that I've read that have been turned into movies are Charlotte's Web, Bridge to Terabithia, and the Ramona and Beezus series. The movies were OK, but the books were much better. Heaven Is for Real the movie is coming out, but I wonder how good it will be.
What are some books that you would like to be turned into movies? What are some books that you like have movies?
submitted by Nina, age 11, Florida
(February 22, 2014 - 1:54 pm)
(February 22, 2014 - 1:54 pm)
Face it. The books are always better than the movies. That's why I refuse to watch the Harry Potter movies, not one.
(February 22, 2014 - 2:43 pm)
The Harry Potter movies are actually pretty good. I'm watching one right now! Of course the books are better, but for the most part I like the movies. The only one that was really messed up was the Half Blood Prince.
(February 22, 2014 - 8:25 pm)
Top!
(February 22, 2014 - 4:56 pm)
I would LOVE to see:
Kingdom Keepers by Riddley Pearson
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
and the historical American Girl stories
all made into movies! They would be seriously fantastic.
I've LOVED some of the classic books being made into movies, like Anne of Green Gables (starring Meagen Follows) and Little Women (Katherine Hepburn as Jo). I also liked the Felicity, Samantha, and Kit American Girl books being made into movies as well! I also liked The Book Thief a lot!
(February 22, 2014 - 6:43 pm)
Usually I like the books better than the movies, except on two occasions:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Yes, Madeline, I'm pretty sure this movie is better than the book. For one thing, Cho Chang is largely ignored: she and Harry kiss, but they don't go on that nauseating date and her part isn't nearly as big. Also, the acting was really superb and I liked Sirius (Gary Oldman) better than in Azkaban. I liked how they did the battle in the end, too. All in all, that was probably the best film in the whole series, and the best improvement on the book. Regarding the rest of the series, they aren't better than the books, for sure, but after the second, they're not totally bad. I think they got the main gist of the story well enough. Part 8 had too much violence, but otherwise, I thought they were reallly well done.
The second occasion is Rebecca, originally a Gothic, Jane Eyre-like novel by Daphne Du Maurier. The film they made was in 1939, I think, and I adore the film. The book version is much darker, more tense, and with an unsatisfying conclusion. Plus, Maxim ended up being a murderer, which was a trifle unpleasent. In the film, though, the dark air was preserved while losing a little of the main character's morbid shyness and making Maxim not murder Rebecca (because of the old-fashioned Hollywood code of not letting a crime go unpunished). The acting was spot-on too in the movie--I completely fell in love with Laurence Olivier after seeing this.
Regarding LOTR, I can't exactly say that the movies are better than the books with a clean conscience: for one thing, the books preserve a lot more of the backstory and history, and you really get the sense of "this is part of a greater whole." However, the movies really bring the characters to life in a way that the books don't, and there is more tension and anticipation as the story and the fighting and the endless trek across Middle Earth progresses. I guess it's 50/50 on that one.
I would totally want The Silmarillion to be made into a film, and the rest of the Percy Jackson series. I would also like to see it if they made a tv series or film series of Agatha Christie's mysteries that don't feature Poirot or Miss Marple. I read And Then There Were None last night and thought what a deliciously creepy film that would make.
Why do my posts end up almost novel length??? Sorry to rag on forever...
(February 22, 2014 - 8:11 pm)
Books are generally better than movies. I'm sure there are some exceptions to the rule, but I can't think of any off the top of my head.
(February 23, 2014 - 2:43 pm)
I refuse to watch the Percy Jackson movies. They're good movies, but I won't watch them as long as they're affiliated with the books because they murder the books. (RR doesn't even watch them.)
I love the Diary of A Wimpy Kid movies. I think they really do the books justice and carry the spirit of the books (while they're not exactly the same) well. I think they're about equal.
I think the Hunger Games movie (the first one, haven't gotten around to watching Catching Fire yet) was really awesome. The world of Panem really came to life. However, I like the book better because I got into Katniss's head more.
(February 23, 2014 - 6:01 pm)
One horrible Frankenstein of a book-turned-movie is Ella Enchanted. I'm sorry for those of you who like the movie, but it's awful. In a lovely compliment to that, the book is really quite good. Read it and the movie will die in your eyes. (probably)
That is all I have to say at the moment.
Captcha says agan. Say again, Captcha?
(February 23, 2014 - 6:19 pm)
The book was awesome. The movie was ok too, but it wasn't nearly close enough to the original (what the heck was it with the barmy uncle???). It was fine as a movie standpoint but as an adaption of Ella Enchanted, it wasn't nearly good enough.
(February 23, 2014 - 9:07 pm)
I watched the movie before I read the book. I love both, but I do not see them as the same thing. They are definitely telling different stories.
(February 24, 2014 - 8:38 am)
I wish someone'd do a live-action movie of The Once and Future King. They made a Disney version of the first part, but it wasn't all that good and everyone's doing fantasy films now. Admittedly there aren't many battles in the book and most of the action is internal and witty, but it might work kind of like a play.
Also, I'd love it if they made another remake of The Prisoner of Zenda. It's been sixty years since the last one. And they should totally do the sequel, Rupert of Hentzau. No one's done that yet, and they're both quite entertaining, swashbuckling kind of films.
(February 26, 2014 - 11:12 pm)
Oh my gosh Madeline, do NOT watch the Harry Potter movies. i watched the first four and i was horrified! I think they completely ruin everything! Now, the books rock. Remus Lupin is my fav!
(July 9, 2014 - 12:49 pm)