Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
The rules are simple:
- Each Tuesday, Jana assigns a new topic. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want.
- Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to The Artsy Reader Girl in your own Top Ten Tuesday post.
- Add your name to the Linky widget on that day’s post so that everyone can check out other bloggers’ lists.
- Or if you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment on her weekly post.
This week the topic is a Freebie, so I chose: Books Made into Good Movies.
How many times have you read a book only to find out that Hollywood ruined it by adapting it to the big screen? We know this happens all the time, and far too often. However, sometimes the screenwriters get it just right and the results are as good as the original, and a few are even better than their books. Here are some movies that I feel truly did justice to the books upon which they were based. I’m going to list these in order of their movie release dates, in descending order, since I’d prefer not to rank them! (I wish I had book reviews for all of them, but I’m afraid I don’t. For those I’ve never reviewed, you’ll find links to the films on IMDb.)
The Wizard of OZ (1939) – the memory of my father reading this book to me as a child is one of the loveliest ones I have of him. The characters were such that young children could really identify with, and the story was exciting. That said no amount of time can make this lovely movie any less appealing than it was when it was released, and it wasn’t just because this was one of the first movies to be filmed in color. No, everything we got from the book we got in spades from the movie, and even more so because of the great songs and dance numbers. This film is invariably on everyone’s list of favorites and will invariably also show up on most lists of best-loved children’s books.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) – while Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel made her famous, adapting it to the screen must have been no easy task. This story about a black man on trial for the rape of a white woman as told through the eyes of a young girl is both a tale of racial prejudice and the loss of innocence. Filmed when the Civil Rights Movement in the USA was gaining momentum, this movie probably ruffled no small amount of feathers (pun intended) in many viewers. But a masterful job was done with this book and the film received eight Academy Award nominations and went home with three Oscars and is considered one of the best movies of all time.
The Princess Bride (1987) – one of the most unusual and hysterically funny books I’ve ever read. In William Goldman’s novel he claims that all he is doing is giving the world an abridged “good bits” version of a famous novel by one S. Morgenstern, the most beloved author from the country of Florin. Throughout the book Goldman interjects his own commentary and explains the reason for writing the book is because his father read it to him when he was bedridden but when he went to give a copy to his own son (and by the way, Goldman doesn’t actually have any sons), found it to differ greatly from the story he recalled. The movie version plays on this concept and has Peter Falk reading to his sick grandson, played by Fred Savage. The film version was adapted by Goldman himself, and he mentions this in one of the anniversary editions of the book, noting that Stephen King wasn’t happy with the idea of him doing the adaptation! What’s more, if many say this is one of the greatest love stories ever told, it is one that even those who hate love stories can love because of the inclusion of humor, fantasy and adventure elements.
Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) – I actually read and fell in love with the book after I’d already seen this movie and adored it. In both the book and the film there are actually two stories going on in parallel. One is that of a woman who meets an old lady in an old age home and the other is the story the elderly woman tells of her youth. This is achieved with flashbacks in the film, but the book not only jumps between the two times but also includes other tidbits such as recipes, letters and pieces taken from an old local newspaper. All this gives us a portrait of the South with an edge of feminism, from a time and place when that was generally unheard of. Author Fannie Flagg uses this story to parallel how Ninny Threadgoode (Tandy) helps Evelyn Couch (Bates) become more self confident and assertive. Both the book and the film are truly delightful and can be enjoyed equally, and it doesn’t matter which one comes first for you, as the other will just enhance your initial experience. (Oh, and by the way, Flagg has a sequel to this book coming out in late October called The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop!)
Cider House Rules (1999) – this novel by John Irving is hardly the easiest of stories to bring to film, especially since its underlying message is such a controversial one. The message here is that performing abortions and giving a home to unwanted newborns are both “God’s work”. However, only those who have read the book will be aware of this because it was delicately (or perhaps politically) omitted in the movie. Other than this, the adaptation of this book for the big screen is a worthy one and generally true to the original. Although some might consider this film to be slightly on the slow side, Lasse Hallström’s direction is perfectly in tune with the feel of the original novel. Here, rather than include all the rambling sidetracks and background that Irving includes in the book (some of which are on the unsavory side), Hallström allows his central character to follow the main part of the story with a dream-like quality, which is an excellent counterpoint to the absurdity of both life and people one meets. The only small drawback of this film is the less than consistent American accent used by Michael Caine, who plays Dr. Larch. Despite this, the movie won Michael Caine an Oscar and Irving also was awarded one for adaptation of his own novel.
Chocolat (2000) – Joanne Harris became a household name after this movie came out, and if you ask me, rightly so. However, I found that something didn’t work for me in the book – that being that Harris placed it in the 1980s, and for me, I found it hard to believe that even such a small French town would still be so totally religious. The film, however, is set during the 1950s and I believe that this was a great call, which made all the difference. Yes, I did enjoy the book, but I liked the movie just a tiny bit better than the book.
Brokeback Mountain (2005) – According to the website shortlist.com, “When her 1997 short story was filmed by Ang Lee, author Anne Proulx proclaimed: “I may be the first writer in America to have a piece of writing make its way to the screen whole and entire”.” Well, I couldn’t agree more with the author’s own assessment. This is probably partially due to the fact that what Proulx wrote was a short story, which made it easier to turn into a full-length movie without losing any of the essential elements. This is probably one of the most heartfelt and tragic love stories I’ve ever read, which made for an absolutely amazing film, that fully deserved the Oscars it won.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006) – Okay, so… I wasn’t totally thrilled with this book, to be completely honest, because I think that the ending really let it down. No lessons really learned, no real consequences for anyone, and no triumphs either. It was like… so, why are you telling us this story? Just to show you how stupid people can be? I didn’t really get it. However, I think that the movie had an equally poor ending, which mirrored the novel to perfection, and left me feeling just as unsatisfied. That means that for me, the movie adaptation was equally as good (or should I say, equally as disappointing) as the novel! Take your pick.
The Help (2011) – I read Kathryn Stockett’s book just before the movie came out, and I very much enjoyed the concept, the story, and the writing. Regarding the movie, I wasn’t really happy with the choice of Emma Stone as Skeeter Phelan because she’s not really tall enough for the part at a nice but not very stately 5’6″! Of course, with the CGI they can perform these days, they surely did make her look taller, so that helped. My only other problem with the movie adaptation was it wasn’t quite as subtle as the book (particularly when it came to the part about the chocolate pie. I won’t say more if you haven’t read the book or seen the film, because… spoiler)! Now, don’t get me wrong – I know all about the cultural problems with this book and the movie. My point with this post is to find movies that did justice to the book, or improved even slightly on the book, even if both were flawed.
The Book Shop (2017) – Penelope Fitzgerald’s novel was very good, beautifully written, and with an interesting plot, but not outstanding for me. I think my biggest problem with the book was that it didn’t age very well. However, I only read this novel (or rather novella) after I saw this movie. Once again, I believe that the screenwriters did an excellent job of translating this to the big screen, and perhaps improved upon the original. I particularly liked how they added a very nice ending that wasn’t in the book. Purists will probably disagree, but there you go.
Honorable mentions go to: the 1933 version of “Little Women” staring Katharine Hepburn, and the 1939 version of Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” staring Laurence Olivier. In addition, there have been several successful adaptations of various Jane Austen novels – but that should be the subject of a separate article!
How about you? Which books have you read that you’ve found their film adaptations to equal or better their books?
The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog 
I remembered “The Trouble with Angels”, an old Disney flick about two girls who enter a convent – the feisty one that no one expects will make it is the one who does. I thought I might show it to my kids, but I’ve learned never to trust memories of movies from decades past, so I watched it again – still enjoyed it, kid-safe. Then I learned there was a book – looked it up on Amazon. It was out of print, and $70 for a copy. Not that interested. A friend was a librarian, and she said, “Oh, I can get that for you through inter-library loan.” She did, and then I learned how incredibly much better the Disney movie was than the two-star novel.
The same can be said in my opinion of the Mary Poppins books. The movie was far superior.
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Ah well, I never read the Mary Poppins book, but I have my problems with the movie (actually, the big problem with Dick Van Dyke’s accent).
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I have to admit, I’ve always hated the Wizard of Oz movie cringes but I am a bit curious to try the book and see how I feel about that. Yes to The Princess Bride! The book is hilarious! I think the movie doesn’t quite have the same level of humor, but I agree it is a fantastic movie. Both are great.
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Lovely post! I think North and South with Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe is better than the book. That final scene is the most romantic one ever made.
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Oh, I don’t know that book or the movie!
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It’s a BBC miniseries with Richard Armitage. I highly recommend it. The book is in public domain and can be found online on Project Gutenberg 😉💕
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Great list! I finally convinced my daughter to watch Princess Bride last week. I also really enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada, OZ, and others on your list. I would add the Harry Potter series.
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Yes, well… although I did read most of the Harry Potter books, I started to get bored with the movies after the first two. Which, come to think of it, is much like I was with the books. The first one was fun and then… they steadily got increasingly boring, and I gave up in the middle of the next to last one. With the movies, I think I saw three before losing interest, so in that sense, the movies weren’t equal to the books.
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I love that you included so many classics! I grew up watching The Wizard of Oz. I loved the movie and the book.
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I have read / watched a few of these, but you have noted several more I would like to read and then watch. The top two would be Fried Green Tomatoes (since I was raised in the South), and Cider House Rules.
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That was the top two I want to read. The top two already read would be To Kill a Mockingbird and Princess Bride.
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Just so you know, Cider House Rules might be a trigger for some people, because it is about a doctor at an orphanage that specializes in helping women get rid of their unwanted babies – by either helping them have the child (which they leave there), or by giving them an abortion.
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I don’t think that would bother me, although I agree it is a sensitive subject and I appreciate the warning.
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I had to say, because another blogger old me she couldn’t read that book because of this.
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I’ve watched/read all but The Book Shop. I’ve actually never heard of it and need to go look it up 🙂
Here’s my TTT post.
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Yes, I like all of these you have listed that I have seen. And I am a person who generally does not like movie adaptations.
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There’s always exceptions to every rule!
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What a great post! Brokeback Mountain is such a beautiful book and film, I adore them both. I agree with you that it’s one of very few times that a film encompasses everything that was in the book.
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Well, it was a short story, so it is easier to adapt!
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I enjoy the book Stardust by Neil Gaiman but the movie is so good, mainly because of Robert de Niro’s role!
I do love the move of The Princess Bride too!
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Okay, I seriously adore this list. Every single film on it is excellent. I especially love rewatching The Princess Bride when I’m having a bad day. It’s such a pick-me-up.
My TTT .
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Glad you liked it!
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Do you know I wasn’t aware there was a film version of The Bookshop? I will now have to search for it.
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It wasn’t a really big release film, mostly for British audiences, I think… but I liked it.
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I’m always on the lookout for movie recommendations, thanks so much for this list! 😀
Here’s my TTT if you want to have a look https://readwithstefani.com/10-books-i-want-to-read-by-the-end-of-2020/ Have a great day ahead!
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Great list. Have seen and read most of these. One adaptation I love is Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. (I love the stage version too.) Although the film misses out – or only hints at – one of the plotlines, I thought it was well cast, well acted and so beautifully shot.
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Interesting… I never read that book, and I don’t think I saw the movie, either.
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Great list! I love The Princess Bride, and growing up I watched Return to Oz and adored it–it’s a but more sinister than the original book, but I loved a creepy film as a child. To this day, though, two of my favourite adaptations are the 1993 version of The Secret Garden and 1995 version of A Little Princess. I LOVE those films.
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Never read those books, I’m afraid, and I don’t think I know the films, either.
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2001: A Space Odyssey is one pairing where I think both the book and the film enhance each other, hardly surprising since that’s how Kubrick and Clarke intended them. I’d tried watching the film a couple of times and found it pretty dull, and then I read the book, “got” it, re-watched the film and this time found it stunning!
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Ah… never read the book, although I did see the film, which I remember I liked, but didn’t understand. Science Fiction isn’t really my thing, though!
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I really enjoyed reading your post, Davida – it brings back memories of the books and films! I haven’t read or seen The Princess Bride, Fried Green Tomatoes, Cider House Rules (book, I have watched the film), or The Book Shop, but I agree about the others, especially The Help.
Even though Keira Knightly is in the film version of Atonement I do think it’s as good as the book and I enjoyed the film Lincoln with Daniel Day Lewis so much that I bought the book it’s loosely based on Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin – but I haven’t read it yet!
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I never read Atonement, and I probably wouldn’t watch the film because of her, so… I did see that film about Lincoln with DDL and it was very good, but I didn’t read the book, so…
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I loved Fried Green Tomatoes but never read the book. Same with The Princess Bride, now that I think about it.
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For me the film version of The Princess Bride is better than the book. Maybe because I read it after seeing the film so many times. My favorite book to film adaptation is the Pride and Prejudice version with Keira Knightly. I never grow tired of rewatching it. 😍 Great choice this week!
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We will have to agree to disagree on that one. Both my husband and I totally HATE Knightly, and can’t stand watching her in anything. We loved the Colin Firth TV series version, and even have it on DVD!
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Oh wow. Hate is such a strong word. What did the lovely Keira Knightly ever do to you? 😉 While I do love Keira Knightly, I also think the film is visually stunning.
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Sorry… what bothers me most about her, is that she always seems to be sneering at everyone, and it feels like she takes herself so seriously all the time. Gets on my nerves! Lighten up, woman! Plus, she’s so full of herself… Sorry!
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Davida, I totally agree with you about Knightly – I can’t stand watching her either, but I must be the only person who thinks that Colin Firth, even though I like him in other things he’s done, notably The King’s Speech, is not right for Mr Darcy. He’s not as I visualised him from reading Pride and Prejudice – but then who would be?
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Well… physically, no Firth isn’t perfect as Mr. Darcy, but he does SUCH a great job with it, that I have to forgive them for casting him.
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The Shining was great in both. Can’t think of others…
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Never read or saw The Shining, I’m afraid. Not my genre.
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The film is Hitchcock, not the book. lol
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Ah…
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This is such a good topic! I really like Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca. Great book and great film!
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Oh, I never read that book or saw that movie!
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I didn’t read or see the movie for two of them. Enjoyed all the others.
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The Princess Bride was one of the few times I thought the movie was as good as or maybe even a little better than the book. The other is The sound of Music — the movie was much, much better than the book.
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See, I never read the book of the Sound of Music – its an autobiography by Maria, right? That’s why it isn’t on this list. I had to have read the book AND seen the movie.
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Great post Davida. I have seen all of these except The Book Shop, and read all the books except The Devil Wore Prada and The Book Shop. I totally agree that the movies were awesome.
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Well, not necessarily awesome, but were at the very least, equal to or a bit better than the books.
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😄😄
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Hi! This is a fun list. I scheduled my TTT to be released at midnight here as well and it, too, has a book-movie theme.
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Great minds think alike, then!
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Great post Davida! I love Princess Bride! I love a great book to movie adaptation! Honestly, Cider House Rules is one of my least fav films because of its message….but it probably was a good adaptation! I wonder how long it will be until we can go back to the movies?! I had hoped to see News of the World in theaters in December….but I’m increasingly doubtful that will happen.
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Yes! Especially The Wizard of Oz and The Princess Bride!
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