Movies That Improve On Their Source Material

[Michael*]

So this cropped up recently in another topic and I thought it could make for an interesting subject in its own right. Are there any films that are actually better than the books they're based on?

[katchitup]

I actually can't think of any.....

[Cult Icon]

So this cropped up recently in another topic and I thought it could make for an interesting subject in its own right. Are there any films that are actually better than the books they're based on?

[AnaBBarrosFan]

None.

Books > Movies. Forever.

[Mirror's Venus]

^^^^^ I concur!

[TheBaronOfFratton]

I've been wracking my brains to think of one Michael*, and I have to admit BB and MV are most likely right anyway. But the only one I can think of (which is a bit of a cop-out) is Quantum Of Solace - the book of which (well, short story) involves James Bond telling a tedious story at a dinner party...

[Lkjh]

Hmmm it's very hard, but one that will come close to me would be one flew over the cuckoo's nest.

But only because of the actors are just simply outstanding, not 'source material'-wise

[cherrybomb]

Wonderful topic.

Dennis Lehane's 'Shutter Island'

Although I love love love John le Carré, I do not think 'the Constant Gardener' was his finest work, the movie IMO was better

James Cooper's 'The Last of the Mohicans', the book was terrible, the movie...lovely

From the ones previously mentioned, 'No Country for Old Men' , this is a tough call for me I think Cormac McCarthy --although well known is still a very underrated novelist, sure NCFOM is no 'Blood Meridian' but I thought it was still a fit book, but I can understand the debate of the Coen brothers putting up a very excellent fight...as that movie was just fantastic.

I get really irritated when people like to drop 'the shawshank redemption', one of my all time favorite films but also a very very very fine piece of literature by the iconic Mr. King. I find it troubling that people undervalue the novel because the movie was so excellent.

sorry for any misspellings-have only been using bellazon on my phone lately!

[Michael*]

A lot of good ones so far, and a couple that I didn't actually know started out as books. Here are the four I came up with (two of which have already been mentioned).

 

American Psycho - The relentlessly deadpan style of the book makes it pretty heavy going, while I find the reverse is true of the movie. Bale is outstanding as Bateman.

 

Jurassic Park - By no means is it a bad book, but it's outshone and outclassed by the visual medium.

 

Fight Club - I believe Chuck Palahniuk is on record as saying the movie was an improvement on the book.

 

LA Confidential - A minority viewpoint I suspect, but I much preferred the streamlined, more efficient film to the densely plotted novel.

[Layla90]

I watched "Fried green tomatoes" first and then wanted to read the book but I gave up on reading it after several pages. Guess I just liked the movie more? or maybe should have read the book first :trout:

[Lkjh]

maybe should have read the book first :trout:

That's what happend to me with One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest

However I still think it might be better.

Books can say way way more than films can, but there are also things they can't do.

Comical timing for instance. How could you describe Martini even better?

[nardev]

Soldier Blue for sure. vs. Arrow in the Sun by Theodore V. Olsen (republished as Soldier Blue after the movie was released)

And I like more Blade Runner then Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

[Prettyphile]

Jaws

[Baby]

maybe Stand By Me directed by Rob Reiner from Stephen King's novel. i read the book there is long time ago and i saw the movie the last month so maybe i'm not really objective about it but i think the movie this time is maybe superior to the book.

shining is pretty good too but that's all. all the other stephen King's book are better than the movies. Same about Philip K Dick.

the lord of the ring. extended version of peter jackson (10h30 of movie instead of 9) are as good as the books.

The Pianist of Roman Polanski. the book is fabulous and even this is an autobiography in fact i prefered the movie who's more "romanced" and adrian brody is fabulous and i deeply love the architecture, people's outfits etc even if as usually everybody have new and perfect clothes, the streets are always clean... the movie is wonderful

maybe also Carabet who's amazing and adapted from the book Goodbye to Berlin.

Freaks of Tod Browning, really better than the novel Spurs

from what i heard The Holy Mountain who's better than the book Mount Analogue.

Brazil inspirated by 1984 and as good as the book

and The Fly who remind me and certainly be infuenced by the novel The Metarmorphosis who's not bad but doesn't really interested me and i stopped at the half. should read the other part one day when i will be decided...

[Cult Icon]

American Psycho - The relentlessly deadpan style of the book makes it pretty heavy going, while I find the reverse is true of the movie. Bale is outstanding as Bateman.

Hilarious film. I loved it.

My two favorite scenes for so many reasons, implicit and explicit:

"I think uh....Evelyn...We've lost touch..."

'Lost in translation, White Devil, ' and 'that awkward situation/girl'. Anybody who has lived in NYC has experienced the 'lost in translation' part and most men have dealt with 'that' woman.

[AnaBBarrosFan]

If you made a movie based on the entire bible... I'm sure it would work well as a horror/comedy.

[cherrybomb]

maybe Stand By Me directed by Rob Reiner from Stephen King's novel. i read the book there is long time ago and i saw the movie the last month so maybe i'm not really objective about it but i think the movie this time is maybe superior to the book.

shining is pretty good too but that's all. all the other stephen King's book are better than the movies. Same about Philip K Dick.

[Baby]

i read Stephen King's books when i was 12-16 years old so you know, memory often fails with time. things you remember as cool when you were kid are now bad and vice versa...

i saw The Shawshank Redemption there are few weeks ago. i don't know if the book is better, i haven't read that one but the movie is really amazing!

[cherrybomb]

i read Stephen King's books when i was 12-16 years old so you know, memory often fails with time. things you remember as cool when you were kid are now bad and vice versa...

i saw The Shawshank Redemption there are few weeks ago. i don't know if the book is better, i haven't read that one but the movie is really amazing!

You have to re-read some of his novels! I love re-reading books after years have passed. It's like reading a different book all together. Your views have shifted, your out look on life, your opinions...your intellect. Books change as you grow! I loved Shawshank both the movie and the book. I can't get over how wonderful King's books are. The movies based off them too. The Green Mile, Misery, Shawshank, The Shining, Stand By Me/The Body, Storm of the Century, Stand.

I would like someones perspective on the following though: I loved the movie 'IT', but has anyone read the book? I haven't. Would love to know if you thought the book was better than the film.

[Baby]

i totally forgotten it.

it has been the first movie and book of stephen king i read. the fact is, i just read 2/3 of the story because this is a big novel, often cut in 3 parts and where i lived in the south of france the first cultural store was at 1 hours by car and what i found in the shops near to my parents home was very limited. result i bought the 3rd part of the novel 2 years after the two first parts and it wasn't the same publisher so the story wasn't stopped at the same "level". and i didn't really remembered all the things i read so i have never read the last part and i can't say if what i actually remember come from the movie or the book. i think i prefered the book of course and thought it was darker but i can't if it was good. sorry.

and yes, i should read them again but problems they all are in my parents house and when i visite them i can't take the books because there are years ago my parents have bought a new bibliotheque and now all my stephen king collection (and philip k dick) is locked there and impossible to open the door. every time i spend 10 or 15 minutes trying to open it but nothing work and i often asked them to repair it but because they never read books, they don't give a f*ck about this and i'm blocked.

i spent all the summer to make caving so not really had the time for this kind of stuff but i hope this winter i could.

the last month i've been near to watch running man but apparently i missed nothing. critics are not really good! have you watched it ?