Successful favorite book-to-movie adaptations

[ethiostar]

I think it's very rare that a great book is adapted successfully into a movie. Even more rare to be satisfied when your personal favorite books make it to the screen. Sometimes the casting and acting is awful, or they don't stay true to the book, or they leave out what you thought was a crucial element in the book, etc.....

The thread about Lonesome Dove reminded me about this. So, my question is two folds,....

1.Which adaptations of your personal favorite books were you satisfied/happy with? (2 or 3 books, if any)

2. If there is one book you like that you would want to see on the big screen which book would it be?

Here are mine.
1. There are two adaptations i was happy with. The first is obviously Lonesome Dove. Great book and great movie. Second, I was so nervous when i heard they were making a movie out of this one, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I love all five volumes but the movie is mainly based on the first one. It wasn't a flawless adaptation but i was pleasantly surprised on how good the movie turned out. It could've gone so wrong.

2. I've been hearing, for the last 10 years or so, that there are plans to make a movie out of this book but nothing yet. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. One of those books that i re-read every now and then. The lead character just takes you on an emotional roller coaster.

What say you.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Band of Brothers, although it was produced as a TV series

great book, great show, true to form

 

[ethiostar]

Band of Brothers, although it was produced as a TV series

great book, great show, true to form

I haven't read the book but the TV series was great. The lead actor, who is now on the show 'Life', did a fantastic job.

I think i may go to half priced books and pick it up some day soon

 

[burmafrd]

band of brothers may come about as close as you can get. I was lucky enough to talk to Dick Winters not long after the Mini series came out, and he said that for Hollywood they did a real good job. Said that Saving Private Ryan was the only other movie he ever saw that came close to showing the real thing.

Apollo 13, based on the Book Lost Moon, was pretty close as well.

 

[SultanOfSix]

The Lord of the Rings.

 

[bbgun]

The Exorcist
The Godfather
To Kill a Mockingbird
Hunt for Red October

 

[ethiostar]

oh i forgot about A Clockwork Orange.

 

[ethiostar]

The Lord of the Rings.

I don't know if you already know this but there is a website called, The Hunt for Gollum, a 30-40 minute independent film you can watch for free. I've heard some good things about it.

 

[SultanOfSix]

I don't know if you already know this but there is a website called, The Hunt for Gollum, a 30-40 minute independent film you can watch for free. I've heard some good things about it.

I'll check it out.

This was another good adaptation of the "Lord of the Rings" :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yqVD0swvWU

 

[DallasEast]

1.Which adaptations of your personal favorite books were you satisfied/happy with? (2 or 3 books, if any)

2. If there is one book you like that you would want to see on the big screen which book would it be?

1. ******. bbgun beat me on Exorcist and Mockingbird. I'll add Jaws.

2. Age of Apocalypse. It would be a massive undertaking for any studio, but it would fit right in with the X-Men franchise. However, I would hope that it would be broken up into multiple movies instead of condensed into only one like The Watchmen.

 

[ethiostar]

I'll check it out.

This was another good adaptation of the "Lord of the Rings" :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yqVD0swvWU

:laugh2:

 

[bbgun]

1. ******. bbgun beat me on Exorcist and Mockingbird. I'll add Jaws.

Ban me. After the "waiter" and "Letterman-Palin" threads, I could use the rest.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I would like to see "The Marines of Autumn" turned into a movie

 

[DallasEast]

Ban me. After the "waiter" and "Letterman-Palin" threads, I could use the rest.

No. You must suffer along with the rest of us. Sorry.

 

[theogt]

Lord of the Rings was good both movie and book.

 

[Doomsday]

Lord of the Rings was good both movie and book.

The Bourne series

 

[theogt]

The Bourne series

I've heard the adaptation was pretty loose, though.

 

[ethiostar]

Lord of the Rings was good both movie and book.

I must be the only person who still hasn't read the book. I enjoyed the movies though.

 

[Hostile]

Shogun

Lonesome Dove

Lord of the Rings series, in particular Fellowship of the Ring.

The Green Mile

 

[bbgun]

Wizard of Oz
Grapes of Wrath
Capricorn One (cheesy and implausible, but I liked it)
Scrooge (1953 version)