Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish. This week’s theme is:
Top Ten Tuesday REWIND!
Pick from previous topics that you want to do again or may have missed. My choice is:
Top Ten Book to Movie Adaptations
Not all book to movie adaptations are good (some are downright terrible in fact!) but there are some really great adaptations that break the mold. Most of the time I will always prefer the book but the movies have their merits too. Here are my top ten book to movie adaptations of all time:
1. Watchmen
Many fans of the graphic novel (I am classing it as a book though as the story is extremely complex) were very disappointed by Zach Snyder’s vision of the film but I personally loved it! To be fair, I saw the film prior to reading the novel which may have made me slightly more forgiving of some of the liberties it took with the story. However, although I agree that the novel is superior I still really love the film.
2. Harry Potter
All of the books/films really. The films in no way eclipse the brilliance of the books for me but I still think they are really fun and showcase the best of British acting talent (not that all the cast is British but close enough!). I feel as if I grew up with the main characters (even though I actually didn’t start reading the books until I was in my late teens/early twenties. They will always hold a special place in my heart.
3. Stand by Me
I know it is technically a novella (part of the Different Seasons collection) but it is one of my all-time favourite films so I am including it, technicalities be damned! The novella is good but the film is absolutely amazing. A tear-jerking coming-of-age film, Stand By Me never ceases to make me cry, especially during the scene where River Phoenix’s character Chris Chambers fades from the screen – a sad reflection of what was to come for this young actor (yup – huge River fan here!) One of my all-time favourite adaptations!
4. The Princess Bride
Love the book, love the film even more! One of my favourites (and another Rob Reiner film – he also directed Stand By Me). The Princess Bride is a classic film – it never fails to cheer me up when I watch it (and I have watched it a lot!). Westley was ideal man when I was younger, moreso when he became a swashbuckling pirate though! A fun film for all the family to enjoy.
5. Watership Down
Despite the fact that this animated film managed to scare the crap out of me when I was a child (that bit at the beginning with all the other animals slaughtering the rabbits traumatised me for life!) I still completely adore the film. Although not as powerful as the book, it is still a really worthy adaptation in my eyes. I still really enjoy watching it whenever it comes on the television (I also own the DVD but I am pretty lazy and can never bother trying to find things to watch!)
6. To Kill A Mockingbird
Perhaps the only book I read in school that I didn’t immediately hate (I later re-read almost all of the books I was made to read and pretty much loved them all but it always seems a chore when you are reading for school). To Kill A Mockingbird is a rare book that I loved even when I was being made to read it by my out-of-touch teachers. The movie is also excellent (I love Gregory Peck in this!). A true classic in every sense of the word.
7. The Hunger Games
One of the best YA book series I have ever read. I didn’t expect much from the films but was very pleasantly surprised by how well done they were. Well, I’m obviously just referring to the first two as Mockingjay is not out yet! Jennifer Lawrence makes a fine Katniss and the supporting cast are pretty spot-on too. Love Woody Harrelson even though he is not who I pictured as Haymitch at all.
8. The Last of the Mohicans
This one might be a bit of a cheat as I have never been able to get through the entire novel. The movie just blew me away from the very first time I saw it and it continues to be a favourite. Daniel Day Lewis never really rocked my socks but I always had a teeny crush on his brother in the film: Uncas (played by Eric Schweig).
9. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
The film did a good job of capturing the nuances of the book. I felt that Kat Dennings and Michael Cera had good chemistry. It is not my favourite film (or book) but I thought the adaptation translated very well. It maintained the spirit of the book.
10. The Lord of the Rings trilogy
This could have failed big-time for me. As a colossal fan of the books so the movies had a lot to live up to. Even though there were some changes that irked me (the whole Faramir plot change for one plus the whole Sam as the ultimate hero part really bugged), I still really loved the films and was overall happy with Peter Jackson’s vision.
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Nice list! The Faramir plot changed bugged me too – he’s my favorite character, why’d they have to mess him up? You’re right though, overall a great adaptation of the book. Emma Thompson screen adaptation of Sense & Sensibility is another great one!
I know right? Kind of ruined the character for me a little. 🙁 I still love the films though!!
Oooh forgot about Sense and Sensibility…you’re right it was an excellent adaptation – I have a bit of a thing for Alan Rickman too – my friends think I am strange lol. 😉
I love the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice as well.
Alan Rickman is awesome! Although, when I first saw Sense & Sensibility, I’d only ever seen Alan Rickman as a bad guy (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves traumatized me as a child), so I kept thinking they were going to change the story to make Colonel Brandon the bad guy! It was that role, and his hilarious turn in Galaxy Quest, that convinced me of what a terrific actor he is. And then, of course, Snape! Yeah, I love Alan Rickman too. 🙂
The BBC P&P is fabulous! In general, miniseries can do better justice to books than films can (unless great special effects are needed).
That was the first thing I saw him in too – he totally stole the movie but he was scary at the same time lol. I love him in everything but Snape is a favourite! It’s his voice – it can totally give you chills. I like Benedict Cumberbatch for the same reason!
I think so too. I much preferred the Jane Eyre mini-series to the movie even though I do like Michael Fassbender (though he is maybe a bit too good-looking for Rochester).
I’m assuming you’ve seen Benedict do his impression of Alan Rickman? So funny!
I haven’t seen the latest film version of Jane Eyre, but I really liked the Ruth Wilson mini-series. I think my favorite is still the 1943 film with Orson Welles & Joan Fontaine. It was my first introduction to the story, and even though it’s not entirely faithful to the book it’s so gloomy and atmospheric that I just love it!
Indeed I have! It is very funny. 😀 The mini-series was excellent. I have always really liked Toby Stephens so it was a win for me! I actually don’t think I have seen that version – will need to seek it out. 😉
Yeah, just writing about it made me want to re-watch. 🙂 I’m headed to the library today (it’s Story Hour day for my daughter), so I’ll check there.
I love both the book and film adaptations of To Kill a Mockingbird. I know that books are almost always better than film adaptations but I try to appreciate both separately for what they are(even though sometimes it is difficult, especially when a movie butchers the plot or character(s) )
Great list!!!
To Kill a Mockingbird is just such a great story I think it works in any medium. 🙂
I try to do the same but sometimes I can be a bit of a book snob – especially when it comes to changes they make though I try not to nitpick too much lol.
Great pick. I agree with so many of these, but I still need to read and watch The Princess Bride, these needs to happen soon. Nice list 🙂 My TTT.
You must – it’s a great film. 😉
Lol – I like your pick for this week! I am totally the same – my house is stuffed with books. the only reason I can still buy more is I switched to mostly buying for my kindle. My other half is the same – he isn’t a reader himself so whenever I buy another book he is always going ‘but you have so many you haven’t read yet!’ Silly boy doesn’t realize that is part of the fun lol. 😉
Great list! I love all of the Harry Potter books as well, even if they cannot hold nearly as much information as the books (I would have been okay with longer movies, I could watch them forever!). I also think that The Hunger Games and Catching Fire were well done, too. Jennifer Lawrence is an amazing Katniss, and I think that Woody plays Haymitch so well, he’s perfect for the role.
Thanks! I love the Harry Potter series but I really had to separate the books and movies in my mind – otherwise I was constantly comparing the two lol. 🙂