Classics With Modern Adaptations

Posted September 19, 2018 by Brin in Memes, Top 5 Wednesday / 1 Comment

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Classics With Modern Adaptations

I’m spinning this week’s topic a little because most of my favourite classics already have modern adaptations! It’s like movies often take their inspiration from works that have gone before or something. 😉 I consider myself a bit of a film buff as well as being a certified bookworm so this topic is right up my street!

1. 10 Things I Hate About You

10 Things I Hate About You is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ and it is one of my favourite teen romances from the late 1990’s. Julia Stiles was pitch perfect as the prickly Katarina and Heath Ledger (sniff) was suitably hunky as the enigmatic Patrick. A perfect modern-day adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s classics.

2. Clueless

Clueless is like, totally the quintessential 1990’s teen comedy! It just so happens to be an adaptation of Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ – who says that there is no life in those stuffy old classics eh? It is definitely one of my favourite adaptations – it never fails being charming and still has the power to make me smile.

3. Cruel Intentions

It’s not the first adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ novel ‘Les Liaisons dangereuses’ but it is definitely the first to apply it to a modern setting. This film is twisted in all the right ways. Cruel Intentions originally came to my attention because of Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy fan here!) but there is so much more here to enjoy.

4. Crime and Punishment in Suburbia

Crime and Punishment in Suburbia is such an underappreciated film. Based on Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, it’s a film that really spoke to me as a teen and it’s criminal it isn’t more well-known. I can’t speak for the classic itself (I haven’t read it – for shame!) but it is definitely a worthwhile film.

5. She’s the Man

I really love She’s Then Man and I thought Amanda Bynes was both charming and hilarious in it. It’s based on William Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night, or What You Will’. It also has a similar plot to a 1980’s film called Just One Of The Guys (which as it turns out after a little googling is also an adaptation from ‘Twelfth Night’!) 😀