♥ Nothing Better Than Reading!! ♥ discussion

What is your opinion of book-to-film adaptions?

Usually they are okay, but rarely as good as the book - with a few exceptions like The Green Mile

I know my son was NOT thrilled with the film adaptation of the first Percy Jackson film adaptation. So much so that he refused to even go to the second one or even watch it on demand or even the movie channels. Sometimes key elements are left out, or endings change (Grapes of Wrath comes to mind, although it was a great film). But, a lot of the time the film is not as good as the movie. I think it is because reading is an active past time while watching a movie is passive. In reading you are always predicting, using your imagination to "see" characters, feel out characters. In a film someone has done all this they way they see it. It is not always the way we personally see it.

Generally I don't think the film is ever as good as the book but there are some which have worked really well. Harry Potter for example. The good thing about the film's is they encourage people and kids in particular to start reading.

Some authors seem to transfer better to the screen than others. John Grisham's books were always better than the film equivalents, but Tom Clancy's books did make good films, at least if you like that sort of thing. My golden rule is always read the book before you see the film. If I do it the other way around, I find that my imagination is constrained by my memories of the film.

Most of them are very dissapointing. You read a book and you imagine the characters but then you see the movie and in some ways for me, the take away the magic because sometimes for sript purposes they take the best parts out.

I'm not the type who is disappointed with movie adaptations. I like to read the book and see the movie close together so I can pick out the differences. I consider them separate entities and I don't expect movies to follow the books exactly, some things just can't be carried over.

While I do think there are certain characters and series' that have made the switch from book-to-movie successfully (Hunger Games, HP franchise) I think it's very rare that the hype surrounding a movie lives up to the book.

The Maze Runner, for example. They pushed it, and pushed it, and commercials seemed to be on every TV channel...and then I personally didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Don't get me wrong, it was good; but I feel like they could've done more with it. Also, there are some failed theatrically-released movies that just bombed completely (coughcough "Eragon"coughcough) and I think that just makes superfans of the book really apprehensive sometimes.

I am not usually one to tear a movie adapted-from-a-book completely apart; there are, as I've said, adaptions that pull it off, and pull it off well. I will say, though, that I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to watch the TFIOS movie. I identify with Mr. John Green, and I love him, and his work to the moon and back, a million times over. I know he supposedly had major involvement behind the scenes, but I just feel like putting such a good book into a movie is like - I just don't know...it feels wrong, to me. Like blasphemy somehow.

It really depends on the book and/or movie. I do seem to think they are okay if it's been a long time since I've read them. I think I need to have time to forget every little detail and just be able to be okay with a broader picture of the story.

Melissa, I actually LOVED TFOS movie. I was really worried about it, but I think they did a great job.

Usually they're ok, but they're never as good as the book though.

some movies are good to the book. like the outsiders. others are just a disappointment to me like twilight and divergent

Generally, books are better than the films.

That always depends on the book and film in question. Everyone comes away from a book viewing the characters in a certain way and interpreting the story in their own way; therefore it is extremely difficult for film adaptations to be "accurate". I always enjoy reading a book and anticipating the film adaptation. Sometimes the film is horrible in my opinion, sometimes it's great! But it's like that with any film, even if you haven't read the book. For me it's exciting to continue a book by watching the film afterwards, even if the film isn't that great. :)

I usually think that the films are not as good as the books.

I MUCH rather prefer a book over a movie adaptation any day. With a movie, u watch it, talk about it, and mist forget pieces of the film,....... bhy with a book, when u read the words they seem to stick with ya long (at least they do with me).
sitting down and holding a book is more meaningful.
But there are films that do accurately portray their.literary sires. More often than not, books are CHANGED for the sake of Hollywood, and in some cases it works, but in MOST cases, it doesnt. Divergent was an alright move, but not as good.as the book. Harry Potter series was more or less acccurate to the books, but not as informative as the books (u miss a lot in the movies that are in the books). The Twilight series, well, lets not even grt started on it. lol
So all in all, I prefer books, but I do love movies lol

Aisha wrote: "When we read a book our mind itself imagines the scenery and a lot of things. In reality we made a wonderful imagination of book in our mind and when we watch film adaptations of these books we are..."

I agree about watching a movie version of a book first...it helps me to separate the two stories completely. Sometimes though, I'll read a book, and then purposely let months and months pass, until I see the movie. (I did that with "Divergent".) That way, by the time I watch the movie version, the original book is less fresh in my mind.

There are people who purposely re-read a book to prep for the movie version, but I'm not one of them, generally.

I always read the book before I see the movie, so I have something to compare :). Some film adaptations are awful, like the Harry Potter series, and others are awesome, like The Maze Runner.

Most of the time the movies are okay, but nothing like the book. And if they are anything like the book, they are horrible.

Generally I prefer the book version to the movie version, but there are a few recent films that have broken the norm for me. Namely, "The Great Gatsby" and "Mockingjay."

@Maggie, I agree with you about "Great Gatsby", for sure!

That was a beautiful movie. (Not to mention I love Mr. DiCaprio... :)

Always, always, I silently pray that it's a good director and generous producer that gets to make the movies. Small changes and alterations to the story are okay as long as its not trivial or bizarre. One example I like is Maze Runner! I haven't read the book, but oh boy the movie was awesome!!! I've read some critique that the book wasn't as good as the movie.

I try not to compare the two since they are completely different art forms. But I usually like the book better. The only exception would be The House of Sand and Fog. To me, the movie was more poignant than the book.

Kylie wrote: "I always read the book before I see the movie, so I have something to compare :). Some film adaptations are awful, like the Harry Potter series, and others are awesome, like The Maze Runner."

Thank you! The HP movies...so much bad child acting lol

Just because a book is made into a film does not mean the book is always the better version. I can list a few books where I thought the movie was better: The Mist, Requiem for a Dream, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Disappearing Acts just to name a few.

I think that some are done well. I actually love it sometimes when a series gets adapted into a book or movie. They can only ruin it if the go way off track from the story and how the characters are (looking at you blood and chocolate)

They usually aren't as good some are better - Jaws as an example.

MichaXO wrote: "Just because a book is made into a film does not mean the book is always the better version. I can list a few books where I thought the movie was better: The Mist, [book:Requiem for a..."

I disliked The Mist a lot, but I agree with you big time on Requiem. Didn't like the writing style for the book, the movie had a lot going for it, especially the acting and Clint Mansells' outstanding score.

I'm fine with it as long as the author didn't sell the rights like most people do. After doing so they need to make sure the movie is accurate and not going to break the hearts of fangirls everywhere. All book to film adaptations have to be at the same level of Harry Potter and The Hunger Games if not authors should at least give fangirls a fair warning about changes so we are prepared because I swear on the lives of my fictional boyfriends if they try to make another movie like Percy Jackson or a TV show like The Selection I will walk to the studio and shut down the production of it because they are just wasting my precious time and books.

I have a rule in my house that you HAVE TO read the book before watching the movie.

I read Game of Thrones but the show is boring me.

We HATED Stuart Little the book, but LOVE the movie.

I can watch LotR and The Hobbit many many times...or read it over and over.

It almost is always worse than the books. I know everything thats in the book can't be in the movie but I can't stand when major things are changed in the movie. Not all the movies are bad but a lot that I've seen are.

Michelle wrote: "I have a rule in my house that you HAVE TO read the book before watching the movie.

I read Game of Thrones but the show is boring me.

We HATED Stuart Little the book, but LOVE the movie.

I can w..."

Exactly.. I do have that rule..

It depends. I think very few movies measure up to the quality of the book and a lot of movies lose parts of stories which are very important in the books. However, there are some movies which I wouldn't say are better but at the same level as the books. Catching Fire & Divergent, I think were amazing movies. They all are pretty good as just movies but if you are a bookworm ( like me ) they don't have the same appeal.

My rule: Always read the book first and judge the separately so as not to be disappointed in the movie.

Firstly, movie doesn't bring everything you'd have read in a book. Main thing is, the movie restricts your way of picturing things you've read. Also, the picturing might or might not be better than yours.

I'm nearly always disappointed by the movie.Even a very good movie skips far too much of the original text.
so far best movie is probably the Lord of the Ring Trilogy and worst (or one of the worst..) The Shining.

Some of them are good, lots of them leave me wondering.
For instance, two I really liked were Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola and Blade Runner.

OK if they are done correctly. I know there are some parts that need to be taken out or changed and I am fine with that as long as the ending or the critical parts aren't messed with. (Case and point the ending in the movie for My Sister's Keeper was totally different than the ending in the book. NO good!!!)

I love the idea of them, but I always leave the theater unsatisfied of the amount of detail they leave out

It can be a good idea and work if it is directed well, and the scrip is made with care, and the people behind the making of it knows what happens in the god damn books!

I also think certain books work better as animated TV series adaptions, and others are better for movies adaptions - I think it depends on the material its basted on.

I guess it really depends. Sometimes I feel like a book series should be turned into a movie and it does. Sometimes my favorite series I can totally picture being a movie but it never is. It depends on the director and if they really took time to read the book and allow the author to be a big part of it like a co-director or something because after all it was their idea.

The book is always better than the movie. Always.

I generally have very low expectations.