One of our foxes asked, “What is your favorite book to film adaptation and why?”
This is going to be a very short post.
Five years ago, the book-to-movie question was phrased by our senior fox this way: “Do you ever go to see movies because you read the books they were based on? Why did you like or dislike them?” My answer at that time is posted HERE. Basically, I don’t watch many movies. I also tend to avoid film adaptations of books that I’ve read.
It’s not that I dislike movies. I do enjoy them, once in a while. But when I watch a movie, I can’t help feeling that I should be doing something else, like crocheting, doing laundry, or paying bills. So if I’m going to take the time to watch a movie, I prefer to do it at home. And when I’m at home, I rarely have control of what’s on the screen. Consequently, my opportunities for watching movies is quite limited. As for watching movies based on books, my thought is that if I’ve already read the book, I have a difficult time justifying the time to see a story I already know.
I did indulge once last year. When the movie Dumplin’ came out, I watched it on TV. Apparently hubby was asleep, so I had control of the remote for a few hours. I had the book by Julie Murphy, but hadn’t gotten around to finishing it yet. I loved the movie (and since I watched it at home, I loved that I could get other stuff done while watching). Afterward, I finished reading the book, and while I agree with critics that it’s a great story, I liked the movie better. I think it’s probably the fast pace of my life, but I’m not really interested in a lot of backstory and inner thoughts, which aren’t shown in a film. The premise is that an overweight teen and her beauty queen mother have difficulty connecting. She also has trouble accepting the fact that her handsome co-worker is really interested in her romantically. Both the movie and the book tell the story well, but in the book, the heroine seems much more cynical and I found her hard to sympathize with. Also, the ending in the movie was a little more satisfying. I guess this qualifies as my current favorite.
Since the other movies I’ve watched in the last five years were not based on books (as far as I know), this is my only update. One of my kids gave me a gift certificate to our local movie theater, and this week I’m planning to take my grandkids along to watch something they’d like. Chances of them choosing a movie based on a book are slim, so I’m quite sure this will remain my favorite book-to-movie for some time to come.
Angela Schroeder
Patricia Kiyono
Elaine Cantrell
Jeff Salter
Joselyn
Tonette Joyce
Four Foxes, One Hound 
I”m glad you looked up your previous post from Jan. 2015 — that saves me hunting down what I only remembered as a similar theme.
I agree with you that at LOT of backstory tends to slow down the book / movie for me. One reason that I tend NOT to like flashbacks in movies — they also confuse me. Maybe I’m a linear guy!
This week, I’m gonna OUTLINE my “answer” to this topic before I go back and check what I said in 2015… and then compare them. Perhaps my response will be different, but (somehow) I doubt it.
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Yeah, I don’t know how this got past us, it’s been covered.I do unt that mine will be much different from what I mentioned before. Maybe we have different readers? I hope so. I will be pressed for anything else to say, since I have not had time to compare books and movies lately, which I have done before.
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I love movies. Let me qualify that…good movies. Movies, based on a book or not, that use sex, bad language, or senseless violence to sell the movie are those I stay away from. After writing all day, I need to relax without using my eyes to read a book, so I enjoy a well-produced movie, especially if it’s a story I’ve read in a book. Unlike others who had read The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice, and complained that the movies did not follow the books, I loved these movies based on them (With P&P, I’m referring to the one with Janet Ehle and Colin Firth). No, they were not exactly as written, but I accept the fact that certain things written in books will not produce well in a movie. Also, those producing the movies made changes to ensure that the movies flowed well on the screen. I enjoyed the movies for what they were…”BASED” on the books. And they were done extremely well, if you ask me.
One important thing I’ve learned that has helped my own writing is to view the “Special Features” on a well-made movie to see how the movie was made. This glimpse into the production of the movie has often given me ideas which I’ve incorporated into my own writing.
So, yes, I watch movies based on books I love. They help me relax, and they usually teach me something about telling a good story.
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I enjoy the ‘making of the movies’ features, but The Husband does not.I miss a lot. There are some changes, but I will rename movies that I felt were an improvement on their books.I hope you check in on Friday and see if you agree, Sharon.
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Good point, Sharon. A well-written movie plot is often used as a teaching tool in creating a good story. Thanks for weighing in!
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