If you read a book and it's adapted to film, is it usually what you imagine it to be?

[Lamplight]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

Sometimes I think it's harder for a script-writer(s) to adapt a novel - and please the author and the producers - than it is to write an original script, or base a script on a novella or a short story. Brokeback Mountain, based on the Annie Proulx short story, would've been easier to do since the screenwriters were at liberty to flesh out the story with dialogue.

Absolutely. I know I wouldn't want that job!

[jtur88]

Yes, I imagine that a movie based on a book will be terrible and a huge disappointment, and it always is.

[xiansheng_g]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

The beauty of fiction is that each person visualizes the characters, scenery.etc differently based on his or her own personal perceptions/filters. When that book is adapted into a film, then the characters and locales come to life, but it also takes away some of the magic of imagination from it. It shatters that imaginery world you have created and replaces it with the ideas of the film-makers and producers. Sometimes with or without input from the authors. Oftentimes, it's not at all how I imagined it when I read the book. Tom Hanks in the Da Vinci Code is one example. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was one which, weirdly enough, was almost exactly how I imagined it when I read it. There are too many others that I can't remember but those are just two examples. Commonly Hollywood totally butchers a book - I understand scripts aren't the same as novels, but often the dialogue is totally butchered or worse, the whole story is changed like 'My Sister's Keeper' which was a great read. When my mum saw it and told me they'd totally changed the ending I didn't even want to see it. Also, Cameron Diaz is the last person I imagined would play that role. Disney films are notorious for totally changing the original story, but I think it's forgivable. Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland and the Jungle Book all stand out. All great novels in their own right, but Disney did not follow them at all. While Pinocchio the film was quite dark in parts, the original novel by Collodi was surprisingly 'adult' in parts.

Also, a related question. Once you read a book do you normally make an effort to see the film adaptation?

I read the three books prior to seeing the original Swedish film, and I'm glad that I did because the film was just as intense as the books.

[Trimac20]

Originally Posted by xiansheng_g

I read the three books prior to seeing the original Swedish film, and I'm glad that I did because the film was just as intense as the books.

I always read the book before seeing the film. If I see the film then I won't bother to spend time to read the book since I already know what happens. I agree, very pleased with the film adaptations. I'm not even going to see this new one with Daniel Craig in it. What would be the point?

[skel1977]

LOTR, yes
A Game of Thrones, yes
Watchmen, yes

Mostly everything else, no

[Ceece]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

The Shining is one of the rare examples where both the movie and the book are good. Kubrick's Shining is completely different than King's Shining, but they both work.

This was actually one of my biggest adaptation dissapointments! It was a favorite book of mine and it played in my head so well that when I saw the screen version it was like a different story altogether. I think the two main stars were horribly miscast for the characters and even though it's considered an iconic Nicholson role it was just too over the top for me.

[LibraGirl123]

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

In reverse, I saw The Prince of Tides movie first and thought it wasn't bad. The next day I mentioned it to a friend, who shook her head and said she hated it because she'd read the book first.

Then I read the book and was angry at how the movie was about ten percent of the story told in the book. The title character BARELY EVEN APPEARS IN THE MOVIE.

When I read the title of this thread, one of the movies that came to mind was Prince of Tides, but for a different reason than yours. I could totally picture Nick Nolte as Tom Wingo, but Barbra Streisand looked nothing (to me) like the Susan Lowenstein described in the book.

[the minx]

Books always have so much more texture for me. Film adaptations have never been the same.

I prefer reading over movies so that might have something to do with it.