best movie adaptation of a book?

SkateboardFi

The Shawshank Redemption.

i read this book but never saw the movie..

LilMissFoodie

I really loved the book 'The Help' so I didn't think the movie was quite as good but as far as movies based on books go, I think they did a good job.

Oh, and 'Looking for Alibrandi' - Australian book/movie - I actually much prefer the movie (even though the book is good), it's just really well cast I think.

SarabellPlus3

The Game of Thrones HBO series / Song of Ice and Fire series, I read those books years ago, then re-read them (I NEVER re-read) before the show came out, and I think the show is amazing. Not as amazing as the books, but great. Shawshank, yes; To Kill a Mockingbird, absolutely; a few others already mentioned.

I also thought the Lord of the Rings movies were so true to the books. I know some total purists are upset with the seriously minor changes (when you think about the scope, so minor IMO), but I honestly thought those were even better than the books. The books were an amazing story, with, frankly, a little too much detail at times. Not to be down on Tolkien, but it's just how I feel. The movies were all but perfection.

It's not a movie, but in my opinion the True Blood series on HBO is actually much more exciting and richer in characterization than the original Sookie Stackhouse novels.

I agree. I watched the first season and debated whether I wanted to read the books, because I loved the series so much, I didn't want the books spoiling it for me! LOL Backwards, but true on that one. The books are not as good as the show. Still fun and worth reading, but different enough that it doesn't spoil you, and not as good as the show!

roebuck1908

Yellow pages very factual

ScotsLenny

LOTR was pretty much nailed by the movie maker

GateCrasher1

I felt like Band of Brothers was pretty accurate, but the Pacific deviated pretty significantly from With the Old Guard.

LOTR did a great job considering the scope of the story.

Navie42

I thought it was a snooze. It was like there was someone off-screen at all times whispering "Be stoic" at Sean Bean. That was his only emotion in the whole series.

Yes, but that IS the character of Eddard Stark, he is nothing else in the book. I love Eddard, but there are definitely more 3 dimensional characters in the books / series.

Game of Thrones is, in my opinion, a great adaptation of the books.

I agree with the PP who said Sin City, it was very true to the source material, and I would raise you Watchmen. Watchmen was, again, panel for panel of the graphic novel and, in my opinion, a brilliant adaptation. If they handled the material right, Transmetropolitan would be a fantastic movie or mini series choice.

Johnnyswife

I saw The Namesake first before reading it, and it was so good, I bought the book. The movie didn't really stray too far from the book which makes me happy.

Also always enjoy Little Women and a Little Princess..the 1995 version was great. The A&E version of Pride and Prejudice is great as well. Close to the book. :flowerforyou:

trelm249

The movie version of "The Bourne Identity" was definitely an improvement over the Robert Ludlum novel.

MrsSpratt

I thought it was a snooze. It was like there was someone off-screen at all times whispering "Be stoic" at Sean Bean. That was his only emotion in the whole series.

Yes, but that IS the character of Eddard Stark, he is nothing else in the book. I love Eddard, but there are definitely more 3 dimensional characters in the books / series.

Game of Thrones is, in my opinion, a great adaptation of the books.

I agree with the PP who said Sin City, it was very true to the source material, and I would raise you Watchmen. Watchmen was, again, panel for panel of the graphic novel and, in my opinion, a brilliant adaptation. If they handled the material right, Transmetropolitan would be a fantastic movie or mini series choice.

I disagree about Eddard. He has much more of an emotional range in the book than in the series. My husband liked the series a lot, but I was disappointed. There was too much Lannister point of view for my taste. Jamie Lannister shows up very little in the first book, but he was all over the screen in the show. And I didn't like the way they portrayed the Dothraki.

SkateboardFi

I saw The Namesake first before reading it, and it was so good, I bought the book. The movie didn't really stray too far from the book which makes me happy.

Also always enjoy Little Women and a Little Princess..the 1995 version was great. The A&E version of Pride and Prejudice is great as well. Close to the book. :flowerforyou:

ahhh i need to read the namesake AND the little princess. loved BOTH of those movies

garlic7girl

Well, let me be the first to give a kids book..The Chronicles Of Narnia...movie did GREAT job...now those who read the whole book series know you cannot mess with the books! I would have been irate! But I read those books a few times as a kid and again as adult and still enjoy it and movies so far have done a good job.
We all know Hollywood sometimes has no choice but to change some things due to the details in story and if they have enough money! LOL!! like LOTR...

SarabellPlus3

Oh, my gosh! They madea movie of The Namesake? I loved that book, I'll have to check it out! I agree about 95's Little Women, I still read that every Christmas season to my 3 young daughters, and they love that movie, too.

thor1god1of1awesome

Best I have to say is green mile and the worst was dream catcher

Nikki582

Forrest Gump

Because whoever the genius was that read that complete tripe and went "this would make a great movie" needs a medal, it's one of the very very few books that has translated better in movie than it was in book.

Navie42

Best I have to say is green mile and the worst was dream catcher

ANY Stephen King movie is a piss poor adaptation of the book. I am really nervous to see what happens with The Dark Tower property.