Favorite Books Destroyed by the Movie

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  • _beachgirl_
    _beachgirl_ Posts: 3,865 Member
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    Eragon
    Twilight Series
    Some of the Harry Potters
    Water for Elephants
    The Hulk (comic book, tv show to movie)
    Green Latern (comic to movie) I love Ryan Reynolds so it made it more palpable for me


    LOTR is probably the best adaptation ever.
  • KayakAngel
    KayakAngel Posts: 397 Member
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    My big disappointment was Practical Magic. Alice Hoffman's book had a subtle magic interwoven through the story and wonderful characters with real motivations, but the movie was as subtle as a ton of bricks, though I did love the cast. Also agree that the movie Eragon was pretty awful.
  • HonestOmnivore
    HonestOmnivore Posts: 1,356 Member
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    Harry Potter >___>

    They left too much out.

    I wish they had done the Harry Potter movies the way that Peter Jackson did the LOTR trilogy--put out a theatrical version for the general public and then an extended 4+ hr version for the DVD.

    Otherwise, I agree with your assessment in principle--although, I'm not sure how much they could have put back in w/o them seeming even more choppy than they are.

    I couldn't agree more! I keep thinking "when they remake these" and then reality wanders in and reminds me that this won't happen in my lifetime =(

    Also Eragon - what were they thinking?

    And all time biggest eff up? Percy Jackson - some great adult actors totally waisted on crappy cheesy translation and the main characters were hopelessly off... The girl was supposed to be strong willed but slight with curly blond hair -there are a ton of actresses that fit that look. And the story READ like a screenplay! Why the need to change it SO MUCH? We avoided previews so we would be surprised and boy were we :sick:
  • GTOgirl1969
    GTOgirl1969 Posts: 2,527 Member
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    I would have to say "Interview with the Vampire", "Queen of the Damned", and "Blow". I made the mistake of reading all three of those books before I saw the movies, and the whole way through I was thinking "Damn, this is NOTHING like the book".
  • Unwrapping_Candy
    Unwrapping_Candy Posts: 487 Member
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    The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
  • jennmoore3
    jennmoore3 Posts: 1,015 Member
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    [/quote]

    Good to know, I really enjoyed the book.

    When I was younger I read alot of Stephen King...Most of the movie adaptations were TERRIBLE. 2 exceptions: Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me (ironically both from the same book of 4 short stories).
    [/quote]

    AMEN to Stephen King... Cujo was WAY better in the book! Shawshank was a great movie, but then again, I LOVE Morgan Freeman... so sexy voice! All Stephen king books rock!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    The only good book to movie translation I can think of is The Lord of the Rings-- I actually liked the movies better than the books (don't stone me :P)

    I was heartbroken as a little girl when the Black Stallion movie came out-- that was my favorite book (hey, I was like 9) and they couldn't even get the kid's hair color right.

    More recently, the Time Traveler's Wife (I agree it just didn't capture the book)

    Pretty much anything based on Phillip K D*ck's work (think Bladerunner. . . ugh). I can't believe it won't let me type the poor guy's last name. That was his last name!

    The Stand-- one of my favorite novels and they totally switched out a character, along with completely flattening all the character development

    Basically if you find yourself explaining the characters' actions to whomever you're watching the movie with because you've read the book and they haven't, then the filmmakers screwed up
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Oh and I HEARTILY second Dune-- the SciFi channel miniseries was much better than the feature film, and that's a sad thing to say :P
  • driaxx
    driaxx Posts: 314 Member
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    My Sister's Keeper. The book had a MUCH better ending...Good movie if you hadn't read the book. Good interpretation except for the ending. Sad.

    Oh my god I was going to say this before I even opened the thread.

    I think the ending MADE that book, and then they changed it!!
  • RangerSteve
    RangerSteve Posts: 437
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    Good adaptation
    -No Country for Old Men

    Bad adaptation
    -I Am Legend
  • ariel3561
    ariel3561 Posts: 27 Member
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    Secret Window was good and I liked that they changed the ending. Otherwise most Stephen King books stink as movies unless they change a lot about them like The Shining.
  • SabrinaJL
    SabrinaJL Posts: 1,579 Member
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    Bad adaptation
    -I Am Legend

    Agree. I would say it was more loosely based on the book. VERY loosely.

    I'm also gonna have to agree with most adaptations of King books. My husband was so pissed off at the ending of the Mist, I made him read the last 5 pages of the story.

    My daughter and I really enjoyed the book Blood and Chocolate so we were excited when the movie came out. After watching it, we were pretty disappointed.
  • Huskeryogi
    Huskeryogi Posts: 578 Member
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    I'm definitely in the minority on this one, but I liked the movie ending of "My Sisters Keeper" better than the book. I gave up on Jodi Picoult.

    Done well (or as well as possible given time constraints)
    Gone with the Wind
    The Lincoln Lawyer
    Ramona and Beezus
    The Notebook
    Bourne Identity - majorly changed the plot and I still love it
    The Help

    Really bad
    All the Twilight movies
    The Firm
    Time Travelers Wife
    The Lost World
    Water for Elephants
    Bridget Jones Diary

    And I'm so scared for the movie version of Hunger Games that I may attempt to hide from them. It's probably futile. Just not excited about the cast or the plot changes that have leaked.
  • secostley
    secostley Posts: 409 Member
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    Biggest "Botch Up": "The Bourne Identity" & "Bournes Supremacy". Although the movie (part 1 & 2) were good, they sucked compared to the book. Both books were fantastic!
  • argharna
    argharna Posts: 52
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    The entire Twilight series thus far...we'll see how Breaking Dawn fairs later this year...


    same here I love the books but the movies have all sucked. sookie stackhouse novels the show is getting way off from the books.
  • SabrinaJL
    SabrinaJL Posts: 1,579 Member
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    sookie stackhouse novels the show is getting way off from the books.

    I went to the True Blood panel at Comic Con and Alan Ball said they'll follow the books even less as the show progresses.
  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
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    Harry Potter >___>

    They left too much out.

    I wish they had done the Harry Potter movies the way that Peter Jackson did the LOTR trilogy--put out a theatrical version for the general public and then an extended 4+ hr version for the DVD.

    Otherwise, I agree with your assessment in principle--although, I'm not sure how much they could have put back in w/o them seeming even more choppy than they are.

    I agree completely!! Had Peter Jackson directed the Harry Potter movies, I think it they could of had a lot of potential!
  • maritimemom
    maritimemom Posts: 192
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    The book Memoirs of a Geisha was way better than the movie IMO.
  • scoutsbear
    scoutsbear Posts: 7
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    Being an avid fantasy reader, I was really disappointed with The Golden Compass and Eragon. Harry Potter peeved me a little, but those two down right offended me. They strayed so far from the books and left out so many great parts that needed to be included.

    On a side note, I actually liked The Devil Wears Prada better on the screen than in the book.
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    I think our own imaginations are so much better than anything a producer can come up with. Also, the thoughts someone is thinking can be conveyed easily in a book, but you have to be an awesome actor/actress to portray the emotions on your face.

    With all the botox going on it is amazing we can get anything but SURPRISE from their expressions:laugh:

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