Good Book, Bad Movie
Submitted by bitterms on Tue, 02/20/2001 - 09:14
Tags:
- Congo - Michael Crichton
- Sphere - Michael Crichton
- Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton
- The Lost World - Michael Crichton
- Rising Sun - Michael Crichton
- Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
- The Firm - John Grisham
- Johnny Mnemonic - William Gibson
- The Beach - Alex Garland
Author Comments:
Do you see a pattern here with the Crichton films? All of the books were relatively good, but the movies could never seem to encompass the entire theme and the important subplots in the time given.
The reason I didn't like Angela's Ashes is that I don't anyone could have captured the author's voice the way it was done on paper. When he described food, you felt hungry. When he described the poverty, the rain, the dampness, you felt uncomfortable. I don't think it was (or could be under any circumstances) reproduced on screen to that effect.
I know there are lots more, so please offer suggestions!
I think that books are generally a lot better than movies. With good books, you get to imagine everything and really create a vision of it for yourself. In movies, some director/producer/actor has taken that freedom away from you--you only get to see THEIR vision. And many times, if you've already read the book, the movie destroys your vision of it...
This is exactly the case. I don't know how many times I've gone to see a movie based on a book I've read, wanting to see the directors version of it. Almost every time, I walk out of the theater with my own vision of it completely trashed.
Poor Michael Crichton. :) I'd agree with all except Jurassic Park. While it wasn't as good as the movie, I wouldn't say it was bad. Sure, I was hoping for something a little more R-rated (maybe directed by Ridley Scott or James Cameron instead Spielberg?), but still, not bad.
How about Stephen King? There was a long stretch there after The Shining where he couldn't sell his soul for a decent movie adaptation.
Yeah, I was trying to think of some Stephen King examples. I I know that some of the movies were just terrible, but I actually haven't read many of his books, so I really couldn't say how they compared.
I keep waiting for someone to try to make (my favorite King short story) The Mist into a terrible movie.
I'd love to see The Mist get made too. Unfortunately, I'm not holding my breath. :-(
Oo! How 'bout Johnny Mnemonic?
I haven't read the book, but I did see the movie. And since it has Keanu Reeves in it, I'll take your word for it and add it.
The most obvious example I can come up with is CATCH 22. How about turning it around? Which great movies were made from bad (or at best average) books? I would start a list of my own except I can only think of one. "The Godfather" was a great film while Mario Puzo's novel was pulp fiction. One that might marginally qualify is the play "EVERY ONE COMES TO RICK'S". This was later adapted to the movie CASABLANCA.
As a somewhat more seasoned [euphemism alert! he means 'older'] science fiction fan, let me offer: THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS by John Wyndham, the movification of which was extreeeemly disappointing.