Downtown Women's Club weekend book club: Books v. Movie Versions

Reprinted from the DWC Facebook Weekend Book Club series.

If you're a fan of the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the rest of the series, are you going to see the movie adaption? Right now the Swedish version has been released in the US, but I also understand they are making a US version. I've always been a strong advocate of reading the book before seeing the movie. It's only the rare occasion (i.e., I'm stuck on an airplane or it involves George Clooney) that I switch it up. Here are a few of my thoughts on recent books v. movie versions.

• Up in the Air - Only saw the movie; heard book is completely different (I invoked the George Clooney rule here).
• Time Traveler's Wife - LOVED the book, still have yet to see the movie. I was willing to forgo the bad reviews at first but ... somehow it's one of those things that might be easier to read about than visualize? The whole naked man showing up in a field with a little girl is a bit awkward. Of course if it was George Clooney, I might think differently.
• Precious - Read the book but didn't see the movie yet as, just like in TTW, it may be hard to watch (which means that I'll eventually watch it but I'd have to be in the mood).
• The Blind Side - I liked the book, but for completely separate reasons than why I liked the movie.
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - LOVED the books (#1 was the best, then #3 and #2 was just OK) and may drag hubby to see the movie that way we'll have a non-reader v. a reader's opinion.
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid - This is from my son's point of view: He loved the book, and the movie was OK. Some of his friends didn't like the movie because they didn't like that they added a character. My son, following in his mother's footsteps, is not a purist when it comes to adapting literature, and didn't mind that they added the older girl (we discussed how she helped narrate and also might help girls like the film better). My take?: as kids films go - it was forgettable. (Go see How to Train Your Dragon instead).

So what's your opinion on Books v. Movie versions: Purist? Or open to adaptions and modifications?

Do you always try to read the book first?

Why do you think some books work better as movies than others? Does it depend on the casting? i.e. if they cast someone you totally never pictured in the part?

What's your favorite book to movie adaption, or your least favorite? My favorite book to movie adaptions list:

1. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Despite subtle plot changes, some of the dialogue was verbatim out of the book (even if they were spoken by other characters in the movie than originally intended).
2. Clueless - Yes, this is Emma revisited. (Told you I wasn't a purist).
3. The Wizard of Oz
4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory -I'm partial to the original movie, not the Depp version.
5. Charlotte's Web (the original cartoon one)
6. The Princess Bride - This is one where I saw the movie 10 times before reading the book (which is hysterical by the way!)
7. The Godfather
8. Pride & Prejudice - Both the Colin Firth version and the Keira Knightly one.
9. High Fidelity & About a Boy by Nick Hornby - Perfect casting with John Cusack and Hugh Grant, respectively.
10. Bridget Jones' Diary
11. Fight Club
12. Lord of the Rings

This week's discussion started by Diane K. Danielson, founder, Downtown Women's Club.

Comments

[Caterina]

My vote for worst adaptation of a book - The Jungle Books by Kipling. Disney destroyed them!

I don't see movie adaptations of books I've read and liked with a very few exceptions - I've both read the Elizabeth George mystery series and watched a number of the shows on TV, but they seem to be two totally different things...