Blogger: Rachel Zurakowski
Location: Books & Such Main Office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Since it’s Friday, here’s a fun movie quiz:
1) What book was the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” based on?
2) What words do the letters in WALL-E’s name stand for?
3) What musical group provided the musical inspiration for the film/stageplay “Mamma Mia!”?
4) Who plays Benjamin Button in the film “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”?
5) Haley Joel Osment plays 13-year-old Walter in “Secondhand Lions.” What was his first film?
Answers at the bottom!
Okay, back to business. Let’s talk about books that are made into movies. We all know that most of the time the book is WAY better than the film, but exceptions do exist. I know that everyone has a different opinion, but let’s talk about which ones worked and why.
I did a little research online because I didn’t want my opinion to be the one we use. Here’s a list of films that people “out there” thought were better than the book:
“Gone with the Wind”
“Ben-Hur”
“The Godfather”
“Bladerunner”
“Jaws”
“Jurassic Park”
“The Wizard of Oz”
Why did the audience connect more with the onscreen version? Here’s my opinion:
“Bladerunner” was based on the book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. His books, in general, throw a lot of strange but interesting ideas at the reader without putting much attention on the story. “Bladerunner” was plot-driven and had Harrison Ford in it. It’s pretty easy to see why this would be the preference (especially for women).
The Wizard of Oz, Jurassic Park, and even Ben-Hur were all books with strong visuals that involved the reader’s imagination. The viewers who preferred the movies to the books probably liked being able to see these scenes on the big screen: the worlds–the dinosaur island in “Jurassic Park,” the wonderful land of Oz, ancient Rome in “Ben-Hur”–and the nail-biting chariot race between Masala and Judah in “Ben-Hur.” These aren’t things we experience in life, (when was the last time you saw a chariot race?) so it’s fun to “experience” them in movie-form.
The film “Gone with the Wind,” I suppose, is preferred because of the length of the book. The movie was long, but the book was even longer. The book was fantastic, but the movie successfully keep the spirit of the book alive and felt authentic. The movie is true to the story and doesn’t require as much of a time investment.
“The Godfather,” “Jaws,” and “The Wizard of Oz” movies all have strong musical elements that the books obviously don’t have. The theme songs for “The Godfather” and “Jaws” are so memorable, and they help to create the movie experience. “The Wizard of Oz” music is catchy and fun. I bet the musical scores for these three films strongly influenced the audience’s decisions that these movies were better than the books.
Do you have anything to add? I’d love to hear from you!
Quiz answers:
1) Q & A by Vikas Swarup
2) Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth class
3) ABBA
4) Brad Pitt
5) “Forrest Gump.” (He played Forrest’s son.)
I hope you got them all right!
James Andrew Wilson
You mentioned strong musical elements in the last three films. I generally take particular notice of music in films. Music is so powerful for shaping a scene or a feeling in a movie. Look at The Dark Knight. Those two notes grinding against each other perfectly represent the Joker and all of his nastiness. They make you uneasy, tense.
I’ve thought about how the aspect of music could be applied to books. I think that books can do some things better than movie, and vice versa as you’ve discussed this week–but it always seemed like movies had that musical aspect that books couldn’t have.
Then it hit me.
The style of the writing in a book is the music of a book. Anybody who reads a Ted Dekker book can imagine a soundtrack to match it: Intense, fast-paced, crashing cymbals, maybe an electric guitar. His fast-paced writing lends to this feeling.
If you were to read a novel by Stephen Lawhead, you would envision an orchestral piece similar to The Lord of the Rings soundtracks. This is because his style moves a little slower, a little more graceful, but powerful, gritty, and epic at the same time.
I think that style is a novelist’s best weapon against the musical masters of the likes of Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. Until novels start coming packaged with soundtracks to listen to while reading them, the way in which we tell our stories is the best way to express the music of the story.
You know, soundtracks for novels isn’t a bad idea . . .
Lynn Rush
Ahhhh, I didn’t get #1 or #2 right (haven’t seen the movies yet)….But yeah, I remember Haley in Forrest Gump. He was so cute. 🙂
Megan
Man in the Iron Mask. I love Dumas, but I think he started to hate his own characters after a while. The movie has a much happier resolution than the book and was, frankly, more interesting and enjoyable.
James Andrew Wilson
I don’t know if I would say that they are better than the books, but Lord of the Rings films were a triumph. To take something as complicated and epic as LOTR and turn it into a cohesive and actually logical film series was nothing short of amazing.
Anngela Schroeder
I love both the book and movie of To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. Gregory Peck perfectly embodies Atticus Finch. I can’t think of anyone who would’ve been better cast for that role.
I agree with James about music. How wonderful would it be to have a soundtrack while reading Gone With the Wind? It would be like Clark Gable was sitting there next to me. 🙂
~Anngela Schroeder
http://www.at-last-aschroeder.blogspot.com
Rachel Zurakowski
James, I think that is how I often feel about movies adapted from books. I love the book for what it is and I end up loving the movie, maybe even just as much, for different reasons. The movie often isn’t better than the book, but it is still an amazing, touching, well-done masterpiece.
Books/movies I feel this way about off the top of my head: Lord of the Rings; Anne of Green Gables/Avonlea; Pride & Prejudice (just about every version); Emma; Little Women; The Princess Bride.
Movie Crazzy
Great Discussion! But usually the screen adaptation (screenplay) gets lost in the details (or the lack of them). I am yet to come across a movie which surpassed a gripping tale in the book with its excellence on screen.
Hey, btw I have a blog which shows Top World Movies of All Times. Do check it out:
http://50-classics.blogspot.com
Jessica Nelson
Oh my gosh! I didn’t know Osment played Gump’s son. Sheesh. That takes me back. LOL