Movies from Books

In honor of the release of Twilight: New Moon lets talk about movies created from our favorite books. Sometimes they are perfect at capturing the scenes just as we pictured them while reading. Other times they are a huge disappointment because the Director/Producer didn't portray things as we would have wished. I generally have a very low expectation when I walk into a movie that comes from one of my favorite books, so I am generally not disappointed in the outcome, but I know people who really wish things had been done differently. So I have two questions for this week...
What is your favorite movie from a book? AND What is the worst movie from a book?

Megan
While I hate to keep pulling the scinece fiction card I have to go with the Lord of the Rings as the best (ever?) movie trilogy from a book. Peter Jackson, the genius behind the movies has actually been labeled a hobbit. He's short, fat and hariy! He is a true fan of the series and it show in his attention to detail and desire to stay true to the story. Granted it did take him over nine hours to portray the story but no one can claim that Tolkien wouldn't be proud to lay claim to the movies. Plus who doesn't like looking at Viggo Mortenson and Orlando Bloom? As for other really good movies from books I would have to name Harry Potter as my second favorite (notice a series theme here???). The Harry Potter series does lose some of it continuity due to all of the different directors, but I still love the way they have managed to keep the same actors from movie to movie.
As for a worst movie, that is harder for me to determine. Like I said I usually have fairly low expectations so I am not easily disappointed. I would have to go with Eragon for the biggest disappointment. I absolutely loved the book, but I felt that they didn't stay close enough to the story when they did the movie. Of course the special effects were great. I just had higher expectations.
In any case it is always an adventure to go see your favorite books translated into moving pictures!

Heidi - Mm okay this is hard. And it's hard because I read a great many books that are also movies (hear here the reference to how awesome I am). I try really hard though to not compare books to movies because they are so different. You can get so much more detail from a book, but a movie offers and environment and emotion that is really hard in a book. Both have their merits. But I do still have some favorites and some not so favorites.
I believe my favorite movie from a book is probably Stardust. This movie actually didn't follow the book very closely at all, but I loved the movie more than the book. The addition of Robert Di Nero as a gay pirate was awesome and Michelle Pfiefer is amazing. As for movies that follow the books most closely I would also have to go with Lord of the Rings. I saw the first movie before I read the books and it was a really good adaptation.
As for least favorites I'm going to have to hit Twilight. It followed the book okay but just that kind of emotion that was throughout the whole book, was really annoying on screen (if you've ever talked to me about this before it's the "look into my eyes" moments I don't enjoy). And the special effects were ridiculously cheesy. I believe laughing occurred when they ran. My other least favorite is one that breaks my rule of trying to keep books and movies seperate and that is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The third book is my favorite of the series and I thought the movie was terrible. They decided they didn't want the movie to be long (because they had such a problem with that before.....losers) so they cut out so much of the back story about Harry and Sirius that was important. Those are the only ones I can think of right now...

Kara- As a general rule, I try to make sure that I read a book before I see the movie. The notable exception to this rule (and reason for its establishment, actually) was the Harry Potter movies. I didn't start reading them until the 6th one came out, partly because I'd been in grad school and had no time for reading that wasn't included on my 700+ comprehensive exams list. But partly because I thought I didn't like fantasy stories, and I don't- I just like the Harry Potter series. After reading the books, I liked the movies even more and now I try to keep the correct order in reading/movie watching. That being said, I have to say the Harry Potter series as a whole is probably one of the best adaptations from a book I've seen. J.K. Rowling has such a vivid, descriptive writing style and the characters and places took root in my imagination, and were amazingly accurate on screen. I only saw the first movie without reading the book, and each time they introduce a new character they seem just like I pictured them when reading. I do agree with Heidi, though, that the third adaptation skipped many significant points- Harry & Sirius' relationship as well as the reason for Harry's patronus being a stag. Seriously, just let the Harry Potter movies be five hours long and get it right. We won't complain. My other favorite adaptation is "Gettysburg" from Michael Shaara's "The Killer Angels." I also love this one because it had such detailed historical accuracies as well, Shaara had done intensive research that included getting conversations between the generals as correct as possible, so seeing that come to life on the screen was about as close to observing those events as I'm going to get.

For worst movie adaptation I have to agree with Heidi again that "Twilight" was pretty bad. Robert Pattinson was a surprisingly bad actor, and the whole angst-ridden teenage romance just didn't work as well on screen as it did in the book (although to be honest I found it annoying in the book too. It was just worse on screen.) Also, a movie like that cannot be done on a small budget without being obviously cheesy, and every supernatural event was obviously cheesy. They did much better with "New Moon," someone sent Pattinson to some acting classes, because they stuck to the book he was absent for a good part of it and the delicious Taylor Lautner was apparently contractually obligated to be shirtless for about 90% of the movie, and the special effects were great. I was cringing just thinking about how terrible watching the werewolves phase would've been with the "Twilight" budget, but fortunately it was awesome.

Abbey
I love going to see movies from books. I love to see what I've read played out in front of me, and I almost don't care that parts get missed. Most people watching the movie have also read the book (couldn't make a movie unless the book was popular in the first place), and so details can get missed and the audience can fill in the blanks. Mostly my favorite thing is just seeing what I've imagined already up on the big screen. I loved the book probably, and I know I'll love the movie too.
I'm going to admit something here, that might seem weird. One of my favorite books of all time is To Kill A Mockingbird. I had to read it in high school (along with the rest of civilization), and I loved it. I read it a few times actually, before I knew that there was a movie. Not entirely sure how I missed that, but. I love Scout, I love Calpurnia, and I love Atticus. When I finally saw the movie, I was totally engrossed. The movie was made in 1962 and I think it's one of the best ever. Watching the movie was like me sitting there reading straight out of the book with all the different accents and all. Atticus was so calm and cool, portrayed perfectly. Scout is just fabulous in any form. My favorite actor in the movie though was Robert Duvall as Boo Radley, he is fantastic. While watching, I feel like I'm sitting right there on the street watching all this happen in front of me in real life, and it's pure joy.
Honorable mentions are those already mentioned: Harry Potter (another one that's like sitting right there in the castle watching it all play out in real life), and Stardust (LOVE). I hope that future movies from books (Hunger Games and the Mortal Instruments and Lovely Bones) are just as good.
Hmmm, as for worst, I don't know. I guess I'll say Twilight too, also because of the effects. But mainly because ROBERT PATTINSON IS NOT CUTE. I'm sure after having said that, a slew of rabid Twi-hards are going to track me down and beat me over the head with his cardboard cut-out, but too bad. He's so not Edward, and that comes close to ruining it all for me. He has girly hands, his eyebrows are trying to overtake his face, his jeans are ridiculously skinny, I just can't find him *ahhhhh sigh* Edward at all. Taylor Lautner is totally adorable though, and in 5 years when he's of age, I'll allow myself to think he's cute as well.
Honorable mentions for worst: Any movie made from a Jodi Piccoult book (mainly My Sisters Keeper) or Nicholas Sparks (mainly the Notebook). These ones are just way too damn sad for me to enjoy them, and I don't go to movies to be emotionally pummeled. Which is also why I won't read their books. Sorry to the majority of females in the US. I know that's blasphemous.

Cory

Ok so not to totally disagree with Abbey but I have tho say the best is The Notebook. And like always there is a story why. I had that book when I was 16, could not stand it sent it home with a friend half done because I could not make myself finish it. Then came the movie where I will admit one of the only movies I have cried at (I know I have the emotions of a robot). And then we took our mom and she cried too. And all of us looked awful walking around Target after. So I thought hmm maybe I need to give this book another chance, wrong! Book still awful and slow and annoying, movie still good. Better even gives a story that breaks your heart and a romance you want to survive.

And I agree with all the comments on the Harry Potter movies & Stardust & To Kill A Mockingbird (brilliant movie and book) I love all of them. Twilight I am not that hard onbecause well not that huge of a fan, and I have to admit I like Rob I don't have stickers on my desk or Team Edward shirt or anything but I like him.

Worst is probably Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts this is a wonderfully warm book about a young pregnant girl in the south who faces a lot of trails to say the least and meets some wonderful people on the way. But the movie was discombobulated at best and while I enjoyed it, it is not nearly as good as the book.