Can anyone think of a film that has been on par or better than the book?
Can anyone think of a film that has been on par or better than the book?
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Can anyone think of a film that has been on par or better than the book?
LOrd of the rings
Green mile!
Never knew it was a book but the film was amazing!
It was several books, you had to buy it over the course of about 6/7 months when it was first released!
Oh its a brilliant book I’ve read it about 5 times!! I love It! Ivmts not exactly the same as the film but definatly as Good!!
Forest Gump
Virgin suicides or trainspotting xx
Definitely Trainspotting
I’m reading The Virgin Suicides now. Didn’t know there was a film.
I loved train spotting book and film. So disappointed in virgin suicide, both book and film! X
Memoirs of a geisha
I thought Gone Girl… But I also think I’m alone on this one ?
I half watched the film and got through a page in the book so I guess that means the film is better ?
I got half way through the kindle sample. Hated it lol
Hated the book, hated the film slightly less, so I agree with you
I thought the film was better than the book, hated the book! X
I knew I was the only one who liked the book ??!
In my defense this was one of the first books I read as I wasn’t always a big reader, maybe if I re-read it now I’d understand the hate ?
I loved the book more than the film but enjoyed the film too
I loved both the book and the film ?
A Man Called Ove, just watched it tonight and it was wonderful x
Oh, didn’t know it’s a film. Loved the book. What channel?
Twilight!
Forrest Gump – way better than the book!
In my opinion Forrest is just not quite as loveable in the book! Just little things he does that makes him seem less innocent, like swearing for example.
Bridget Jones
Green Mile, Trainspotting…
Sleeping with the enemy
Requiem for a dream
I’ve never read the book but I’ve never recovered from the film ?
@Charlotte me neither, I still have flashbacks! I would not watch it again! Xx
Me neither. Fantastic film but my nerves couldn’t hack it xx
Is this the kind of film I would watch behind a cushion??!
It’s just an all around heartbreaking difficult watch, not scary or anything just really upsetting xx
The. Best. Film. Harrowing and painful, but almost beautiful. I never really rated Jared Leto until I watched that.
The poor mam though with her diet pills ???
Yes, but not because it’s scary.
It was the girl at the end that got me ??
I get flashbacks of that film too- I absolutely love the music through it and would often listen to the soundtrack but I find it brings back memories of parts which are just so upsetting. Glad I have seen it- but couldn’t watch it again!
Twilight x
Stardust
World War Z
The shawshank Redemption.
Again didn’t know this was a book. Film was ??
@Rachel Stephen King wrote it. Part of his Four Seasons anthology. If I recall, the books only about 130 pages…
Misery
The Neverending Story. That film is my childhood and I read the book when I was a lot older. The swamps of sadness and Artax’s death didn’t have the same impact in writing.
Love the film but haven’t read the book, interesting to hear that! The swamps of sadness & Artax’s death still makes me emotional when I watch the film as an adult lol.
I do love the book but it goes on and on and ON. The film is much better really.
The green mile
Shawshank redemption
The Hunger Games – read the books first & loved them, the films were great too x
Love the hunger games! Have you watched Maze runner?
No but I’ll put it on my to do list ?? x
The Godfather
Agree, read the book after seeing the film, the film was very close to it, loved that book x
The book’s good for fleshing out characters like Al Neri but I’m glad they decided to drop the sub plot about Lucy’s cavernous vagina and Sonny’s massive pole.
Just finished He said She said by Erin Kelly it’s a must read great book could put it down
Legally Blonde was well better than the book
The Green Mile
I have never seen a film that has been better than the book! Granted I haven’t read/seen all the options out there, but when you read a book the dialogue creates a world in your minds eye, which for me has never been bettered. Characters have their own voices and appearances which I think makes they story more personal to you. I suppose it depends on how good an imagination you have but in my opinion a film can never contain all the details and intrinsics a book has because a film is always based on other peoples interpretations of a book and if a book is well written and worth reading only the readers interpretation should matter. That being said there are books that I have seen as film that I have enjoyed and would watch again but the books are always better. ? X
The Help, The Book Theif, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Secret Life of Bees, The Green Mile, The Hunger Games, Stardust, Water For Elephants
Stardust?! Shut your mouth. The film is gorgeous but the book is life itself. If you haven’t read the illustrated version you should.
Haha! I thought the film was just about as good as the book (not better!), I think though I watched the movie first as a kid and I read the book after ?
?
But oh that’s a gorgeous book!!
It’s one of the things I’d save in a fire. After the kids. Maybe before.
Maybz… ??
Oh no, not The Book Thief. Its my fave and i was so upset with the film x
The Green Mile is the only film that has ever came close! !!
The picture of Dorian Grey.
All the LOTR films. I know it’s probably sacrilege but the books are dull dull dull. The films made it interesting. Not the Hobbit though. I love that book.
Nooo ?. I love the books. They missed so much out of the films. Even now I annoy my partner if we ever watch them ? xx
Totally agree!! Can not stand the hobbit films though, they destroyed the book which is one of my faves!
Apart from the absence of Tom Bombadil, I totally agree. All those battles were arse-achingly boring on the page, much more exciting on film.
Oh and Forrest Gump
Shrek…. movie totally tops the book ?
Sense and Sensibility.
Gone Girl.
The Swedish original Girl with Dragon Tattoo. I loved that film as much as book
I loved those three books x
Not found a film that tops the original text but I have seen some that are fairly good versions. The fact that books and films demand different things from their readership/audiences and set up different expectations makes it difficult to judge though!
I think the reason I wrote the post was I’ve read some fantastic books and when watching the film have been disappointed. I’ve read lots of “books better than films” reviews on IMDb so I wondered what people thought the other way around!
The Help I’d say is just as good, and gone girl x
Not that I can recall. I think The Time Travelers Wife did a pretty damn amazing job of what I expected to be disappointing because of being too difficult to do. But as much as I love the film I still prefer the book.
I think the Lord of the Rings films did an exceptional job to.
It’s one of the reasons I actually put off watching a film until AFTER I have read the book because I don’t want it influencing my own imagination.
It might be because the books tend to have more ‘depth’ and content and thus always have parts ‘cut’ when being transferred to film.
Exactly the same thoughts as me. I’ve seen some posts here and realised that some films that I’ve really enjoyed are based on books that I need to read!
The Green Mile definitely! Xx
Into the Wild. I loved the book… but the film brought it to life for me. Book, film, soundtrack are all brilliant.
I thought that the recent television production of The Miniaturist was actually better and more evenly paced than the book.
The Help
Agree
Green Mile
I thought the lovely bones and the fault in our stars were pretty good films. Absolute worst was Love , Rosie (film version of Where Rainbows End) if you have seen it but not read the book please do, the book is amazing.
The Martian, largely because it was really true to the book, and the cinematography was amazing. Also all the Lord of the Rings films.
Yep, The Martian was great.
The notebook xxx
Life of Pi
To Kill a Mocking Bird
Marley and me, the film is pretty much spot on with the book, which surprised me.
Ps I love you xxx
I thought the book was better than the film xx
I didn’t like the film but the book isn’t one of my favourites either
Film is one of my faves. Book was quite different in some ways …….. plus Gerard Butler was a bonus lol xxx
I thought book was much better than film .
I hate this film!! Missed so much out and even set in a different place. I don’t think they should share the same name!!
Will read book now!
Hated this film but loved the book x
I love both the HP films and books equally.
The help!
I wouldnt say better exactly but the fault in our stars and PS I love you are films I can watch again and again and not hate because they have ruined the book!
I really enjoyed I am Legend. Loved the film which doesn’t completely follow the book. Then I read the books and enjoyed that just as much.
Green Mile x
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.
Well i found the book boring so maybe seeing it would be better, i know folk loved the book but i really didn’t x
The Silence of the Lambs
The Jungle Book
I was coming to say this!!!
Misery
So scared of the book couldn’t watch the movie!
The Book Thief, both book and film were brilliant, I read 3/4 of the book in one sitting, couldn’t put it down, you can borrow @Rachel if you want xx
Oh and Girl on the Train – I think the book was slightly better than the film personally. I’d read the book first then watch the film, couldn’t put that down either ? xx
A fault in our stars!
Devil wears Prada
Eat, Pray, Love x
Ah absolutely couldn’t stand the movie! Doesn’t seem to capture any of the emotional depth or spiritual seeking and philosophical questions or insights of the book! They took a profound personal experience and turned it into a chick flick with Julia Roberts ? made me sad!
Safe haven
Wouldn’t say better but on a par with, for me is The Davinci Code. Very well cast I thought? and who doesn’t love Tom Hanks? Also not a film but tv series, Wire In the Blood. This was amazingly well cast and stayed very close to the books, Tony Hill series by Val McDermott.
I was gripped by the book but unfortunately for me, the film version of the da vinci code is a cure for insomnia!!
Couldn’t put the book down but I equally enjoyed the film. It’s funny how we all see things differently. I thought sweetpea was just meh but most people seem to love it x
I think it also depends on when you read a book. Sometimes they can have a bigger impact on you than at other times. ?
That’s a very true statement. The Davinci Code was the first book of read for a couple of years. I didn’t want to read much after I’d read tick tock by Dean koontz as I loved it and it was my favourite book for a while and I didn’t think anything would live up to it. Boy was I wrong ? x
Fight Club!
I personally enjoyed the film Me Before You more than the book but I think it’s because I saw the film first and am totally in love with Sam Claflin, which made it all the more heart breaking!
Love the book, hated the film xx
The Perks of Being a Wallflower I loved the book and film.
Harry Potter and Lord of the rings
I love the Harry Potter books and films equally! ♥️
Interview with a vampire Ann rice the book was still better but the film was good too
The Martian
The Help. Love both the book and the movie.
I was thinking of books I read as a child, the Wizard of oz, the Railway children. I loved the original Charlie and the Chocolate factory film with Gene Wilder although my kids prefer the newer one with Johnny Depp.
Original is much better ☺️
@Gemma Definitely! So much more charm I think and great songs x
I find Johnny Depp’s Willy Wonka really creepy…
@Gemma same here, that weird bob…
Lol Depps wonka is a bit too nuts for me but overall that movie was a lot closer to the book. I still prefer the original movie too though
Preferred the older one though they say the newer one is closer to what Roald Dahl would have wanted xxx
Not better than but I absolutely love Atonement in both novel and film (the book wins!).
The Beach, book and film, are both very good x
Yes! I’ve not read this in years.
I want to read it again too!
Picnic At Hanging Rock…
Gone Girl – book OKish, film excellent!!
Not a film but the TV adaptation of Handmaids Tale was incredible. Considering how much i loved the book, I was very pleasantly surprised.
I wouldn’t say it was better though! Just that you’d probably get as much satisfaction and suspense and detail by consuming either.
I guess a TV series has 8 hours to pkay with whereas a film is 2, so you can get more into a TV adaptation.
Gone girl!
Schindler’s list !
Schindler’s Ark was quite a tough read, although a brilliant book. The film Schindler’s List was superb and I’d say a more emotional, accessible telling of the story. And Liam Neeson.
Snap x
Oh hahah we posted at the same time, how funny 🙂
I’m distantly related to Thomas Kenneally so I feel obliged to read all his work and enjoy it 😀 His Joan of Arc book is incredible, Blood Red, Sister Rose.
@Rhona ooh thank you I will add it to the list! And how amazing ! X
My maternal grandmother was a Kenneally 🙂
The colour purple. Both book and film were amazing. X
Practical magic! I loved the movie, didn’t realise it was a book too, I’ve recently read it and loved it just as much as the movie.
The Shining
The help. Watched it again last night and loved it x
The Fault in our Stars and Me before You not better than the book but on par with xx
Bridges of Madison County.
The green mile
Room!!
Boy in striped pyjamas was a better film
I haven’t read it yet but my mum read One flew over the cuckoo’s nest for higher English which she did when she was older and loved it. I loved the film, will need to read the book, great actors in the film.
Me before you is the only film that is wasn’t disappointed with on par with the book xx
Mrs palfrey at the Claremont much better film than the book, i was disappointed in the book xx
To kill a mockingbird. The book is brilliant !
Wonder by r j palacio. Loved the film. I cried all the way through!
Wonder. I loved both.
Schindler’s List – while the book is a great, albeit harrowing read, the detail stripped away by the screenplay gives the film a far greater impact and is more memorable for it.
War Horse! Cried through both!! ?
Holes