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What film adaptation is just as good as the novel on which it is based?

What film adaptation is just as good as the novel on which it is based?

Sharon #questionnaire

18
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307 Answers

Emma

Eragon by paolini.

0
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Jean

The Help

13
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Marzio

Fight Club

3
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Joni

Gone with the Wind (better than the movie)

6
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Tonya

Life of Pi

4
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Joni

Also better than the movie

0
Jen

Gone girl

0
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Brandie

Time traveler’s wife

2
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Kathryne

Wizard of Oz movies is better!

4
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Kathryne

The Martian

8
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Kelli

Yep I’ll agree here, I thought they did great on the movie

1
Kathryne

@Kelli and I lived loved

0
Ash

Agree, the books are always gonna be a bit more imaginative but this one was pretty great, and I’m so glad they didn’t conform to society’s idealism and they kept him single without children. I like when they stick to the original story.

0
Karen

The Outlander Series

4
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Nikki

I agree!! They are doing pretty well!

1
Andrea

Gone With the Wind

4
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Fiona

Lonesome Dove

5
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Emma

The book thief

2
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Menna

Personally I think the book is way better

1
Target

There is a movie? ??

2
Emma

I find books are always better than the film, but still enjoyed it
Yes Menna there’s a film ?

0
Sue

The Martian

4
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Laura

Okay, it was good and the science was right but they really should have spent more time showing the trip from the hab to the launch site. There was so much that happened!

2
Emma

The 100 year old man….
Swedish/English version

2
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Aly

I loved the book. I must see the movie

1
Laura

That’s a movie?

0
Nada

Hated the book but i guess it makes a good comedy movie. I have to watch it

0
Emma
0
Emma

Apparently Will Ferrell is producing and directing another film version too, not sure when it’s out tho.

0
Cassandra

I really was shocked at how good the movie Wonder was. I have new respect for Owen Wilson

2
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Kimberly

I need to see that. Loved the book.

1
Kathryne

Twilight. It’s easier to watch than deal with the schmaltzy writing!

0
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Sophie

Sadly I don’t mind the movies ?

0
Lenora

Prince of Tides

3
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Dana

Haven’t read it in years, and I found this book again at a sale❤️actually got it for free?

0
Barbara

No way!!! I thought the movie was horrible…and I loved the book. Barbra Streisand did terrible things to the story line, in my opinion. She made it all about her.

0
Bonnie

Ugh, no way. I like Barbara but not in that mess.

0
Wanda

I have to agree with the dissenters, although I did like the movie, with the exception of Barbra Streisand…kept expecting her to break into song.

But the book, oh my God, the book! So powerful, such beautiful writing, the sadness of living stuck in a secret, was so well presented by Conroy. It reinforces for me the belief that truly gifted writers always put some of their own biography into their books…be it events, or the feelings they’ve had. With Conroy I always FEEL his stories.

0
Barbara

Pat Conroy is/was one of my very favorite writers.

1
Jessica

Lonesome Dove.

The Hunger Games is actually better than the book since you sent stuck in the head of Katniss. That makes her more likable

5
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Laura

I loved hearing her thoughts.

0
Cara

Lonesome Dove was the first-ever mini-series I watched and I remember it being amazing. I later watched North and South and Shogun.

0
Amsley

Yeah i thought the hunger games was pretty close.

0
Rosun

I really liked ‘Love, Simon’ recently. My all time favourite movie based on books is the LOTR series. Also somehow the Borne series was an amazing adaptation.

1
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Salma

Me before you

1
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Barbara

The Godfather

7
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Joseph

I think the movie was even better.

1
Betsy

Agree.. the movie was far better.

0
Katherine

Most novels are way more interesting than their movie adaptations. Movies generally leave out some of my favorite scenes, and don’t have time to develop minor characters.

0
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Aly

The Godfather

5
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Sandi

The Princess Bride (movie is better)
Shutter Island
The Shining (unpopular opinion-the movie is better)

1
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Jennifer

Definitely agree with The Princess Bride. I love the movie and the book was just meh.

3
Laura

The Firm was better as a movie. I thought the ending was more clever.
On the other hand, the movie of Not Without My Daughter was terrible compared to the book

0
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Louise

Most novels are far better than any film adaptation. USually I only enjoy the film more if I didn’t care much for the book.

0
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Bonnie

The Bridges of Madison county, I loved the book and movie.

2
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Meaghan

The Prestige — though it is markedly different from the novel.

0
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Kate

Thinking…

0
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Wanda

Dead zone

0
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Laura

The english patient by Michael Ondaatje

4
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Kimberly

Not many. Only one I can think of is Hunger Games

1
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Deb

I agree. The Capital was exactly as I imagined it when reading the book.

0
Sophie

Besides the ending they did a great job. Maybe the ending in the book confused me and the did it the way it was ??‍♀️??

0
Kristen

Watchmen!

0
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Hassna

LOTR is almost as good as the book… Epic trilogy it was

4
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Wanda

True

1
Brenda

Not AS good but super amazing. I love those movies. We just rewatched all three.

2
Rachel

Priness Bride, Thief Lord, and The Last Unicorn.

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Sophie

Thief Lord ? have to rewatch it

0
Rachel

It was really close to the book. Did you read the book?

0
Sophie

When I was very young so don’t remember to much ?

0
Rachel

It’s a great book at any age and definitely worth a reread.

0
Sophie

I will have to see if i can find it in english

0
Rachel

I feel like half price books, at least the one by me, usually has a copy.

0
Sophie

Sadly her most stores have mainly German if not only German

0
Anne

The Last Unicorn was a book?? I remember seeing it in a movie theatre with my mother when I was a teenager! Thank you for bringing back such a special memory. 🙂 Now tell me, was Labrynth a book too?? (Be still my heart, lol!) 🙂

0
Jes

To kill a mockingbird.

6
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Stacy

Fight Club

1
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Dan

The writer preferred the movie.

0
Stacy

@Dan, I didn’t know that. He is a very nice guy (Chuck P); my son has been to several of his readings and signings. He always poses for pictures and talks to his fans.

2
Katie

@Stacy my friend said the same thing. Don’t know if his signings are for everyone, there’s a lot of adult toys brought to him to sign.

2
Stacy

@Katie, not for everyone, for sure, although if you enjoy his books, you sort of know what you are in for, lol. ?

2
Gene

Lord of the Flies

2
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Wanda

Yes and no….still, the movie was good, the book better. It’s just so hard to depict thoughts, and a lot of what goes on in Simon and Piggy’s heads, just wasn’t represented that well

0
Andreia

I agree with Gene. Although Wanda you are right about the thoughts which you cannot see in the movie, it gave me pretty much the same amount of creeps as the book and made me feel like something very wrong is happening on that island from the very beginning. I enjoy that. (I think there are two movies, I loved the older version more)

1
Cara

The Shawshank Redemption is an astounding film but I’m not sure if it’s better than the book.

4
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Wanda

Well I think it was a short story..which was ok, but this is one of my all-time favorite movies … but that could be because of Morgan Freeman

3
Ashlea

Was just going to say this one. Both movie and novella are great. I can’t turn the movie off if I happen to catch it.

3
Andreia

The girl with all the gifts

1
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Patricia

Dances with wolves

0
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Kimberley

One day

0
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Viktoria

Winter’s Bone

1
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Dannielle

The boy in the striped pajamas

2
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Amsley

I personally thought the book was way better but in saying that i did not see the ending coming so that emotional shock factor made the book better for me. Not sure if id think the other way if i saw the movie first

0
Beverly

To Kill a Mockingbird

8
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Danielle

Stand by me

4
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Steve

The Green Mile

5
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Emily

The Shipping News was very good!

2
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Wanda

Another favorite

0
Lauren

Fight club

0
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Donna

The Firm

0
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Ginger

They changed the ending!

0
Donna

@Ginger thanks it has been a long time since reading and seeing the movie.

0
Paula

The Help!

7
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Jo

The Green Mile

1
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Anna

The notebook

1
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Noreen

Last Orders

0
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Robin

Brooklyn

2
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Asif

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Revenant
Ghost Walker

1
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Sophie

Which version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tho?

0
Caroline

The Green Mile

1
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Blessy

Blade Runner

0
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Kelly

Fight Club

0
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Randi

Gone girl

0
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Emily

The Handmaid’s Tale (TV) is very well done

4
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Bobby

First blood

0
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Gail

The green mile

1
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Venus

The Shining

1
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Shari

NO. I hated the movie

1
Venus

Jack Nicholson made the whole movie worth it

2
Venus

but I agree that kubrick’s style was a bit much (with the river of blood)

0
Julez

Yes Kubricks version is my favorite. I can never get through the version of it, with the guy from wings.

1
Katie

They left out or glazed over so many of my favorite parts of the book. The film is amazing still…

1
Venus

Yes, the movie was different than the book, especially the ending, but try rereading and imagine Jack Nicholson’s acting…. extra chills!

0
Shari

@Venus no. I’m sorry I disagree

1
Jason

The Martian

1
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Tori

Hidden Figures, The Martian, Room with a View, Pride & Prejudice

0
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Ματη

Outlander.

0
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Deb

To Kill a Mockingbird

2
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Ellen

No!! They left out main characters

0
Deb

@Ellen I thought the editing was great. What was removed was not necessary to tell the story and keep its integrity.

1
Morgan

The perks of being a wallflower

1
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Alicia

Gone with the wind

1
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Brenda

Papillon came close. Both were amazing.

0
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Shari
5
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Shari
4
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Karen

My pick too

0
Ellen

The series of unfortunate events…the movie adaptation, not the show.
Twilight series (no one kill me for actually enjoying these books)

0
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Tonya

I agree with your Twilight comment. I actually liked how they changed the ending a bit in the movie.

0
Sophie

I loooove the movie adaptation and honestly I prefer the twilight movies over the books

0
Sheila

Water for Elephants. Loved the book, loved the movie.

4
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Michelle

Atonement

1
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Mary

Life of Pi

1
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Lori

Fried Green Tomatoes and Jaws

5
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Karen

Green Mile

2
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Aimee

Agreed! It was perfect as far as adaptations go!

2
Julez

Practical Magic.

3
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Sheila

LOVE this movie and used the song Crystalline from it at our wedding! Now my IRL book club is reading it later this year and it will be the first time I’ve read the book of a long-loved-favorite movie. I hope it lives up!

0
Julez

Yes! Me too! Just thinking about it makes me want to curl up and watch it, lol. I hope you like book too. You’ll have to let me know your thoughts on if after you read it.

1
Rosangela

Following

0
Cassie

I liked the movie better

1
Julez

@Cassie yes. Me too.

1
Renée

Anatomy of a Murder

0
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Jessica

Gone with the wind

0
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Miriam

I haven’t read the book yet but I watched WONDER and it’s beautiful, same thing with A MAN CALLED OVE

1
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Susan

The English Patient

1
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Ken

The Godfather

2
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Deb

Agree and then the masterpiece without a book; Godfather II

1
Luci

Into the Wild

3
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Mina

The Outsiders. Misery.

1
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Sheila

Oh, yes, Misery! Definitely even better as a book.

2
Shana

I was going to say Misery too! I think it’s the only movie I enjoyed more than the book.

1
Amelia

Howl’s Moving Castle! The plot varies enough that you can appreciate them as two different stories, but the whimsical feeling is exactly the same for both.

1
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Candace

Gone with the wind

0
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Barry

Call Me By Your Name

1
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Anita

I didn’t think it could be done, but Outlander.

1
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Kim

I haven’t found one yet. I can say I LOVED The Martian & all of the Harry Potter movies.

4
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Kahina

Honestly, and I don’t know if someone is like me but once I read the book I can’t watch the movie, I don’t know why but I feel like I have made to that book my own characters and their own faces lol so I can’t watch the movie

4
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Marla

The Green Mile

3
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Kim

Ready Player One was so good as a stand alone film. You could definitely enjoy it without having read the book.

0
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Randi

I disagree. I thought the movie was TERRIBLE compared to the book. All my friends who read the book agreed. Seemed the people I know who loved the movie hadn’t read the book…

1
Amber

I havent seen the movie yet but that book, SO GOOD.

1
Randi

@Amber one of my favorites! which is probably why I was so disappointed in the movie.

0
Amber

I had high hopes for it cause its Spielberg but I also told myself to wait. Alot of my friends loved it but its the same as you, they didnt read the book, @Randi.

1
Kim

@Randi, i said as a stand alone, it was a great movie. I was able to separate the 2.

1
Kathleen

Harry Potter

3
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Deanna

Practical Magic

1
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Cassie

Movie is actually better then the book imo which never happens!

2
Leslie

I thought the movie was much better than the book which surprised me

1
Liz

The Bridges of Madison County. Actually thought movie was much better than book.

1
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Mary

The Help

4
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Vedika

The outsiders

0
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Vaishnavi

Gone with the wind ❤❤❤

1
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Janine

Me Before You.

5
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Amanda

The Green Mile

4
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Kayrene

Chocolat and Practical Magic, both much better than the books.

0
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Justine

Secret Life of Bees…

1
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Brenda

Loved the book so very much!! I can’t imagine the movie being better but I will now check it out.

0
Justine

@Brenda, movies are rarely better, but this Is a very good adaptation… stayed true to the book.

1
Ash

The Road, Fight Club, The Martian, Room, The Lost City of Z.

1
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Maria

Girl with the dragon tattoo

0
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Maria

If you combine both versions lol

1
Megan

This is on my “To-Read” List

0
Jean

The World According To Garp.

1
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Lligwy

Hunger games

3
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Anna

I disagree. They left out Madge in every movie ?

0
Nikki

Fried Green Tomatoes ?

2
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Tom

Girl with the dragon tattoo….all of the trilogy in the swedish version..top notch

1
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Susan

The Shawshank Redemption.

3
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Claudia

Outlander

1
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Tess

100%

0
Carin

I love the show, but am more abt the books

0
Anne

I love this! Gone With the Wind was the 1st one I thought of. Also Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (with Gene Wilder), Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, A Christmas Story, East of Eden. I’m interested now in reading Practical Magic – it’s been ages since I saw the movie!!

0
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Jade

definitely gone with the wind. loved that as a kid, book and movie 🙂

0
Ellen

Thomas Tryon’s, “The Other”.

0
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Anne

Old ones and longer than usual films but: Our Mutual Friend and Lonsesome Dove

0
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Dorothea

One of the few movies I thought did full justice to the novel.

0
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Debbie

Michael Chabon – Wonder Boys

0
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Chad

The Gradute. No Country For Old Men. Housekeeping. Gone Girl. Annihilation.

0
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Emily

Joy Luck Club

4
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Maleia

The Princess Bride. The only movie I will say is actually better than the book.

8
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Kris

I love both. I especially love the chapter with Inigo and Fezzik in the zoo of death and the deeper backstories.

2
Amber

OMFG, i didnt even know it was a book!!!!!!!

2
Liz

@Amber the book is funnier and more outlandish than the movie–definitely worth checking out!

2
Cindy

The Cider House Rules.

1
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Stacey

Fight Club

0
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Stacey

Fight Club

0
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Grahame

Fried Green Tomatoes and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

0
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Marci

The Help

1
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Bron

The Witches by Dahl!

2
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Joseph

Jaws

2
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Barbara

To Kill a Mockingbird

2
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Rebekah

The 1980s version of A Room With A View.

0
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Jenny

The Secret Life of Bees, Fried Green Tomatoes, Jurassic Park, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Name of the Rose.

4
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Jenny

Hunger Games

0
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Amber

Green Mile

3
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Elle

Atonement

1
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Sandy

Pride and Prejudice

1
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Kimberly

The Princess Bride. Both incredibly good in their own way

2
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Katie

To Kill A Mockingbird, The Help, Princess Bride, Gone With the Wind, Maltese Falcon. I really enjoyed Girl with the dragon tattoo, and hunger games in both forms, although the books are slightly better.

0
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Jessica

The Color Purple

1
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Katie

Oh and Wise Guys which got made into Goodfellas and Donnie Branco are great mob movies. I’m sure Godfather can’t get any better than the films but I haven’t read the book(s).

0
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Carrie

The Outsiders

2
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Danielle

Definitely was a great movie and followed the book. It’s one of my all time favorite books and movies! I read it first time in 6th grade and loved it. I cried! Stay golden!

1
Catherine

Agree with this! I loved this book so much in 8th grade I stole it after my teacher said I couldn’t keep it. Whoops. Movie has always been a fave of mine!!

1
Carm

Lonesome Dove.

1
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Ken

It was great and the book won a Pulitzer…

1
Sophie

Harry Potter in my oppinion (wouldn’t have really done it any different even if I knew how ?)

3
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Catherine

I would have 1) included peeves. How could they leave him out 2) had Dumbledore actually speak calmly when asking Harry if he put his name in the goblet of fire??‍♀️

1
Sophie

Well Peeves would have been cool but I don’t think he was that important for the story development and true that is one think I would change. Breath Dumbledore ?

0
Catherine

True, he is not important for story development- I just really feel like he could have made the movies that much better lol

1
Sophie

It would have been nice to show him maybe once or twice but even in the books he is more important at the beginning

0
Janet

Pride & Prejudice 2005

2
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Lori

I would have to say, To Kill A Mockingbird.

7
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Thania

The Lincoln Lawyer

0
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Elie

The matchmaker’s playbook ??

0
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Leslie

The Help

4
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Debby

THE help

2
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Leslie

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

2
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Roberta

Wild

0
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Deborah

Gone With the Wind, Christine and Delores Claiborne.

0
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Catherine

The Martian

1
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Rebecca

Call Me By Your Name, Brooklyn. Both of those I actually loved the films more!

1
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Amy

I agree with Brooklyn! 🙂

0
Hanah

Chocolat

0
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Maureen

Room

1
Reply
Rosalie

A Man Called Ove

1
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Anne

Gone with the Wind

1
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Louisa

Emma — the 1996 movie produced by (gasp!) Weinstein and others — is better than the book. To those who hold Jane Austen sacred, that’s only an opinion!

2
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Anne

The 1996 film was brilliant!!

1
Louisa

@AnneMcCrary …. One of the few I own ~

1
April

Hunger games

3
Reply
Amanda

Me before you

0
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Tina

The Da Vinci Code. It’s the only instance I can think of where the unrealistic and unnecessary romantic ending is changed and improved in the movie to a non-romantic friendship.

1
Reply
Kari

Lord of the Rings

2
Reply
Kristin

Room

0
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Kristin

And white oleander

1
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Ana

hunger games

3
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Liz

The Namesake

1
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Aurora

Gone With the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, the Bourne books and so many. Only two movies better than the books: Forest Gump and Field of Dreams.

2
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Anne

Oh, I loved the movie Field of Dreams!! Had no idea it’s also a book. Thank you!!

0
Kristie

“Hidden Figures” movie is much better than the book.

0
Linda

I like the movie adaptation of Legally Blonde even BETTER than the book! That’s a first for me.

0
Reply
Bev

LOtR is pretty epic

0
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Rhonda

Outlander.

1
Reply
Linda

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

2
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Joanna

From 1940 or 1997?

0
Karen

Never Let Me Go

0
Reply
Jennifer

Like Water for Chocolate

2
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Anna

Wonder, Like Water For Chocolate, The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Me And Earl And The Dying Girl

0
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Teresa

“Persuasion” The BBC version with Amanda Root.

0
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Leann

I don’t know . I have never seen a movie than can top my imagination .

5
Reply
Roberta

I like that, Leann Curtis.

1
Cindy

Prince of Tides comes close.

2
Reply
Tom

The Godfather

2
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Maria

The name of the rose

0
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Rebecca

For me the books are always better. But for me to enjoy the movies it doesn’t necessarily have to be a scene for scene shot of the book (but that helps)
These are the movies I enjoyed even after reading the book
Harry Potter (sorcerers stone only)
Gone girl
Stardust (I actually liked the movie better!)
Ready Player One (book and movie are different but equally great)
Water for elephants
Pride and prejudice (Colin firth)
The witches
Matilda
Jurassic park
The other boelyn girl
The lion the witch and the wardrobe
Something borrowed
Along came a spider
The maze runner

2
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Carol

Where the Red Fern Grows

0
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Rula

Harry Potter, Bridget Jones and Twilight for me.

0
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Teresa

Jurassic Park

0
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Chelsea

Harry Potter ⚡️

1
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Jennifer

Books are always better… You wait excitedly for the movie to come out but its never as good as you imagined. Sometimes you know just from the trailer! I’ve just finished reading Ready Player One and I thought about watching the movie… Shall I bother?

0
Reply
Rosemarie

Of Mice and Men.

1
Reply
Kathleen

Broke my heart….can’t ever watch or read it again

1
Kathleen

I read it at age 12….it had a profound effect on me…..

0
Sabrina

I recently watched a man called ove and loved the movie. Was very good. I realised how much I missed ove since finishing the book

2
Reply
Rosemarie

The Five People You Meet in Heaven.

0
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Lauren

The Hunger Games.

2
Reply
Rachel

Gone with the Wind

3
Reply
Amy

The Notebook and Brooklyn are the only two movies I’ve seen so far that topped the book (in my opinion).

0
Reply
Bonnie

Jaws

2
Reply
River

Memoirs of a Geisha and Stardust

1
Reply
Jenifer

The Bourne series and Lord of the Rings?

0
Reply
Anne

The Secret Garden – 1993 movie.

1
Reply
Bonnie

Who is the author of the book, there are several with that title.

0
Anne

Frances Hodgson Burnett.

0
Judy

Gone With The Wind, the movie leaves a lot out but it is four hours long so easy to see why. Otherwise, it follows the book and many places it’s verbatim.

0
Reply
Sandy

Whaaaaaat??? Seriously?

0
Reply
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