Most disappointing movie adaptation of a book

ankles · 20-10-2009 11:38pm

Interesting thread but essentially different mediums. A good book requires an investment by the reader, in terms of time and also of imagination and emotion. Films just require much less and essentially "happen to you" for the most part, they also of course have to deliver in an important extra sense, the visual, and also the underrated sound including but not exclusively soundtrack. good adaptations in order to work for the most part need to butcher the book. take the underlying theme or emotive drive and then adapt it to a different medium by adding. A good example in this thread was the Mozart in the Shawshank film. I think this was a good adaptation in that it tried to take the feeling of the book but wasn't afraid to rip up some basics from the book to make it work. Didn't the black/white relationship between Robbins and Freeman add a different dynamic visually? I think this was ingenious on the part of the director.

Hollywood is by its nature stupid so often fails to grab this, so you get facsimile movies which fail because great books just work in a different way ot great movies. great movies read like trash, unfortunately. No better example than the Godfather, from a pulp novel but an undeniably great movie experience.

connor2nz · 30-10-2009 9:03pm

Gabriel Garcia Marquez' "Love in the Time of Cholera" is a massive disappointment. It's such a rich book, and the film comes across like a montage in the middle of another film.

Despite being visually stunning, "Memoirs of a Geisha" is another terrible adaptation.

K4t · 01-11-2009 3:13am

The Human Stain by Roth. When I first heard there was a film adaptation I had my suspicians. It really is one of those books that can't be condensed into a film! Granted I haven't seen the film yet but I really do doubt it will live up to the book.
Maybe someone else who has read the book and seen the film can share their thoughts?

asdasd · 01-11-2009 3:19am

Granted I haven't seen the film yet but I really do doubt it will live up to the book.
Maybe someone else who has read the book and seen the film can share their thoughts?

You are right. The movie is badly directed anyway, but the book is really about the inner thoughts of the protagonist as well as ( or more importantly than) the plot. It is a book about the prosecutorial instinct in humans - from left and right ( the right against Clinton, the left in Political Correctness). And you cant get the internal dialog across. Also badly cast. They needed a black actor who could pass as white. And as for the sex scene, in a book it might seem ok that the 60 year old ends up with the 30 year old, on screen it seems very very odd, as there is little conversation before the coupling.

Keep to the book. Watching the movie made me rate the book less, which I know is unfair.

TherapyBoy · 03-11-2009 2:34pm

Been on the back burner for a few years now & I really hope it's shelved forever - "Shantaram" by Gregory David Roberts. I just don't see how it's possible to make a film version work.

Busi_Girl08 · 03-11-2009 11:29pm

May be jumping the gun here...but is anyone else DREADING the remake of "1984", and the future adaptation of "The Book Thief"

I just can't see either of them working.

The Book Thief, I just really don't think it will work as a movie...just because it worked so well as a book. The whole thing is centred around books, and how it kept this girl going. The magic of the story just won't be potrayed as well on screen as it is in the book...

That's just my opinion

But I'll be happy to be proven wrong.

..As for 1984...I can't remember if it was in this thread ora different one that I ranted in

asdasd · 03-11-2009 11:34pm

Dont see why 1984 couldn't work?

Busi_Girl08 · 04-11-2009 9:43am

asdasd wrote: »

Dont see why 1984 couldn't work?

I just worry that it is going to be made into some big "Hollywood" movie. With a booming soundtrack and big explosions and CGI telescreens and stuff. Which is the polar opposite of what it should be like.

The John Hurt version was perfect, and I guess I'm just cynical about it being remade...:o

But, like the Book Thief, I'll be happy to be proven wrong.:pac:

asdasd · 07-11-2009 11:57pm

if anything the harry potter series is too loyal to the book.

SoupyNorman · 11-11-2009 3:44am

oncevotedff wrote: »

Also disappointed with the Legend of the Seeker adaptation of Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series.

I read the whole series of books (still have them all), thought they were epic. While flicking through Sky at home last weekend I notice a show entitled 'Legend of the Seeker' and to my delight I read that it is an adaption of these books. But my how they made a mess of it all, I found it difficult to watch the 20minutes I did. It seems like the main focus is on the 'period'...costume etc. I wish nothing like this was ever made /cry

Dudess · 12-11-2009 6:28pm

The Handmaid's Tale movie is just woeful.

monkeyfudge · 12-11-2009 6:51pm

Dudess wrote: »

The Handmaid's Tale movie is just woeful.

Yep. It's horrible. I mentioned it just 3 posts into this thread.

I was thinking about Creator recently. It was a great book... but it was very much concept that only worked as a book and I'd consider it to be unfilmable.

The writer of the book did the screenplay as well.. which is really horrible.

Angelandie · 30-11-2009 1:28pm

The Last Harry Potter movie cut way to much from the book - big disappointment
My Sister's Keeper - changed the ending
Circle of Friends - old I know but still disappointing
The Da Vinci Code - Liked the book, film was so slow and who thought Tom Hanks would be a good actor
P.S. I Love You - they changed practically everything...
+1 on Along Came a Spider - dreadful film, love James Pattersons books.

I try to avoid films of my favourite books, they always tend to disappoint

Emoyeni · 02-12-2009 1:33pm

Some books (authors, themes) are difficult to replicate in movies particularly with respect to intrigue, suspense, mystery & the personal inner emotion of the central characters that can be more easily "explained" through narration in a book. The likes of Fredrick Forsythe, Robert Ludlum, Michael Connelly, James Patterson, Jeffery Deaver to name but a few....To really capture this in a movie you'd end up in a Mike Hammer voice over dialog which wouldn't appeal to the masses....

The Bourne Identity was a disaster - The suspense just wasn't there for me - they tried to compensate this by having multiple car chases and the like but it was all a bit wishy washy....

Another movie - The Elephant Song - Wilbur Smith - The culling scene - the descriptive text in the book is just truly moving....you have to read to undertand......

There's probably countless others.....

Bodhisopha · 02-12-2009 3:42pm

Borstal Boy the movie starring Danny Dyer was very unfaithful to the book. Propa nawty.

Jesus Juice · 05-12-2009 11:47pm

I know its not a film,but the TV adaption of The Sword Of Truth series of books is woeful.You might have seen it its called Legend Of The Seeker...So bad.