Yes, this is my classic example of ‘Films that are much better than the book’. See also Blade Runner (I love Philip K Dick but Androidey Sheep Sleep is a long way from my favourite), Jurassic Park, Confessions of a Window Cleaner *
*one of these is a fib.
Incidentally, classic examples where the films are much worse than the book include anything by Alan Moore. Although I must admit the Watchmen TV series was really, really good.
Because I should be revising, I’ve been thinking about literary adaptations instead; Stephen King strikes me as having the most variable adaptations of anyone I can think of (but then he’s probably had more adaptations than anyone I can think of, too). He’s had:
Terrible adaptations of awful stories: The Lawnmower Man
So so adaptations of so so stories: It, Needful Things, Tommyknockers
Terrible adaptations of great stories: The Langoliers, The Dark Tower
Fantastic adaptations of great stories: Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me
Great adaptations of so so stories: The Shining (I prefer the film but YMMV of course), The Green Mile
The only thing I cant think of is a great adaption of a terrible story, but I’ll ponder and maybe it will come to me. Any ideas? Mayyybe The Running Man?
I will agree with the King fans that The Running Man is not in any significant way a filming of the story, but I still think the film is much better.
Most of this seems to come from long after the Steven King movies I’ve seen. Where would Carrie fit into this list, or Firestarter?
Yeah, Running Man is a real contender for “Can we even call this the same story”?
Netflix are making The Talisman, which I loved growing up, but I can’t imagine any way in which a tv adaption works. Spielberg has been trying to make it for tv or film since literally before the book came out (he got an early copy) and they’ve thrown the Stranger Things people at it, so maybe?
Firestarter was a very average film. I enjoyed the book tho
I remember liking Firestarter as a movie, but it’s been decades since I saw it. Maybe I’ll watch it again and see what I think.
I agree with the two running mans.
The above fib was clearly Jurassic Park. I was incredulous so many people survived the film.
@RogerBW the author of Jaws is also in the film.
The Green Mile is a so so story?
Carrie, for me, is a good film from an okay story. Firestarter is an awful film from a good story.
He’s the reporter on the beach, isn’t he?
Well spotted with Jurassic Park.
Okay okay, stretching it. But I preferred the film.
When C and I saw it I was hoping for the annoying kid to die. It was such a disappointment when the high-voltage electric fence didn’t seriously hurt him.
Adding to the list of movies that overtake the original story, I must include Silence of the Lambs
Princess Bride. The book is good (and beloved of people who read it before the movie) but has quite a few missteps and 70s sexist ouch moments.
The film ditches all of them while sticking line by line to the rest of the dialogue, and its impossible to remake to be any better. When you compare it to the book you can only wonder at what an amazing job they did. Every single change is the right one.
That is funny, as I think in the intro of my copy of The Princess Bride, Goldman recalls how Stephen King complimented him on his screenplay for the movie, but razzed him for the book being bad.
I have been thinking of giving Thinking Fast and Slow to an old friend who has a doctorate in psychology; I think it would interest her. But I haven’t gotten anywhere yet in shopping for a physical edition. Do you have a physical copy, and if so, where did you buy it?
Amazon I’m afraid. It is widely available.
