I love books, I love film, what I love most is when a great book is adapted into a wonderful film. Today's post is dedicated to the books I've read and loved that have been adapted into films equally as great.
Atonement
I really enjoyed this haunting tale of love, war and childhood naivety. The book follows the story of Briony Tallis, a young girl in 1935 who makes a terrible mistake for which others have to pay. When I think of the best film adapted from a book I think of Atonement. The film took no shortcuts. It told the complete story of the novel beautifully. Performances by Keira Knightley and James McAvoy were wonderful and brought the characters of Cecelia and Robbie to life.
The Lord of the Rings
My father turned me onto the Lord of the Rings books. They are his favourite and when I was 11 he gave me The Hobbit and from then on I've been a huge fan of Tolkein's LOTR series. Peter Jackson is my favourite director and I loved his interpretation of the books. It was a challenge for sure to take a beloved series like this and adapt them into film. I know when the first buzz started there were those that thought relatively unknown Jackson couldn't pull it off. He did though, and brilliantly. The films are visually stunning and the changes that were made to the story only enhanced it.
Harry Potter
I was late on the Harry Potter bandwagon. I read the books after I'd seen the first three films. What I love about these books is that it doesn't matter if your 12 or 22, they make you feel that childhood magic, that feeling that anything is possible in a world full of wonders. I was able to enjoy the final films of Harry Potter after reading the books and loved them. I particularly enjoyed the last two films based on the final book "The Deathly Hallows". They were dark and tense but also kept that childlike imagination alive.
The Help
A very moving and socially important book, The Help tells the story of Skeeter who, in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi decides to write a tell-all book from the help's perspective. I remember being horrified at some of the things the women described had been done to them. Although the book is fiction, the torture and beatings are not. The suffering of the African Americans during such a turbulent time in history is something we must never forget, and so I am grateful for books like this, which bring it to light. The film is really great and entertaining. It's not as heavy as the book, leaving a lot of the brutal stories out, but it still makes a wonderful point on how a few people can make a positive change.
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Time Traveler's Wife is a beautifully written book that kept me on edge the whole time. This love story follows Henry who has a strange condition, he time travels without the ability to control it. Through his travels he meets Clare at different ages. They eventually meet up in the present. She has known him most of her life, he is meeting her for the first time. It sounds confusing but the book is written so well you never get lost. The film is wonderful also and I loved the connection between Rachel McAdams' Clare and Eric Bana's Henry. The film has altered the story slightly, which is to be expected, but still keeps the main plot points.
The Notebook
The Notebook has become one of the most loved love stories. It tells the passionate story of Noah and Allie who meet in their teens in 1940. They are from different social statures and are eventually separated. Years later, she's engaged to someone else, and he's just finished the house he promised he'd build her. They are thrown back together and discover that a love like theirs can never die. The film is as beautiful as the book. Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling dated during filming and their spark is evident. The Notebook goes down in history with romances like Casablanca and Gone with the Wind.
The Bourne Trilogy
One of my favourite books series. I remember going to see a film one day with my father and there was a trailer for The Bourne Identity. I had never heard of the book before but my dad was so excited about it I thought I'd give it a shot. I loved the book and ended up reading the trilogy quickly. I also love the films. The films however are very, very different from the books. The first film has the most similarities to the book, but the second and third are entirely different. I was quite shocked when I watched The Bourne Supremacy, I had loved the book and was expecting something similar to it. Instead they killed off a character that I knew to be vital in the second and third books. I loved The Bourne Ultimatum though, the film was very different but highly entertaining. The films are so different from the books, I recommend you read them, they show a side of Bourne the films never went close to.
Bridget Jones's Diary
Such a classic and funny story. Bridget is one of my favourite characters. She makes all the wrong choices, falls over her own feet, but is also the most lovable and endearing book character I've ever read. Renee Zellweger's portrayal of Jones is spot on. Her british accent sounds authentic and she is hilarious to watch. I enjoyed the books but loved the films more.
Pride and Prejudice
I watched the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice many times growing up. Then I saw the Keira Knightley film and fell in love with it. I didn't actually read the book till a couple of years ago. I had seen the films so many times I thought I might perhaps be bored knowing so much of the story already. I was wrong. The book is so well-written that it captures you and allows you further into the psyche of Elizabeth than the films allow.
This year there are a few films coming out that are adapted from some of my favourite books. These include:
The Hunger Games
I'm highly anticipating this film. I really enjoyed the first two books of the trilogy. I am also interested to see how they develop the characters of Katniss, Peeta and Gale. In the books Gale is more of a secondary character. I hope that the films put him more front and centre, I think it will add more to the struggles Katniss faces in and out of the arena.
The Lucky One
I just finished this book last night and I loved it. The story follows Logan Thibault who while serving as a marine in Iraq finds a photo of a young woman. It becomes a sort of lucky charm, keeping him alive when others around him die. After a series of events he decides to walk to North Carolina to find her. Elizabeth is a single mother who lives under the threat of her ex-husband and his family. When she and Logan meet they embark on a passionate love affair, but his secret threatens to destroy them. I am looking forward to the film and hopefully it will bring to life the beautiful tale of Elizabeth and Logan.
The Hobbit
The Hobbit is one of the most anticipated films of 2012. I am very excited for it. My family went to every LOTR film premiere and also again on Christmas Eve. I may just have to make a trip to New Zealand so that we can keep this tradition alive.
So that's my list. What's on yours?
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