Decision Process (from most important to least):
- How much do I respect the book
- How much do I respect the movie
- How well does the movie represent the book
- If two books came out with an equal scoring, they were directly compared based on how much I like the book, because being a literature person, I always put books first
I honestly didn't have a lot of faith in this movie when I first heard that it was coming out. It didn't sound believable that they could create an elegant and noble Aslan that didn't look completely ridiculous, but I'll admit that this adaptation is much better than I anticipated. The book itself is quite childish in its writing, as C.S. Lewis was trying to reach a much younger audience than his friend Tolkien, but this movie was admittedly kind of epic. I'd almost say (gasp) that Disney made this story quite a bit more exciting.
If this list was based solely on the movies, this one would rank much higher. It must be that I can sympathize a bit with an Irish Catholic upbringing, although mine was not nearly as strict as poor Bernadette's, who cannot even go off to college on her own. I adore Minnie Driver's portrayal of the main character and her sweet innocence. The movie itself has beautiful views of Ireland and intricate character interaction, which are described in detail in the book, and are precisely why the book was so boring to read.
This is one of the most amazing books that I have ever read. Nicolas Sparks completely captivates you into believing that you are the first person to ever read this notebook full of a love about two real people and their life together. It's like you are sitting in your grandmother's attic and you just found a handwritten journal. His writing is almost poetic in its descriptions of Noah's devotion for Allie. The movie, although a wonderful Saturday night chick-flick, does not do the book sufficient justice. The movie hollywoodizes a relationship that is very sincere and realistic in the book.
When I went through the scoring up on top, I was actually surprised by how high I actually ended up ranking this movie. The book itself was heartwarming and a great summertime read. The movie is in much the same category. Natalie Portman is wonderful, as always, and the story leaves you uplifted and happy. Like any mainstream book, the movie adaptation is mostly accurate, but not perfect.
I loved this book growing up. The idea that you could sail across the world in the pit of a giant peach with a spider, grasshopper, silkworm, ladybug and other insect companions was instantly mesmorizing. The movie adaptation only worked because it was animated; it would be ridiculous to watch with real actors.
I think that Jane Austen was a genius of her time. Her humorous satire about the stupidity of modern society, and her mockery of most humans in general is something that I have always respected. We all see the ridiculousness in our everyday lives, and Jane Austen makes fun of us all. In Sense and Sensibility, she mocks the loudmouthed, gossiping neighbor who everyone tries to avoid except when the situation is advantageous for them (Mrs. Jennings), and the wealthy snob who really has no heart or soul at all, but assumes they are better than the world (Fanny Dashwood). The movie adaptation is not entirely accurate with the book, which is why I didn't rank this higher, but I love Emma Thompson (who stars and wrote the screenplay) and Kate Winslet (who I knew as Marianne, before the world knew her as Rose), so in this case, I am quite forgiving.
All of the Harry Potter book/movies could have been collectively on this list, but I chose this one in particular, because I think it is the best movie adaptation of its respective book. It captures the plot, as well as the emotions and fear that are starting to surface in the series as the story progresses. Gary Oldman is seriously sinister as Sirius Black without even having more than a few lines, and then just as believably he transforms into a loving uncle. However, as in many movies, the book is just a little bit better.Book: 5 Movie: 4
Arguably, this is one of the best children's books of all time. It captures the pain of injustice, misunderstanding, and ignorance through the trial of an innocent black man, Tom Robinson, in the deep south during the 1930s. Atticus
The moment I read this book my senior year of high school, I fell in love. It wasn't the romance that I enjoyed (since that only takes up about one eighth of the actual plot), it was the mystery and the Gothic imagery. I was intrigued by the sinister Mr. Rochester, the mysterious laughter echoing the halls in the night, the screams that poured from the attic tower, and Jane's visions of her dead uncle in the red room. They were all morbidly intriguing and yet, where I would have cowered in my bedroom, Jane searched for the answers to logically extinguish her fears. Yes, in the end she does end up with the man, but he is no prince charming, and he is dependent upon her, rather than the other way around, which was a quite ambitious idea in 1847. This movie adaptation has a nice mix of mystery and darkness, in order to keep it interesting. It focuses a little bit more heavily on the relationship between Jane and Mr. Rochester than the book does, but that's to be expected when trying to reach a modern audience.
For anyone who knows me well, I don't think it will come as a surprise that this tops my list. Reading this book is what solidified my choice of English as my major. As previously stated, Jane Austen's satire is hilarious, if you actually take the time to look for the humor in each of her characters. Mr. Bennet is my personal favorite, as he is constantly pointing out the folly in his neighbors, and quite frequently his ridiculous wife, but at the same time cannot see his own mistakes. Also, Elizabeth Bennett is sarcastic, witty, and unforgiving, but also loyal. (I could go on about Austin for a long time, but I'll save that for another post.)
This movie is quite long (almost 6 hours), and I will admit that I usually am doing a million other things while I have it on the television. I wish I had six hours of free time, but that doesn't usually happen. However, this movie is almost perfect with its adaptation. There will always be small decisions by cast and crew that will affect motivations of characters or interpretations of situations, but nearly every moment of the book's plot is present in this movie. If you watched this movie and had a conversation with someone who read the book, they may not notice that you hadn't actually read it as well.
(Side Note: Six hours of Colin Firth doesn't hurt either)
Book: 5 Movie: 5
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