December Theme: Fandango Gift Card Giveaway
I adore the movies. I especially adore movies based on books. Which is why I remember with such clarity the first movie adaptation I saw of a book I loved: it was The Black Stallion (book by Walter Farley). I was oh, about 9. My mom took me -- just me-- apart from my four siblings (who weren't nearly so horse-loving or book-loving) across Lake Pontchartrain into the city (New Orleans) for a matinee showing.
I loved it every bit as much as the book and still do. Now this doesn't always happen, of course. Lots of times the best part of a movie based on a book is walking out of the theater discussing all the ways the movie got it wrong.
There have been just a few over the years that I enjoyed as much (or more!) as the book. For instance, I thought the movie HUNGER GAMES improved the book (by Suzanne Collins) because Katniss's motivation was made much more clear. And what about THE READER? A much better movie, in my opinion, than book (by Bernhard Schlink). Kate Winslett totally rocked that part! Which also brings to mind another historical one, ATONEMENT. Love love love that movie just a wee bit better than the book (by Ian McEwan).
This holiday season, so far, I've had the opportunity to enjoy two movies based on books I've read, and I enjoyed them both:
LIFE OF PI (by Yann Martel)
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN part 2 (by Stephenie Meyer)
Still on my list to see this season: ANNA KARENINA, THE HOBBIT, LES MISERABLES. With that in mind, and in keeping with our monthly theme and the spirit of the season, I am giving away a $25 gift card to FANDANGO!
So hire that babysitter, people. The winner will be all set to go to the movies as early as Saturday night!
Happy Holidays, everyone! And author-friends: may all your books be made into wonderful (blockbuster!) movies. :)
ETA: And the winner is.... Tara Bullock! Congratulations!!!!
I don't see the rafflecopter form. ????
ReplyDeleteMy least favorite movie adaptation of a book is John Grisham's "The Firm". I thought the book was way better.
mami2jcn at gmail dot com
Oh my goodness, I had forgotten about THE FIRM. They totally changed the ending! Thanks for entering, and good luck.
DeleteI hope this works... I want to see Hobbit and Les Miserable.
ReplyDeleteI will get booed about this but Twilight (the first movie) was by far the WORST movie adaptation of a book.
My Favorite Book into movie is Princess Bride. Yes It DOES leave out Fezzik's story, but it is so well done, that it doesn't really matter!
You'll get no boo from me. :) THE PRINCESS BRIDE= one of the best movies ever! I totally need to read that book.
DeleteNow that's a generous offer that I can't pass up!! I have to say that so far Harry Potter has been one of my most favorite and successful book made into a movie. A close second is the Lord of The Rings because I had a hard time getting into the book due to the long stretches of descriptions and difficult language, but I think the movie brought a new audience to that great story that wouldn't have known it otherwise. That is what is cool about movies, it often widens the books audience. I am anxiously anticipating Anna Karenina. This too had vast descriptions and political dogma. Although it took me a year to complete it, I did, much to my surprise. Being a mother, I think I really related to Anna. (I was also on a classics kick and was determined to get through them all.)
ReplyDeleteGo, you, with the classics! All those old books are "slow" compared to today's reads... and you're right, the movie adaptations can expand audiences. I love Kiera Knightley, so I have high hopes for Anna as well!
DeleteI love the movie adaptation of Anne of Green Gables--which is good, since it's my favorite book ever :)
ReplyDeletejpetroroy at gmail dot com
Putting Anne on my to-watch list... how have I never watched that movie?! Thanks for entering!
DeleteI am pretty happy with the adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, primarily with the casting of the characters but I think my favorite adaptation is Because of Winn Dixie.
ReplyDelete~L (omphaloskepsis)
Awww... Because of Winn Dixie... another one I'd forgotten about. Makes me want to watch & read! Thanks for entering!
DeleteInto The Wild is my favorite adaptation. I actually saw the movie before reading the book, but both are great. Great story, and both mediums are equally entertaining and heartfelt. sethrich[at]hotmail[dot]com
ReplyDeleteThat movie SLAYED me. Haven't read the book. Putting it on the TBR list... thanks for entering!
DeleteJurassic Park. I can't even tell you how many times I watched that movie when I was younger, and my husband and I can still quote tons of dialogue from it. Did justice to the book.
ReplyDeleteI will never forget seeing that one in the theater. I've always been a wuss, and it was probably the scariest movie I'd ever been to. Felt like a risk at the time, and now ?? Wow, the world has changed. Thanks for entering!
DeleteTwilight.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure which of these I liked the best... NEW MOON was my favorite of the books. The movies are tougher! Thanks for entering.
DeleteNobody's Fool is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteI'll add that one to my list! Thanks for entering.
DeleteMy fave movie adaptation of a book is Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows
ReplyDeletedonnyandshelly at yahoo dot com
Yes yes YES! I never met a HP I didn't like, movie or book. I'm currently listeing to A CASUAL VACANCY... reads like a movie...Thanks for entering!
DeleteTrainspotting was awfully hard to read, so the movie was easier to get through.
ReplyDeleteGood point. Movies are great to cut through the difficulties... the irritating thing is when they over-simplify a plot or characters we've come to love on the pages...
DeleteI liked the movie Little Women, based on the book!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the cool giveaway!
wildorchid985 @ gmail dot com
Oooh, LITTLE WOMEN... the one with Kirsten Dunst?? I like that one too. Thanks for entering!
DeleteLeast favorite: Eragon! It ruined the book by cutting out 90% of the content. I was really disappointed...no wonder it didn't get a sequel.
ReplyDeleteOh my, that WAS a disappointment. And my boys loved those books so much! Thanks for entering.
DeleteI thought the Hunger Games was a good adaptation of the book, followed very closely
ReplyDeleteDigicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
It will be interesting to see what CATCHING FIRE is like. Thanks for entering!
DeleteTwo of my favorites were only done this year.
ReplyDeleteThe Hunger Games and The Perks of Being a Wallflower both followed the books very closely and PERKS edges out HG for my top spot.
I think what makes this so is that Suzanne Collins and Stephen Chbosky both had such an important part in the adaptations and it helped that they had a background in TV and movies.
oh and crystal.micsha at gmail (dot) com
DeleteCrystal, I haven't seen PERKS yet and want to! Actually, I need the book. Want to read that first. And you make a great point about authors with tv/movie experience. It's got to help! Thanks for entering!
DeleteThe movie Eragon, based on the book of the same name by Christopher Paolini. Rotton Tomatoes panned it in 2006, for good reason.
ReplyDeleteKim, I agree! Thanks so much for entering!
DeleteHi Irene! Interesting question. My kids' least favorite movie adaptation was Percy Jackson. We didn't see The Grinch, but I heard bad things about it (the movie, not the cartoon). Some favorites: Princess Bride, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Hunger Games, North and South (that was made into a TV movie -- does it count?). I like a lot of BBC adaptations of books.
ReplyDeletePercy was a HUGE disappointment, imo. As was THE GOLDEN COMPASS. BBC rocks! Switching to tv, but are you a DOWNTON fan?? Thanks for entering!
DeleteHuh. I think least favorite would be "Where the Wild Things Are". I try very hard to remember that screenplays *are* going to be very different, just because it's the nature of the beast! Some things -- like the Twilight series -- I saw the movie first and then when back and read the books. I was grateful for that -- instead of me being disappointed in the movie, I was uber-thrilled with the books! LOL! :) My "to be seen" list lines up with yours! :)
ReplyDeleteOh Denise, so glad I am not alone in my dislike of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE!. Thank you. And you make a good point about whether to read first or later... I have always opted for first, but now I am re-thinking that!
DeleteI suppose my favorite book to movie adaption is Anne of Green Gables (Megan Follows). She will always be Anne to me !
ReplyDeleteAmy, you are not alone in your Anne-love! I've REALLY got to see that movie. Thanks for entering!
DeleteMy email : hopeistheword (at) gmail (dot) com
ReplyDeleteTara Bullock said...
ReplyDeleteMy favorite movie adaption is actually of my favorite book, The Chronicles of the Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I think the movie represents the book incredibly well, and it's a great Christmas movie. However, the other films in this series (Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) unfortunately fall short.
tebullock(at)crimson(dot)ua(dot)edu
I love that, Tara, that your fave book is the same as your fave movie! I could say that about THE BLACK STALLION. Love both. And sadness about the disappointing follow-up films. I wonder if they will do all the books??
DeleteTara, you're the winner of the Fandango gift card!! Will send it to the address you have listed. Please let me know when you've received it. Happy Movie-Going! :)
DeleteI received my email! Thank you very much, Irene! Your blog is fantastic, especially for the journalism classes I teach!
DeleteThere are so many! I guess my favorite is still To Kill A Mockingbird, although the Ring Cycle by Peter Jackson is nearly equal. I watch them all again, & then again.
ReplyDeleteWow, why didn't I think of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD? Especially when I live down here in Mockingbird-land and recently watched the play AND movie. Thank you, Linda, for the reminder!
DeleteOne of my favorite adaptations is Jurassic Park. I had to remind myself to breathe while reading the book and experienced the same intensity watching the movie. Crichton is a master of suspense! The Hunger Games was pretty good, too, but only because I had already read the book. My husband, who hadn't read the book, left with many unanswered questions.
ReplyDeleteCindy, you make me want to read the book JURASSIC PARK (which I never have!). Thanks for entering.
DeleteI've thought about several, but one stands out... Passion of the Christ - Mel Gipson. Made from the start to follow the book (Holy Bible) to the tee. I especially loved the use of Aramaic lamguage with the English subtext. I am not as faithfully committed as some, but THAT movie moves me. Start to finish. More-so than the book.
ReplyDeleteI CANNOT watch that movie. It's too much for me. But I do remember being very enamored of Lorenzo who played young Jesus in JESUS OF NAZARETH. :) Thanks for entering, Forrest. xo
DeleteOkay, totally Old School here, but when I read GONE WITH THE WIND, I thought, "Oh my gosh! SO much more to the story!" Granted, the original was much longer and I'd probably fall asleep but maybe I could watch it in between naps and snacks. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAlso, the whole LIFE OF PI thing. I LOVED that book, but I just don't see how a movie could do the ending justice. So do I go or not? Still undecided.
Cathy, GO! It's an experience. The book means a lot to me, and you know, I got something out of the movie too. I also appreciate your thoughts on GONE WITH THE WIND, which I read multiple times (until the cover fell off!). It was hard for me at first to like the movie, but it's grown on me. :)
DeleteI'm a huge Harry Potter fan! The Goblet of Fire was my favorite!
ReplyDelete