Holy crap, there are movies I liked JUST AS MUCH as the books? A rare statement from a writer, to be sure, but sometimes Hollywood gets it right.
Sometimes.
Here are my top 10 picks (and before you think mean thoughts, this does not mean I liked the movies better. It just means I enjoyed the movies, too):
10. The Firm (1993). John Grisham’s The Firm was one of the first thriller novels I ever read. The movie echoes the pacing of the novel – fast, furious, and full of tension. Tom Cruise is perfectly believable as a lawyer who gets in with the wrong law firm.
9. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992). I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of the original novel. The diary-style narrative and the old-fashioned prose didn’t do a whole lot for me. But I love the cinematography of this movie, and Gary Oldman was wonderfully creepy as Dracula.
8. The Bone Collector (1999). It’s no secret that I love Jeffery Deaver and the whole Lincoln Rhyme series, and what’s not to like about Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie?
7. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001). Potter fans, please don’t hurt me, but I was captivated by the film. If I was J.K. Rowling, I’d have been thrilled with this movie.
6. Fight Club (1999). This is dangerous territory, because nobody has fans quite like Chuck Palahniuk has fans. But I thought the movie captured the narrative voice of the novel perfectly, and the casting was brilliant.
5. Anne of Green Gables (1985). Megan Follows is the perfect Anne! This was a huge movie when I was growing up, since it was filmed in Canada and starred Canadian actors. If you haven’t seen it and are a fan of the books, rent the whole trilogy and settle in. You won’t be disappointed.
4. Misery (1990). Annie Wilkes has made a lot of my Top Ten lists, but with good reason. She’s sort of hard to forget. And Kathy Bates totally did her justice.
3. Interview with a Vampire (1994). I’m a fan of Anne Rice’s novels (specifically the Vampire Chronicles), and was prepared to dislike the film. But I was pleasantly surprised. Sometimes a soundtrack makes all the difference.
2. The Silence of the Lambs (1991). This movie also keeps popping up on my Top Ten lists, but I can’t help it. It’s just that good. Nobody could have played Hannibal Lecter better than Sir Anthony Hopkins, and I actually thought the movie was much scarier than the book.
1. Princess Bride (1987). The book is s’wonderful, but the movie is s’marvelous. Here are ten reasons why.
Honorable mention goes to:
True Blood, based on the Sookie Sackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. Okay, I’m totally cheating here, since True Blood is an HBO series and not a movie, but hey, it’s my blog and I can do what I want. I enjoyed Harris’s books, but I love love love this show. Maybe it’s all the naked man-candy (Eric the Vampire! Alcide the Werewolf!), but what can I say, I’m hopelessly addicted. (And, gee, looking over this list now, it appears that I’m bigger fan of vampires than I originally thought.)
What movies did you like just as much as the books?
Spielberg's "Jurassic Park" improved on Crichton's book.
Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige" was a fantastic movie adapted from source material that was kind of mediocre.
"The Godfather" streamlined Mario Puzo's novel and stripped out most of the ax-grinding, story-halting Hollywood subplot. The resulting narrative was more powerful, elegant and thematically coherent. Of course, my Grandma disagrees; she says Marlon Brando butchered the role.
Also, the Charlie Kaufman/Spike Jonze "Adaptation" did some fun things with Susan Orlean's "Orchid Thief."
The Godfather… yes! I forgot about that one.
Good choices! Having recently read The Exorcist, I'd have to add it to my list. SPOOKY stuff right there. Fight Club is my fav movie of all time and, you're right, the casting and tone were spot on. OMG – I've seen the Anne of Green Gables movies so many times I've about worn out my DVDS. I'm determined to visit PEI one day.
I thought Out of Sight was a great adaptation (unlike Leonard's Get Shorty and Be Cool)
I've been trying to remember what movie I saw, not all that long ago, that I thought was actually better than the book….
I so love the Princess Bride. It's my favourite movie of all time. I was recently given the book too and look forward to reading it. 🙂
Joann: Is The Exorcist book scarier than the book? I want to read it, but the movie scared the crap out me so much that I'm afraid the novel will be worse.
Jen: Out of Sight, another good choice.
Lynda: I'm a huge fan of the Princess Bride. It's almost embarrassing!
I wouldn't say it's scarier, but I've become increasingly difficult to spook, so I'm not the best judge. It's no scarier than the movie, in my warped estimation. It's a wonderful book, though I found Blatty's tendency to dramatize his similes pretty hilarious. He compares the concrete to the abstract and it's soooo melodramatic (and surprisingly charming).
I know it's an oldie and a teenage film, but "The Outsiders" really captured the book for me… and after having watched it so often that I can pretty much recite it line for line while viewing (and yes, I know that is annoying for anyone else who might be watching with me….), I'd say it is one of my favourite movies! Plus, it was the first time I saw Patrick Swayze and fell in love at first sight!
Ooh, The Outsiders, yes! Steve would totally agree with you. He loves that movie, too.