Memphis Reads Archive

People say that the book is always better than the movie, but that's not necessarily so. Sometimes the book is mere fodder that a talented filmmaker knows how to reshape. The example that springs to my mind is Ron Kovick's "Born on the Fourth of July," a poorly-written memoir that sometimes descends to the maudlin. Oliver Stone took this mediocre volume and crafted a soul-searching epic that jarred many a viewer. Another example is T.C. Boyle's "The Road to Wellville" which, quite frankly, is boring. The film, however, is a comic masterpiece - even though few people went to see it. But that seems to be Alan Parker's sad fate, no matter what he directs.
 

Here's a list of top 50 adaptations according to a panel of "experts" organized by the Guardian (UK newspaper). How do their favorites compare to yours?

"Gone With The Wind" and "The Color Purple" are two notable omissions, both of which have been loved and hated on this side of the Atlantic.
 

I love with equal passion Roddy Doyle's Barrytown Trilogy: The Commitments, The Snapper, and The Van. The characters, settings, and conversations are exactly what I visualized prior to seeing the movies. Maybe, the books were little scripts in disguise. ;-)
 

I enjoyed the movie, THE COLOR PURPLE, much more than the book. The same goes for HANDMAID'S TALE by Margaret Atwood. I loved the book and hated the movie.

Some of my favorite small screen adaptations are A LESSON BEFORE DYING and THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MISS JANE PITTMAN, both by Ernest Gaines.

Also, I enjoyed both the book and the TV mini-series of Alex Haley's ROOTS.
 

My favorite book-to-movie is Maupin's Tales of the City which was produced by BBC as a mini-series. I read all the books in the series in as close to one sitting as possible, and watching the mini-series has become the closest thing to a Christmas ritual that I have.
 

The movie Simon Birch is a great example of how a talented director can turn a ponderous, melodramatic novel into a very enjoyable film. I tried to read the book, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, after seeing the movie, but had to quit halfway through. Ashley Judd heads a very talented cast.
 

Fight Club, the book--not great. Fight Club, the movie--great.

Ditto on the Fear and Loathing. Anything Terry Gilliam does is great.

William Burrough's Naked Lunch is as difficult a read as you can find. The movie, while still weird as all get out, is a challenging, visually stunning, and well conceived film