Top Ten Tuesday- Books as Movies

This week the Broke and the Bookish are asking us what our top ten movie adaptations are (for better or worse). 

Here are two general theories I have that both have considerable exceptions:

1. Slightly crappy books tend to make better movies (see 2, 5, and 6)

2. The less I like a book the less I care if the movie adaptation screws with the plot and characters

Two other preliminary theories still in the works:

1. Movies with Karen O songs are good.

2. Movies starring Jennifer Lawrence are good.

One theory based on no solid evidence whatsover:

 

1. A movie with a Karen O soundtrack and starring Jennifer Lawrence would probably be spectacular. 

Anyway.

Done Well

1. Where the Wild Things Are

by Maurice Sendak

I had some serious doubts before seeing this movie. How would Maurice Sendak's children's masterpiece be turned into a full-length feature film? Turns out Spike Jonze (and Dave Eggars, who co-wrote the screenplay) did a great job filling in between the lines (ps: watch this video of Christopher Walken reading and improvising the book).

2. Silver Linings Playbook

by Matthew Quick

This is one of the few books that I read after I saw the movie and thought that it did an even better job of developing the characters and the plot than the actual novel.

3. Much Ado About Nothing

by William Shakespeare

I saw the newest version directed by Joss Whedon last month and felt he did a great job of capturing The Bard's tongue-in-cheek tone and staying true to the dialogue.

4. The Harry Potter Series

by JK Rowling

I have only seen a few of the movies, but I thought the ones that I have seen captured the overall story well. Obviously the books are incredibly long so things must be out, but the directors did a decent job picking and choosing. (Shameless ploy: read my recent post about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter here).

5. The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

Honestly, I didn't care for the series or the movie, but I do have to say that the film was completely on par with the novel (another Jennifer Lawrence movie!).

6. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

by Stieg Larsson

This is another book that I wasn't in love with, but I thought the movie (albeit there were definitely changes) wasn't bad at all. The opening with the Trent Reznor and Karen O song was good enough for me. 

7. To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

This is one of the few movies I've ever shown to my high school students. While it is unfortunately in black and white (minus fifteen cultural points for Christine for liking color), it does hone in on the essence of Lee's story.

Done Shittily

8. The Hours

by Michael Cunningham

I really hate this movie- the tone of Cunningham's writing is poorly replicated and was completely over-acted. Things were added, things were taken out... it just wasn't right.

9. Cloud Atlas

by David Mitchell

What a nonsensical, disappointing clusterfuck. 

10. The Great Gatsby (the most recent)

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

What a nonsensical, disappointing clusterfuck.

Got some good ones? Some bad ones?