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This could be controversial since if a book you love is adapted into a movie and they mess it up you'll be upset. I'll start it off by suggesting Great Expectations by David Lean (1946) which expertly captures the mood and feel of Dickens. Also Lean's Oliver Twist (1948)

Boy thats a really good question, ummm, lets see haha, I think "Gone With The Wind" was a pretty good adaptation...I think it followed along with Mitchell's novel quite well. I believe that came out in 1939?? Umm, I also think "Jane Eyre" and "Wuthering Heights" were good adaptations, I think the Brontë sisters would have been pleased Some of Jane Austen's books that are also movies are pretty good too I have all the movies that were derived from Austen's books...love em

For me most films destroy books... that said there are good translations/adaptations (and some stinkers!)
The one that stands out for me is The Letter (Somerset Maugham) - Film has Bette Davies (goddess of the silver screen) as the lead and directed by the great William Wyler....One to watch and watch.
The opening... with the moon and clouds is worth it alone - but it just gets better!

Libellus wrote:For me most films destroy books... that said there are good translations/adaptations (and some stinkers!)
The one that stands out for me is The Letter (Somerset Maugham) - Film has Bette Davies (goddess of the silver screen) as the lead and directed by the great William Wyler....One to watch and watch.
The opening... with the moon and clouds is worth it alone - but it just gets better!

bette davis is hott i've watched that movie, 'the letter' its really good. i read the book sometime ago. my mom loves that movie lol. i think some of stephen kings books have turned out to be pretty good movies, salems lot, the shining and carrie.

GWTW (1939) I agree is a spectaular movie, so much so that nobody has ever attempted a remake, although I have never read Mitchell's novel, it was a phenomonal best seller in its day.

Wurthering Heights (1939) with Merle Oberon as Cathy and Lawerence Olivier as Heathcliff is excellent.

Jane Eyre (1944) with Joan Fontaine as Jane and Orson Wells as Rochester, also a classic film.

The Letter (1940) I have not yet seen nor read W. Somerset Maugham's novel, but I have just ordered the movie from Netflix.

To me, it is of course impossible to literally transfer a novel or even a play to the screen. They are different mediums. Anyone who attempted it would wind up with a film that was dull and boring. The sucessful adaptations are those that evoke the mood, atmosphere and characterization found in the book.

The films Jane Eyre and Wurthering Heights inspired me to read the novels and it was a richly rewarding experience.

For me that is those are the best adaptations. To approach the book after seeing the film is better, rather than going from the book to the movie which is fraught with the perils of disillusionment.

Another excellent film is Sidnet Lumet's treatment of Eugene O'Neill's play Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962) with Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Richardson, Jason Robards and a young Dean Stockwell.

Adaptation, the adaptation of The Orchid Thief.

A few people mentioned The Letter with Betty Davis. This week was her 100th birthday. Here is a link from today's New Tork Times that mentions it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/movie ... nted=print

The Colour Purple is a favourite of mine. It's not to the letter of the book, but it captures the spirit and the story perfectly.

The BBC version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle is the same. Perfectly cast, it captures the flow and wit of Jane Austen's finest work exactly.

I was VERY impressed with The Kite Runner. Sensitively done, not Hollywoodised at all, I found it very right after reading the book.

Time Traveller's Wife

well, crime and punishment was a good adaption!

And the answer is ....... To Kill A Mockingbird.

Usually movie adaptations fell flat. They could never come close to the book, because they can't convey so many of the unique details present in a book. Some movies, butcher novels, the most recent being the newest adaptation of the Great Gatsby.

However, I think there are some movie adaptations that come close to recreating the book and compliment it in a pleasing and accurate way. I've seen two movie adaptations that I thought did the books justice, the first one being the adapatation of "The Hours" and the second one being "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly". Both were excellent movies and did a fair job for the books they attempted to recreate.

The Reader.. by Bernhard Schlink. As close to the novel as could be, plus wonderful cast as well.

Also the original Great Gatsby with Robert Redferd and Mia farrow.

i think , crime and punishment was a good adaption!

This is a bit random, but one that comes to mind is the first Percy Jackson book, "The Lightning Thief". I was unusually pleased with the movie adaptation. I suppose, then, it's not surprising that the movie was considered a flop. Ha! Wouldn't do to have an excellent movie adaptation do well, now would it?