Have you ever watched a movie adaptation that was better than the book?

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Joy Max
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Have you ever watched a movie adaptation that was better than the book?

Post by Joy Max »

When I watch movies that have books, I always think the book was better. Now I've watched a lot of movie adaptations and I've not found a single one that was better than the books so I'm getting curious. Aren't there any movies that are better than their books? What do you think?
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Post by kipper_ »

There are probably plenty out there. I usually find the book to be better overall, but some aspects of a movie adaptation can bring out elements of the story that were underdeveloped in its initial medium. The visual aspect can also call the viewer’s attention to areas that may have been previously overlooked. (This is assuming that the adaptation is relatively similar to the original story.) I’ve found that sci-fi films offer more of a “wow” factor compared to their books, unless the story is really solid. Books, however, will almost always serve better in terms of the character’s inner voice. Film, in my opinion, just doesn’t capture that completely.

I think I might get some people at my throat for this one, but I prefer the 2007 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice to the book. Some of the novel’s pacing was a little strange to me, and the film is so well done—if even a bit perfectly awkward—that it leaves a far more impressionable imprint than the book did for me. It’s one of those stories that I would never willingly choose to read the book over watch.
Last edited by kipper_ on 08 Aug 2022, 21:33, edited 1 time in total.
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Carly Sprout
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Post by Carly Sprout »

For me, I thought the mini-series based on Sally Rooney's Normal People was better than the book.
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Post by human reader »

The first Twilight movie may be better than the book. It was a simple plot so cutting out a few things didn't hurt it and they teased the villains better before the fight. Also, the Prom scene was beautifully realized, and it had an Iron & Wine song. =o
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Post by lawisimportant23 »

I watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy and I must say I found it to be better than the books.
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Post by kipper_ »

lawisimportant23 wrote: 16 Aug 2022, 02:46 I watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy and I must say I found it to be better than the books.
I second this!
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Post by RoseAlex »

I watched The Divergent series and I found it better than the books.
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Post by Le-nic Pretorius »

Hi! The Green Mile by Stephen King. I wouldn’t say that the movie was better than the book but was equally as good. I really enjoyed both and stirred the same emotions. Stephen King is such a brilliant writer that it's usually difficult for me to enjoy the movie adaptation.
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Meatballs022
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Post by Meatballs022 »

There's a lot omg but i forgotten the names.
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Post by Wanjla Carl »

Another example is "The Godfather" (1972), directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based on the novel by Mario Puzo. I regard itas one of the greatest films ever made, with an iconic cast and unforgettable scenes that have become part of the cultural lexicon.
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Post by Wanjla Carl »

For me, one example is "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994), directed by Frank Darabont and based on a novella by Stephen King. Ipeople consider the movie to be superior to the novella due to the excellent performances of the cast, the powerful storytelling, and the emotional impact of the story.
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Post by Hee Via »

I think there’s barely any like that lol, most of them are usually the book being way better than the movie but I would love to see some where the movies were better.
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Post by Quizlit4Stephen »

Another Stephen King novella The Body, was made into a better movie, Stand by Me(1986)
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Post by Glory Mae Sumera »

I love both reading and watching movies but based on my experience I would rather read because most on movie adaptations I watched they wouldn't able to relay what you felt when you read a specific book.
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Post by Marquesa »

Not better but different. I watched movies which presented the book in a totally different light than I imagined it to be. The setting, the characters, the cinematography was all different than in my imagination.
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