9 Films That Ruined The Book
The Hitchhiker's Guide to avoiding bad adaptations.
2015 is looking to be the year of the book adaptation, with a long lineup of movie releases set to (hopefully) bring their literary counterparts spectacularly to life. The likes of Fifty Shades Of Grey and Still Alice have already hit cinema screens, and are soon to be followed up by the big screen versions of all manner of literature, withThomas Hardy's 1874 classic Far From The Madding Crowd at one end of the scale, and the Hunger Games finale at the other. So, with so many book adaptations due to grace screens in the coming months, what better time than now to look back over a long, varied history of book adaptations? Like with any genre of filmmaking, adaptations are notoriously hit and miss, yet enduringly popular. The 39 Steps, To Kill A Mockingbird, and Jurassic Park are all examples of the adaptation done right, and each is a loving testament to its source material. But for every one that gets it right, there are two are three that miss the mark completely, or at least fail to capture the spirit of the book. That doesn't always mean the film doesn't perform well at the box office (here's looking at you, The Great Gatsby), but it does hinder the longevity of the piece. And after all, it's longevity that matters to filmmakers. Certainly not the money.