Best and Worst Movie Adaptations

Based on a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. 

Top Ten Best/Worst Movie Adaptations (you could pick best or worst OR split it in half) -- originally done in the form of best movie adaptations in Feb 2011)

I'm choosing the theme where the movie was BETTER than the book. If I chose it the other way around, this post could be endless.

Stephen King's first stunner, Carrie, to me, well...frankly sucked. I disliked the writing style and found the book rather irritating and empty. The movie cheered me on to the main character and her amazing power. Dolores Clairborne is told almost entirely in dialogue - it's been so long I need to re-read it and, at an older age, I may appreciate it more. However, the movie ranks as one of King's best movies.

 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a classic for good reason. While Seuss is the mastermind behind this story and has an admirable writing technique, the movies graphics and music along with the text from the book make this an eternal winner. The Shining by King is an exceptional novel, although I fear the end is rushed a bit cheesy, but Kubrick's adaptation - even though King himself disliked it - was astonishingly grim and original.

Monkey Shines is not a well-known movie. Sadly, the book isn't either. The film directed by George Romero of zombie fame is truly incredible and features excellent acting, pacing, and tension. The book is an intriguing study into the dangers of overstepping scientific bounds, but still falls a but short when it comes to emotional energy. Girl, Interrupted does not shine to me in either written or cinema form, yet I'd rather watch the movie instead of read the story.

Misery rocked in book form and film creation. While it may not be a better (or worse) version, they are comparable. Charlotte's Web was brought out of the page onto the screen for children and adults worldwide with a master's touch and a grand finale.

And finally, one of the best blockbusters of all time (factoring in price inflation, of course), Jaws by Spielberg stands even today as one of the best movies ever created. You will remember why it's terrifying to go in the water far more by watching the flick than by reading the story which, while good, is a bit dry.