Note: I use affiliate links in this post. If you buy through them, it’s no extra cost to you, but I make a little money, which goes toward running this blog.
I have a confession to make. I don’t always prefer the book. Sometimes, the movie adaptation works fine. You know, when I haven’t read the book first.
I don’t plan it that way. I am just as much into watching movies as I am into reading books. I add a movie to my watchlist or just start watching and then find out it’s based on a book. If I’m already excited about the film, I’m not going to wait until I read the book.
So I watch the movie. And if I really like it, I hunt down the book. This makes disappointment less likely since at this point I’ll have read an article or two about how different these two works of art are. And I won’t be disappointed with the casting – I will just imagine the actors as the leads.
You never know. Sometimes, the movie will have changed things for the better and you won’t enjoy the book. Sometimes, the changes will have worked fine for the medium, and both will give you a lot of joy (Looking at you Red, White, and Royal Blue. (aff.link))
On the other hand, I can’t say the same about Cold Mountain (aff. link). It’s a visual feast. I can’t find fault with it. But I couldn’t get through the novel for some reason.
When did I hate a movie adaptation? Runaway Jury.
Hear me out. Had I not read the novel first (aff.link) – which happens to be one of my favorite novels ever – I would have loved that film. The cast and genre alone would have lured me in. But they changed the core of the novel. A fascinating case against the big tobacco became a gun violence thing.
And… look, I get how more visually impressive (and emotionally more touching and more mainstream ) this decision is. The problem? I loved the plot and the twists and the characters specifically because it was a big tobacco case. And I feel like we have enough great and moving movies about guns. Why couldn’t I have this one? (If you have seen and read Runaway Jury let me know what you think.)
Then there are movie adaptations that are enjoyable enough, if not as memorable as the novels. Two Sophie Kinsella adaptations come to mind: Confessions of a Shopaholic (starring Isla Fisher) and Can You Keep A Secret? (starring Alessandra Daddario). If I had to pick one, I’d pick the novel. But the movies are pleasant experiences and I am glad they exist.
Everyone’s experiences will be different based on taste and expectations. If you hated the adaptation, you’re right. If you loved it, you are right. 🙂
What about you? Which adaptations did you love? Which ones do you hate? Let me know! 🙂
