FabSwingers.com forum: The Book was better...

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Sat here watching 'American Psycho' and as is with many movie adaptation of a written novel; as good as it is (Christian Bale is great as Patrick Bateman), it's just not a patch on the book.

What other films are there you've seen that fall short of their written source?

...or as rare as it may be, what film have you seen that was better than the book it was based on?

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By *rMs.NeekCouple
over a year ago

Worcestershire

Whichever comes first is usually the better one; book or film.

Although the film The Green Mile is almost as good as the book it's based on

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Divergent

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By *oolpinstripeMan
over a year ago

Kildare

Moby Dick.... I defy anyone to even figure out how they managed to make the film from the book....

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By *indergirlWoman
over a year ago

somewhere, someplace

Aside from possibly The Green Mile, pretty much most Stephen King adaptations

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By *dfabMan
over a year ago

Dunboyne

"Aside from possibly The Green Mile, pretty much most Stephen King adaptations "

I often find the adaptations of his short stories much better than those of the full novels, a la Stand By Me and Shawshank.

At least they are mostly getting the respect they deserve now and, largely, being done well.

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By *xydadbodMan
over a year ago

Milton keynes

Harry Potter. The movies were very different to how I imagining them to be in my head while reading the books

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By *aybus9Couple
over a year ago

Leeds

‘Christine’

Used to quite enjoy the film. Read the book (more than once) and now can’t watch the film as it’s a very poor adaptation of the book.

As stated previously, pretty much goes for most of Mr Kings novels to films.

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By *dfabMan
over a year ago

Dunboyne

"‘Christine’

Used to quite enjoy the film. Read the book (more than once) and now can’t watch the film as it’s a very poor adaptation of the book.

As stated previously, pretty much goes for most of Mr Kings novels to films."

Agreed. Shite movie in comparison to book.

You'll be glad to know there's a remake in the works

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

The Bible and Jaws ....

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Rambo first blood

Dune

The hobbit

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By *isAdventure69Woman
over a year ago

Hampshire

The shawshank redemption is quite on par with the book … well not exactly a book , a Stephen King Novella part of a collection of shortish stories.

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By *ack688Man
over a year ago

abruzzo Italy (and UK)

[Removed by poster at 31/10/21 06:03:23]

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By *ack688Man
over a year ago

abruzzo Italy (and UK)

I’m not sure that I’ve seen any film that I think was better than the book, there’s always too much taken out for the length of a film, but some of the recent serialisations that have come out such as Big little lies, or Little fires everywhere have been close. And there are certainly films I just wont watch as I don’t want to ruin the image of the book in my head, like Time travellers wife

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By *he_Last_TitanMan
over a year ago

Bristol

Hollywood has completely decimated almost all Marvel storylines it’s attempted to cinematise.

Awful.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

World War Z the book is superb ..the film ..dire TBH ..

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I tend to have a way to compartmentalise books and films as separate entities with a similar plot.

The book is a film in my head and the film is a separate story from someone else's.

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By *ea monkeyMan
over a year ago

Manchester (he/him)

No film is ever going to surpass a book. It’s impossible to move all of the nuance and imagery that skilful writing paints into a film.

There are a few that have done their source material justice but not many.

It’s impossible for the director to put how you see the book, onto the screen and that’s the failing with adaptations. Plus trying to squeeze several hundred pages into a two hour film is never going to be an improvement

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By *ickshawedCouple
over a year ago

Wolverhampton

I prefered the film Stardust to the book. Probably in large part due to Robert De Niro's character being so brilliant in the film, but maybe a bit to do with the happier ending. I'm a sucker for a happy ending

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By *ablo minibar123Woman
over a year ago

"‘Christine’

Used to quite enjoy the film. Read the book (more than once) and now can’t watch the film as it’s a very poor adaptation of the book.

As stated previously, pretty much goes for most of Mr Kings novels to films."

Yep have to agree, I preferred the book of Stephen king's it. I do however prefer the movie of Stephen king's mist to the book.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Books are almost always better. Some specific ones I will point out are:

The Beach

The Martian

Everything Stephen King except Shashank redemption and The Shining.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Catch me if you can, the film was great but book was better

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Aside from possibly The Green Mile, pretty much most Stephen King adaptations "

I have felt the same about Stephen King books being adapted. There are some films which did a good job like Green Mile, Shashank redemption and Shining. But most others fall short.

Reason is that Stephen King's strength lies in writing more than storytelling. If you look at just the plots, most of them are pretty simple/ordinary. It's the way he writes the scenes which makes his books hard to put down. These things are hard to reproduce on screen.

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By *ablo minibar123Woman
over a year ago

I preferred the silence of the lambs on screen

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By *dam_TinaCouple
over a year ago

Hampshire

The bonfire of the vanities book was a million times better than the film

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I think Lord of the Rings is better as the film. But, the hobbit was one of my favourite books as a child so I still prefer the book to the film.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

The Northern Lights film (based on Philip Pullman's series) that was made in Hollywood was terrible but the BBC series is quite good.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I don’t read as much as others, but I did intentionally read life of Pi before the film. That filmMissed the points of what the book brought to me. His internal beliefs and faith from what I remember in the book was watered down to visual narrations and skipped and missed most of his character.

But, to add Harry poster books were presented quite perfectly on screen. The childish magic and the simple fun is just as enjoyable as it was in all the books.

The hobbit is an great example that you can’t present even a small book unless you take 9rs-+, 1 and 1/2 hrs will not cut it.

*n oh t a film critic, just a fan.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I think Lord of the Rings is better as the film. But, the hobbit was one of my favourite books as a child so I still prefer the book to the film. "

I love the hobbit book. Left to much of the meeting with Beorn out in the movie.

And I loved the lord of the rings trilogy, but again they missed the bit with Tom Bombadil out completely

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Majority of steven kings.

Also 'girl on a train' both movie and and book were great but the book portrayed a different vision to the film

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

The jack reacher films are ok if you can get past 5”7 Tom cruise playing a 6”5 monster of a man

So looking forward to the series being made on Amazon though.

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By *tephanjMan
over a year ago

Kettering

The Jack Reacher books by Lee Childs far better than the film's. How can tom cruise pass as a 6ft 5in ex army man lol

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By *ea monkeyMan
over a year ago

Manchester (he/him)

"I think Lord of the Rings is better as the film. But, the hobbit was one of my favourite books as a child so I still prefer the book to the film.

I love the hobbit book. Left to much of the meeting with Beorn out in the movie.

And I loved the lord of the rings trilogy, but again they missed the bit with Tom Bombadil out completely

I’m glad they missed Bombadil out, it’s a completely pointless section

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I think Lord of the Rings is better as the film. But, the hobbit was one of my favourite books as a child so I still prefer the book to the film.

I love the hobbit book. Left to much of the meeting with Beorn out in the movie.

And I loved the lord of the rings trilogy, but again they missed the bit with Tom Bombadil out completely

I’m glad they missed Bombadil out, it’s a completely pointless section "

Yes I guess it’s not that important, in the LOTR books, but Beorn was only really touched upon in the hobbit and he’s an immense character I was disappointed with how they made him look in the film.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Majority of steven kings.

Also 'girl on a train' both movie and and book were great but the book portrayed a different vision to the film

I read the book and then watched the film and it was completely different. Turns out there's a book called 'girl on the train' and that's what I had read.

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By *evil-AngelWoman
over a year ago

...

I always think the book is better because you get to know the characters much better with all the inner monologues.

Having said that, I really enjoyed the BBC show 'The Watch' recently but that could be because it was so unlike how I imagined it, it didn't feel like an adaptation. I have enjoyed the few adaptations of Terry Pratchett books like Hogfather and Going Postal as well though.

I absolutely detested the first Jack Reacher film. He's my secret crush so to cast Tom Cruise really upset me, and I think it just became another Mission Impossible film.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I always think the book is better because you get to know the characters much better with all the inner monologues.

I absolutely detested the first Jack Reacher film. He's my secret crush so to cast Tom Cruise really upset me, and I think it just became another Mission Impossible film.

The guy they’ve cast in the Amazon series is so much more in character. And starts at book one the killing floor

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

One flew over the cuckoo's nest

And donny brasco the books are better

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By *evil-AngelWoman
over a year ago

...

"I always think the book is better because you get to know the characters much better with all the inner monologues.

I absolutely detested the first Jack Reacher film. He's my secret crush so to cast Tom Cruise really upset me, and I think it just became another Mission Impossible film.

The guy they’ve cast in the Amazon series is so much more in character. And starts at book one the killing floor "

I'll have to have a look at that, I didn't know there was a series. Thank you

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I always think the book is better because you get to know the characters much better with all the inner monologues.

I absolutely detested the first Jack Reacher film. He's my secret crush so to cast Tom Cruise really upset me, and I think it just became another Mission Impossible film.

The guy they’ve cast in the Amazon series is so much more in character. And starts at book one the killing floor

I'll have to have a look at that, I didn't know there was a series. Thank you

It’s not been finished yet… think it’s next year it comes out

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By *iss_tressWoman
over a year ago

London

Silence of the lambs

Every Stephen King

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Silence of the lambs

Every Stephen King

Loved the Stand by me though better than the short book the body

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I watched the Wanderers and the film is better than the book by Richard price

Don’t fuck with baldies

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By *evil-AngelWoman
over a year ago

...

"I always think the book is better because you get to know the characters much better with all the inner monologues.

I absolutely detested the first Jack Reacher film. He's my secret crush so to cast Tom Cruise really upset me, and I think it just became another Mission Impossible film.

The guy they’ve cast in the Amazon series is so much more in character. And starts at book one the killing floor

I'll have to have a look at that, I didn't know there was a series. Thank you

It’s not been finished yet… think it’s next year it comes out "

I'll keep an eye out thanks

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By *rMojoRisinMan
over a year ago

Sheffield

I read a book called the Prince of Tides, the film was so shite it was unwatchable!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Da Vinci Code

Angels and Demons

The Bourne saga

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By *ust RachelTV/TS
over a year ago

Horsham

Hunt for Red October

Sum of all fears

Executive Orders

Dune, the film was good but the books timeline went further

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By *inchyorksMan
over a year ago

huddersfield

Jaws, the film is a classic and great, but the book is much better as it focuses on the relationships between the characters a lot more.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Dune, the film was good but the books timeline went further

any idea if they're going to fix that with the new one? Saw the trailer for it the other day and couldn't decide whether I was excited or not...

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By *inky_CarpenterMan
over a year ago

Portsmouth

The Harry Potter films really annoyed me at times. They left out important plot details, and invented bits to fill the holes.

Forrest Gump is one of the rare ones where the film is possibly better. Although the film is so different to the book, that it's essentially two different stories!

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By *heVonMatterhornsCouple
over a year ago

Lincoln

World War Z. The book was a fantastically vivid collection of different points of view, at different points in time of an apocalypse. The film was a very generic zombie movie...

LvM

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By *orksRockerMan
over a year ago

Bradford

Wire in the Blod - Not a film but aTV series which was AWFUL and Robson Green is terribly miscast.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

The Bourne Identity is, in my view, better than the film.

To go the other way the plot (if not the size of the lead actor) in Never Look Back is much better than the book.

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By *2000ManMan
over a year ago

Worthing

Papillon was good but the book is better. It also has a lot more story.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I watched the Wanderers and the film is better than the book by Richard price

Don’t fuck with baldies"

Don't forget the warriors

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Not in the group of serious films at all but I love the confessions of a shopaholic series and they made the first book into a film......it was nothing like the book! They made them all American for a start!! I was really disappointed because I love the books so much.

Danish x

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"‘Christine’

Used to quite enjoy the film. Read the book (more than once) and now can’t watch the film as it’s a very poor adaptation of the book.

As stated previously, pretty much goes for most of Mr Kings novels to films."

Absolutely this.

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By *ichaelangelaCouple
over a year ago

notts

Amityville horror

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By *eah BabyCouple
over a year ago

Cheshire, Windermere ,Cumbria

The Beach for sure.

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By *otsossieMan
over a year ago

Chesterfield

"Whichever comes first is usually the better one; book or film."

Thread closed.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"The Harry Potter films really annoyed me at times. They left out important plot details, and invented bits to fill the holes."

I grew to love the films, because of the books... I must admit I wasn't a fan to begin with but by the time the half blood prince came out they were getting dark enough to balance the sickly sweet side of the story, so I had to read the deathly hallows before the movies came out. Started from the very beginning though and loved them, which actually rasied my opinion of the films (nowhere near as good, but captured the spirit I think).

The biggest missed opportunity for me, from book to film, has to be in the Order of the Phoenix; Fred and George Weasley crashing the OWLS exams and raising merry hell!! I actually giggled with glee reading it!

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