Weekly Geeks: Best Movie Adaptations

With the release of Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince this past week, I thought it would be good to turn once again to movie adaptations. In March, with the release of Watchmen (using that as a jumping off point for discussion), I brought up the subject of worst movie adaptations. This time, I'd like to bring up best movie adaptations (not saying if the recent Harry Potter movie is or isn't faithful to the book since I'll be honest I haven't read the book, but using the subject as a jumping off point for discussion).

So what are some of your favorite movie adaptations of books? Include trailers or scenes from Youtube if you'd like.

Also along with that question, or instead of that question, what book or series would you like to see be made into a movie or movies? Tell us why you think it or they would work as a movie. If the book already has a book trailer, include that, to help make your point.

Aside from the glaringly obvious (i.e. the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the six-part Pride and Prejudice if you’re counting television) the first book and film that sprang to mind was The Remains of the Day. I loved the movie, and when I read the book I had the film running in my head. The whole tone of the film is perfect and Anthony Hopkins is just fabulous as Stevens.

Back down this end of the world, Picnic at Hanging Rock took the best qualities of the book and turned them into a local cinematic classic. Proof that in the right hands even a sun-scorched Australian summer can produce an eerie Gothic atmosphere.

And for sheer ingenuity I have to mention Seabiscuit, which turned non-fiction into a terrific story. (The question didn’t specify novels!)

I’m going to pass on choosing a book to be adapted, because the movie is so rarely as good as the book. Hearing that a much-loved book is going to be dramatised leaves me feeling more concerned than excited; I tend to wonder what will be altered or left out, or what piece of woeful miscasting will be perpetrated. Perhaps the best book to be translated to the screen would be one I haven’t read!