Movies & Books Into Movies

[pedln]

How many of you have read a book, then watched a movie that was based on that same book? Were you disappointed? Or elated that they hadn't made any significant changes? Or even surprised to discover the movie was even better than the book?

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Books Into Movies Now on DVD
Recent Movies Based on Books
Books in a Series by Their Authors
Movies Based on the Book

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Your Discussion Leader: pedln

Oh my, it's been a while here.  What have you all seen or are  watching?  Did everyone get "Oscared" out?

I don't remember who here recommended it, but I've been waiting for it to come out, and finally now have The Intouchables from Netflix.  My MovieDinner buddies want to see it too, so it's just a matter of finding a time to get together.

In the meantime, I've been watching some oldies -- have started in on The West Wing, beginning with season one.  That'll take a while.  I do like Allison Janney, and also John Spencer (Leo in the show).  Has he played in any movies?

One of the chapters in The End of Your LIfe Book Club is titled "Marjory Morningstar." And of course other Herman Wouk books are also mentioned, sending me to look up his Winds of War and War and Remembrance.  I've read the latter, but not the former, so now I'm caught up with Robert Mitchum and The Winds of War.  It was a mini-series some time ago. I've seen disc 1 of six, enjoyed it immensely.

Waiting on Argo, Anna Karenia, and Zero Dark Thirty.  Undoubtedly long waits.

What are you all watching?

[Tomereader1]

I recommended The Intouchables.  I think you and your group will love it!  It's in my Netflix queue.  Soon I hope.

[Tomereader1]

Hubby and I just watched "Woman in Black" with the Harry Potter guy (?) Daniel something?
What a mish-mash!  It was definitely "scary", kept trying to keep up with the dual/triple story lines.  Has anyone here seen it?  Comment if you have.  If you haven't, you've not missed anything.

It's kind of a Gothic Horror thing.

[MaryPage]

Really not watching anything at all, other than the news.  This being Sunday, I watched one hour of SUNDAY MORNING with Charles Osborne and then half an hour of The Chris Matthews Show and then half an hour of This Week With George Stephanopolous and then switched back and forth for an hour between MEET THE PRESS and FACE THE NATION.  This week Face beat out Meet, but some Sundays 'tis the other way 'round.  Tonight I will watch the news and then 60 Minutes and then hunker back down with my book.

[JoanK]

Just finished reading the "Silver Linings Playbook." My daughter saw the movie, and I was asking her about things from te book. She didn't remember any of them. Sounds like they emphasized the romance at the expense of other things. Has anyone both read and seen it?

[pedln]

JoanK, I haven't seen or read it.  But I'd like to see the author get more credit.

 You don’t hear much about the book by Matthew Quick at all, but according to USA Today, there are 135,000 paperback  of it in print.  And the movie rights of  his next novel, The Good Luck of Right Now (to be published next year) have been bought by Dreamworks.

[Tomereader1]

Forgot to say earlier, that "Woman in Black" is from a novel by Susan Hill. (I was thinking as I watched that if it was from a book, it would probably be better.)

My tardy mind has just made a miniscule connection to a movie wherein the young boy says "I see dead people". 

[marjifay]

I wondered when someone was going to watch a movie!  

I saw Woman in Black, Tomereader, after reading the book by Susan Hill.  I thought the movie was better, altho' I agree you're not missing much if you dont see it.  Yes, it does remind you of the Bruce Willis film, The Sixth Sense.  Didn't realize the film's star was that boy who starred in Harry Potter movies.  (Some day I'm going to get around to reading the first Harry Potter book, Sorcerer's Stone, which I bought some 12 years ago.)

The last film I saw in the theater was Life of Pi which I really liked. (It really should be seen in the theater in 3D.) Think I've said, probably several times, how boring we thought Argo was and could not believe it won best picture.  I guess a lot of people did like it tho.'

I have 118 movies on my Netflix queue, and one waiting to see -- Game Change, based on the book I read abut the 2008 election with Sarah Palin and John McCain.  I heard the gal who plays Palin is a real kick.

This morning I watched an old Doris Day film (one of her first, 1951), I'll See You In My Dreams, on the Turner Movie Channel (it's available on Netflix) with Danny Thomas as the song writer Gus Kahn. Was going to turn it off, but as those old songs started playing, I continued to watch and really liked it.  It had some good stars in it, and  looking over the cast, I see I missed Jim Backus.

The Intouchables is a great film!

Marj

[pedln]

Marjifay -- Julianne Moore played Palin.  She was fantastic and the movie is great.  I loved it.

Tomereader, I had Woman in Black on my Netflix queue, but took it off for some reason. Now I'm glad I did.  Will give that one a pass.

Tonight I started watching Flight with Denzel Washington.  I've stopped for the evening and may finish it tomorrow.  It's okay, but I don't really like the characters -- at all.

[PatH]

My tardy mind has just made a miniscule connection to a movie wherein the young boy says "I see dead people". 

Would that be The Sixth Sense?  It stars Bruce Willis as a child psychologist treating the boy (Haley Joel Osmont) who sees dead people.  It's not based on a book; the story was written by the director, M. Night Shyamalan.  It's a good story, well done.

[marjifay]

I agee, Pedln, about the HBO film Game Change.  Just finished watching it and it was great.  While I'm a liberal Democrat and did not care for Palin's beliefs,  I actually felt sorry for her after watching the film.  She was in way over her head, and it was scary to think of her possibly being president.  But she did appeal to a lot of people.

Marj

[MaryPage]

I own the DVD of Game Change, and it is a great film.  I felt sorry for Palin, as well.  She was too unschooled to even comprehend that she was!  Such hubris!  But she does come across as truly and honestly all that charged up over stuff she had discussed around her kitchen table and in the coffee shops of Alaska.

"He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool, shun him; He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is a child, teach him. He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep, wake him. He who knows, and knows that he knows, is wise, follow him."

Palin falls into the very first group.  Unfortunately, so do tons of people who are simply dying to run this country and the world!  

[marjifay]

I just watched from Netflix one of the best noir thrillers I've seen in a long time -- SHALLOW GRAVE.  Directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionnaire and Trainspotting). If you like only sweet, happy films, DON'T watch it!  But if you like a dark film with bits of humor with very good acting, a film you won't be able to stop watching once you begin, then see it.  

Three roommates in Glasgow, Scotland, decide to rent out one of their rooms to earn some extra money.  They interview people wanting to rent the room and find a man whom they find interesting and rent him the room.  But he dies in his sleep, leaving a suitcase full of money.  They argue over what to do with the money and the man.  What happens I promise will keep you on the edge of your seat to the very end.

Marj

[JoanK]

Went to see 'Happy Endings Playbook". I was right: they left out or changed some of my favorite bits of the book. But I still enjoyed it.

[JeanneP]

Did watch a movie the other night. "The Black Book". I liked it.  It covers the last 2 years of WW2.  Nazi's, Jewish internment. Help given in Holland. Suppose to be a true story.  Some of it in English and parts in CC.  Makes one wonder how such things allowed to happen in our time.  So much has now been forgotten and they young people have no idea.

[rosemarykaye]

Continuing our Christopher Guest "season", last night we (re) watched Best In Show.  Brilliant, if in a cringe-making way.  I do think Guest and his troupe are clever - Guest's own appearance as the bloodhound owning fisherman was a masterpiece.  Watched A Mighty Wind last week, and will now move on to Spinal Tap (which only my husband has seen, and he rates it highly).  The only Guest film I didn't take to was For Your Consideration.  Catherine O'Hara is always excellent.

Rosemary

[marjifay]

Haven't watched Spinal Tap in a long time, but remember it  was hilarious.  Will have to look at some of the others you mentioned, Rosemary.  I loved some of the actors in the films, i.e. Michael McKean (Laverne and Shirley sitcom), Fred Willard (Fernwood Tonight) -- very funny guys.

Marj

[pedln]

JoanK -- are you talking about Silver Linings Playbook?  Haven't seen it yet, but Happy Endings sounds good too.

Lots of good recommendations here.  I'm not at all familiar with Christopher Guest, Rosemary, but will have to try some.  Netflix seems to have quite a few.

JeanneP, the Black Book sounds good, but I'll wait a while on that.  Am currently watching Herman Wouk's Winds of War -- 6 discs.  And I have to take a break from that too because right in my hot little hand are:

Argo  and Zero Dark Thirty.  I had them at 1 and 2 on my queue and thought it would probably be forever before either got sent.  Looking forward to both of them.

[pedln]

Someone here said something about not liking Argo, don't remember who.  I watched it last week, and while it was okay, I didn't think it was anything super duper.  I certainly don't see it as Best Picture material.  My daughter said she'd seen it and felt much the same way. 

Now I still have Zero Dark Thirty and plan to watch it with friends on Tuesday.

In the meantime, I've been watching Winds of War (4 out of 6 discs so far) and love it, and have started in on West Wing from the beginning of seven seasons.  Really enjoying it -- just finished disc 4 (of 44).

What are you all watching?  Has anyone seen Anna Karenina?

I'm waiting on Silver Linings, Quartet, and Amour, but Netflix doesn't have the DVDs yet.  My daughter said Amour was "brutal," but they really liked it.

[marjifay]

I was the one who posted here that I couldn't understand why Argo won best film.  Saw it with my son and we both thought it was predictable and pretty boring.  Certainly nothing special about it.

I am waiting for Trainspotting on Netflix.  Have wanted to see more  films directed by Danny Boyle after seeing Shallow Grave, the best noir thriller I've seen in a long time; he also directed Slumdog Millionnaire.  I would recommend Shallow Grave, but only if one likes dark films with very good acting that keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.  Just guessing, but I doubt too many here would like it.

I also want to see Zero Dark Thirty.

Marj

[marjifay]

Just watched THE FORTUNE  on Turner Movie Channel (not available at Netflix).  Hilarious 1975 Mike Nichols film starring Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty and Stockard Channing. Almost turned it off as it started so silly, but glad I didn't.  Two dopey blockheads and a dumb girl.  After you see these guys as this nutty pair, you can't believe they are the serious men in REDS.  

Marj

[MaryPage]

My DVD of The Hobbit has been here for a week or more now, and I just have not had time to watch it.  One of these days!

[PatH]

I'll be interested to hear your opinion when you do watch it, MaryPage.  I had mixed feelings about it, but there was plenty to like.

[salan]

I recently watched Life of Pi.  The scenery was gorgeous; but I found it rather boring.  I loved the book--the movie, not so much.  I have downloaded Lincoln on ppv, but have not watched it yet.
Sally

[Frybabe]

My sister was all set for us to watch Life of Pi yesterday there was a problem with it or the BlueRay player. We watched instead, Salmon Fishing in Yemen, a pleasant enough movie.

[Tomereader1]

Ooooh, I loved "Salmon Fishing". 
I'm having trouble with the book of Life of Pi.  Can't seem to get into it.

[Frybabe]

It is a strange book, to be sure, Tome. The only reason I might endure watching the movie is to see how they did the effects with him in a boat with those animals. My sister and BIL were looking forward to watching it (with me a captive audience). They were terribly disappointed when the BlueRay crapped out on them.

[JoanK]

I read the book "Salmon Fishing" and liked it a lot. Not sure how the letter/memo format would translate to a good movie, but i'd like to see it.

[pedln]

I liked the Salmon Fishing movie and thought there was also a book. I didn't know it was an epistolary novel, but have usually liked the ones I've read.

Oh, a couple of oldie oldies have been made into film -- Dear Enemy  and/or Daddy Long Legs.  Who wrote them?

[Frybabe]

Jean Webster, Pedln. I downloaded the book to my Kindle a couple of weeks ago. I do remember a teeny bit of the 1955 version of the movie.

Oh, how interesting. Did you know that Shirley Temple's Curly Top was based on Daddy Long Legs?

[PatH]

I read Daddy Long Legs when I was growing up, but totally forgot who wrote it.  It's Jean Webster.  And I saw the 1955 movie, with Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron.  I wonder what I would think of either of them now.  It turns out there were other movies, starting with Mary Pickford and ending up with Japanese anime.

[marcie]

I too saw the movie, Daddy Long Legs, but haven't read the book. There is a wikipedia article about Jean Webster's interesting life at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Webster

There is a beautiful photo of her there too.

[marjifay]

MaryPage, I hope the movie of the Hobbit is not as boring as the book.  I read a couple chapters, fell asleep, and then tossed it.

Marj

[PatH]

Then you definitely don't want to see the movie, marjifay.  They've padded out the book a lot, mostly with long battle scenes.

But someone who liked the book would like a lot about the movie.

[MaryPage]

I read The Hobbit when I was very young, and adored it.  But I cannot imagine (1) making it into THREE long movies, of 3 hours each!  (2) making it with real people instead of doing a Snow White type film.  I loved the little men and the little homes under trees and such.  Loved it! 

But it should all be told in about an hour and a half!

Oh Daddy Long Legs!  How I loved that book.  I have been disappointed in every movie I ever saw done of it, but the book stole my heart.

Eons ago.

[pedln]

I finally saw Zero Dark Thirty this week --  at least twice, partly because the first time I saw it I kept falling asleep.  Not the film's fault.  I was just tired.

After a second viewing, I upgraded my first opinion.  Probably not best picture quality, but certainly a nomination for Best Director.  You can really appreciate what a job that must have been.  I found the entirely black screen scenes disconcerting, and the ending much much too long.

(It was getting late and I wanted it to be over.    "Is it just about over or will there be time left for a cup of tea.?")  There was.

All in all, I'm glad I saw it, and glad I took the time to rewatch it and understand what was going on from the characters' perspective.

[pedln]

Marcie, thanks so much for the link to the article about Jean Webster.  I finally had a chance to read it and it was fascinating.  She certainly had an interesting, although a somewhat shortened, life. Daddy Long Legs is now on my Netflix queue, and I'm looking forward to rereading some of her books.  A great/grand niece of Mark Twain?  Teddy Roosevelt came on her honeymoon?  I wonder if she has a biography.

[pedln]

Some fun things to explore, from Criterion films.

Novels on the Big Screen

More books to add to the TBR list, more things to learn.  I didn't know Ang Lee's filming of The Ice STorm was a book.  I didn't know that Alfred Hitchcock directed Rebecca.

So many  books, so many films, just not enough time.

[JoanK]

So many I've never heard of!

[PatH]

That's an interesting collection.  I haven't seen many of them.  I'd love to see what Kurosawa made of the Russian writers.  He made an amazing film of the Macbeth story transferred to medieval Japan--Throne of Blood.  It's especially interesting to see the forceful, managing character of Lady Macbeth in the outward skin of the submissive Japanese wife.

One that falls in my specialty (science fiction) is Solaris.  This is a 1972 Russian adaptation of a book by Polish sci-fi writer Stanislaw Lem.  It's weird and haunting, but also tedious in places.  The movie is very good (if you like that kind of thing) hard to figure out, but with a lot of haunting scenes.  There was also an American version (2002) with George Clooney, which went even farther than the book, and wasn't as good as the Russian.