Best film adaptation of a book

My friend and I were discussing this issue the other night. This seems to involve more than just a good screenplay adapted from a book. Rather, I mean an unusually good combination of book and film (i.e. a very good book AND a very good film). If one or the other is terrible, don't suggest it.
[This is admittedly a slippery category, so I'm trying to be clear]

I would offer the Godfather and Lord of the Rings (my friend suggested the Shining----Stanley Kubrick's version of the film).

Remember, you have to have read the book AND seen the movie.

BTW, I'll pick Bonfire of the Vanities as the worst screen adaptation of a (very good) book.

 

Fightclub. By far. Trainspotting close at 2nd.

 

Yah, The Shining was good.

But I'd say "the best" is Exorcist III, from the book "Legion". It was directed by the author himself (Blatty). A-friggen-mazing.

P.S. 2001: A Space Odyssey was superb. But technically the movie came out a few months before the book (though they were done simultaneously). Does that count?

 

Dunno about the best...a few good 'uns tho'..

Trainspotting
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
A Clockwork Orange
To Kill a Mocking Bird
The Passion of the Christ
Blade Runner (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep)
James Bond (the early Connery ones)
2001: A Space Oddessy

 

i put forward Invasion of the body snatchers.
great book great film

 

A Clockwork Orange

 

trainspotting, fight club and if comics count Sin City

 

To Kill A Mocking Bird


By default. I don't usually watch movies of adapted books I've read (spoils my mental picture of it). Saw the first LOTR movie but that put me right off the whole genre.

 

.

 

Pippi Longstocking

 

In My Father's Den

 

Yeah.

 

Or Rosemary's Baby(1968) That's a good one to

Jurassic Park I

We were soldiers

Black hawk down

The Passion of the Christ

 

"The Godfather"
"The Grapes of Wrath"

 

Catch-22.

(I never actually read the book. I just skimmed the Cliffs Notes and cheated on the test. But the movie was fantastic.)

 

To all of you of suggesting 'Trainspotting', I say, "Arrgh, how did I overlook that one?!" Gotta watch that movie again, haven't seen it in about 8 years.

To slutter mcgee and the complaint about "Tolkien's boring ass crappy story telling". I say, ha-ha-ha! LOTR is a little long in the tooth, and the Hobbit is far worse in that regard.

The nice thing about seeing the movies (and I'm usually one to read a book after, and because, I've seen the movie) is that it helps you picture the characters as you're reading (esp. helpful with the Godfather).

 

Just based on what I've seen, I'm going with the Green Mile. Amazing movie, but an even more amazing book.

And to everyone who said A Clockwork Orange, I say fuck that. The book was amazing but the movie bored me to fucking tears.

 

Trainspotting. I think I'm gonna read 2001: A space odyssey, I'm curious if it's as good as the movie.

Ha, I enjoyed the books more than the movies. But I already red the books a few times before the movies came out so I had sort of my own views on some things. I thought the end of the movie was more boring and longwinded than the books.

 

i think the movie version of forrest gump was better than the book.

did anyone read the book? he goes into space and crashed on a deserted island with a monkey or somethings, its totally random

and i think LOTR is good, though i haven't read all of the books yet and the harry potter movies have been pretty good so far

also, fear and loathing in las vegas pretty much captures the mood of the book i think, far better than i could have imagined a movie would...

 

I always prefer the books to the movies though...much more details in books..
but there are some that are good, and almost as good as the book like:
"The Color Purple"
"Born on the 4th of July"
"Dead Poet's Society"
"I am the Cheese"'
"Casualties of War"
"What's Eating Gilbert Grape"
"Ordinary People"
"Basketball Diaries"
"The couch Trip"
"Fast Times at Ridgemont Hight (book is called "Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A true story)
"Apt Pupil"
"Misery"
"Pay if Forward"
"Joy Luck Club"
"Lord of the Flies" (though I have to say that the book was way better then the movie, the black and white and the color version, but the movie wasnt too disappointing)
"Of Mice and Men"
"The Princess Bride"
"Neighbors"
"The Rainmaker"