Is Hollywood a Hack?
The Movie... or The Book?
My english teacher was big on the phrase "true to the author's intent". Hollywood will never care about the author's intent. And as a reader, I feel EXPLOITED!
Yes, exploited. A book with a huge following might generate a movie deal. Then some schmuck wants a quick buck and BAM! A two-bit hack writes a screenplay and---
Okay, it isn't always that bad. But more often that not the movie version is a pale imitaion of the book. Things are left out, plot is changed. Sometimes, all that is left is the title and/or name of the protagonist. But how does all this turn into the equation Readers=Exploited Beings?
The lure of turning a book into a movie lies often with the number of its sales or the passion of its readers. Those readers equal sales. Those readers often don't find out until they spend their money that Hollywood is just a hack.
Okay, Hollywood isn't all hacks. I have viewed some movies that are good renditions of a book's plot. The movie Speak seemed to reflect the book well - not perfect, but good. The Last Sin Eater must have eaten Cadi's brother, because he didn't exist in the movie, but otherwise it was a decent take on the book.
I realize that a movie is different from a book. That's part of the appeal when you find out your favorite book is being turned into a movie. You get to experience the story in a whole new way. But take the movie The Seeker, which was based on The Dark is Rising. Hmm. They got Will's name right. And little else.
I just agree with my english teacher, I guess. You've no business turning a book into a movie if you aren't staying true to the author's intent. If you do deviate, you bloody well better be a genius!
What do you think?
Does Hollywood always ruin a book when turning it into a movie?
Do you prefer the movie version of a story or the book?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byThe Book!
TheTranscriptionist says:
Definitely the book. Always! I've never seen a movie based on a book that was anywhere near as good as the book. There is just so much more information in books, such as knowing what a person is thinking or how they're feeling, that movies (not matter how good the actors) just can't convey.
Posted February 06, 2009
a_willow says:
I prefer a book... Afterwards I can watch a movie. From time to time, they even make a movie as good as original...
Posted August 29, 2008
kab says:
It is hard to say, because I think it has to do with things meeting your expectations - whether you read the book or saw the movie first matters I think. If I read the book first, then I must have liked it to watch the movie, and the movie will never match my imagination, so I will be disappointed. If I saw the movie first, then honestly I probably won't bother reading the book - only once have I ever seen a movie and then read the book - in that case though the book won even still.
Posted June 03, 2008
algaidaman says:
As a general rule of thumb, the book is always better than the movie. In some cases as in Jumper, the movie is different from the book, not a bad movie, but should have had a different title.
Then you have movies like I am Legend which was great, but should not have been called I am Legend since it deviated a LOT from the book.
Let's all hope they get Enders Game right.
Posted May 18, 2008
Mr_Awesomeness says:
it really depends on whether the movie does a good job in re-telling the book or not. the first few harry potter movies and all of the lord of the rings movies did a great job of that. But, as for hp5 (taking out about 65% of the book), bridge to terabithia (where 65% of the movie was completely made up), and what i've seen of the upcoming twilight movie (i think they could have done a little more on the casting), those were instances of bad book-to-movie blunders. As a general rule of thumb i try and read the book before seeing the movie, so i can compare them with eachother. Now, taking a comic book series and turning it into a movie is a completely different arguement...
Posted May 14, 2008
The Movie!
Oosquid says:
Obviously sometimes the movie is more satisfying and sometimes the book. I think perhaps it is whichever you experience first that cements your view.
Yes, some movies seem to have little connection to the novel that they are supposed to be based upon. Most though are changed to be able to tell the same story cinematicly.
Film or book, a good story is a good story.
Posted May 26, 2008
RufusQuail says:
Fans of action thrillers owe it to themselves to read David Morrell's blistering page turner First Blood, the book that inspired the movie Rambo. It's an example of alienflower's objections. I doubt that the makers of Rambo ever had any intention of being faithful to the book. Rambo isn't a bad movie, but it doesn't deliver the experience First Blood does. Alienflower, please give examples.
Posted May 07, 2008
RufusQuail says:
it's not realistic to expect the movie to be as "good" as the book. The two experiences are as different as sunbathing and taking a bath or posing for a picture and taking one. A movie's visual and verbal shorthand are far different from the writer's ability to tap the reader's imagination.
Movies I've seen that have been good attempts at capturing the essence of the book include Catch-22, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Lord of the Flies (the original), the Pickwick Papers, the Graduate, the Godfather, and Schindler's List.
Posted May 07, 2008
Better as Books
What book-turned-movies should have just stayed books. Or were just better books even if you like the movie version? Vote on the list and add your own!
Better as Movies
or just as good as the book.
Vote on the best movie rendition of a book and add your own.
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