Film Adaptations

[galax-arena]

IMO a lot of the changes made to The Giver were unnecessary, so I am taking a lot of schadenfreude in how the movie flopped. 

 

I'm not necessarily a book purist at all costs, and in another universe, as someone who is always rooting for more prominent female characters, I could have appreciated the movie beefing up Fiona's role even though she was barely more than an extra in the book.... but in this universe, I feel like that only happened because the studio wanted to force more of a YA romance. So... no, thanks. 

 

What do people think about The Maze Runner? I haven't read the books, but the action scenes in the trailer seem pretty nifty. But I'm not thrilled that the one token female character is played by Kaya Scodelario, whom I hated on Skins. In any case, I hear that the series has a crap payoff/twist (

something about zombies and flares? IDEK

) so I'm not sure I want to become too invested. Still, at the very least, it looks like a fun dumb action movie, although the fact that it was bumped to mid-September makes me think it'll flop. 

Edited August 26, 2014 by galax-arena

[rubaco]

Coming out soon is A Walk Among the Tombstones, which will star Liam Neeson as P.I. Matt Scudder. I don't know if there are any other Lawrence Block (the author of the series) fans around these parts, but I have been reading Scudder novels since the early 1980s, and I am not (at the moment) on board with Liam Neeson. But Block gives him a big thumbs-up, so I might change my mind once I've seen the film. 

 

Scudder was only put on film once before, as far as I know, and I didn't see Eight Million Ways to Die, with Jeff Bridges in the role. 

 

But the interesting thing is, I'm re-reading A Walk Among the Tombstones now, and it was written in the early 1990s, and it's all before cell phones and web searches, and all of that lack of technology is actually important to the story, or rather how the investigation is handled. So I don't know if the film is going to be set in the early '90s or now. Makes me wonder why they didn't choose a more recent Scudder novel to adapt. 

[SallyAlbright]

One book I really really love and hear they're adapting into a film is Jojo Moyes' Me Before You. It's so sweet and emotional, and I really hope they get the casting right. I could see someone like Carey Mulligan for Lou and maybe James McAvoy or Michael Fassbender for Will? What do you guys think?

 

As for This Is Where I Leave You, I loved the book but it's strength lies in the writing; the funny descriptions and dialogue. A lot of it is in Judd's head, so I imagine Bateman will have a lot of voiceovers, but I'm nervous. Mostly, Adam Driver's casting seems way off to me. I know he's supposedly good on Girls (I will never watch that show after suffering through the torture of the first two episodes) but his character is supposed to be model-handsome and so charming that everyone basically overlooks his flaky, irresponsible behavior. To me, Driver just looks like a normal guy. I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised. 

[methodwriter85]

   It looks like The Maze Runner is tracking pretty well. Good for Stiles. He's like the modern day Seth Cohen.

 

   I'm really shocked If I Stay didn't do better. The book is really popular right now, apparently, and Chloe Grace Moretz has been poised for stardom since she was 12. It might have suffered from people thinking it's a rip-off of The Fault in Our Stars.

Edited August 30, 2014 by methodwriter85

[Rick Kitchen]

One book I really really love and hear they're adapting into a film is Jojo Moyes' Me Before You. It's so sweet and emotional, and I really hope they get the casting right. I could see someone like Carey Mulligan for Lou and maybe James McAvoy or Michael Fassbender for Will? What do you guys think?

 

As for This Is Where I Leave You, I loved the book but it's strength lies in the writing; the funny descriptions and dialogue. A lot of it is in Judd's head, so I imagine Bateman will have a lot of voiceovers, but I'm nervous. Mostly, Adam Driver's casting seems way off to me. I know he's supposedly good on Girls (I will never watch that show after suffering through the torture of the first two episodes) but his character is supposed to be model-handsome and so charming that everyone basically overlooks his flaky, irresponsible behavior. To me, Driver just looks like a normal guy. I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised. 

 

Driver was really good in a supporting role in What If.  I've never seen "Girls", it has no appeal to me, but it will be interesting to see how he does in the new Star Wars movie.  He has the romantic lead in the upcoming Hungry Hearts, I think it's his first lead role.

[Bruinsfan]

I'm really shocked If I Stay didn't do better. The book is really popular right now, apparently, and Chloe Grace Moretz has been poised for stardom since she was 12. It might have suffered from people thinking it's a rip-off of The Fault in Our Stars.

The ads made it look like a treacly Hallmark movie to me, so maybe that kept audiences away?

[methodwriter85]

Sometimes commercials really do count. I have to hand it to the people who did the promos for Warm Bodies- the concept was an incredibly tricky one to sell, the book isn't that well-known, and it worked. The movie was a nice moderate success. ($66 million domestic, $117 million global on a $38 million budget.) It could have flopped very easily if the promos had been along the vein of the original poster.

 

I really think the people who did The Giver are kicking themselves over the first trailer, particularly that hoovercraft shot. That killed any momentum the movie might have had.

Edited September 2, 2014 by methodwriter85

[SallyAlbright]

Well, to answer my own question, Deadline is reporting that Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin are in negotiations for Me Before You. I love her, so I'm happy to see her as Lou. She might actually be a little too beautiful, but I'm okay with that :) As for Claflin, I've only ever seen him in the Hunger Games and he was okay but didn't have much to test him. I really, really hope they don't screw up this book!

[Schweedie]

I was so excited about Nick Hornby's A Long Way Down, a book I adore, getting an adaption with a cast I thought seemed really promising - Pierce Brosnan was a pretty inspired choice - and then I finally saw it, and it sucked. Rushed, jumbled, missing all the humour and pathos of the book, with no depth to the characters. I could count the moments where I actually felt for anyone on one hand.

I feel like a bit like it shouldn't have been a such a surprise, since so much of what makes the book and the characters great comes from internal monologues that are hard to do on film, but god, they could've done much better than they did. There were some internal monologues narrated in the film, and they just chose not to actually use the wonderful bits from the source material.

 

Yeah, this one is going to bug me for a while.

[wanderingstar]

I have enjoyed the first two Hunger Games movies. That said, I still felt that the films lacked the bite of the social critique - especially about class - that was present in the books.

[Guest Accused Dingo]

My eyesight has gone to shit lately so reading had been problematic. (i used to be a big reader). This mont i am having eye surgery and better contacts...... Wait off topic...anyway one i have read Harry Potter and enjoyed the series of movies and A long time ago I think i read the Giver. I am curious about that. The movie looks a good deal different than i remember the book but the differences are superficial and i have.never been a purist anyway. I don't need the movie to take the book word for word as long as the spirit is there and it is not boring.

[bmasters9]

I saw Ramona and Beezus when it came out on DVD, and in my opinion, Fox/Walden made the right choice for the character of Ramona Quimby in the casting of Joey King. I even think personally that she not only outshone Selena Gomez, but also Sarah Polley (Ramona in that 1988 PBS adaptation). 

Edited September 8, 2014 by bmasters9

[methodwriter85]

 

The movie looks a good deal different than i remember the book but the differences are superficial and i have.never been a purist anyway. I don't need the movie to take the book word for word as long as the spirit is there and it is not boring.

 

I liked Silver Linings Playbook a lot, but I really wish they had gone with the way the letter betrayal went and the book ending instead of the Hollywood Ending we got.  Still, I think that particular adaption is something where they changed a lot, but the novel's soul was still there and it was still a pretty damn good movie.

 

Warm Bodies is another example. Tons of changes (like Nora being Analeigh Tipton instead of a black woman, the loss of Book Julie's potty-mouth and past flirtation with prostitution, R's suit

Julie's dad not dying

), but the dry, deadpan humor of the book stayed very well intact in the movie. And the way Nicholas Hoult played his romantic longing for Theresa Palmer's Julie was even better than the book, I thought. I wish they could cut down a little less on Perry, though.

 

 

I have enjoyed the first two Hunger Games movies. That said, I still felt that the films lacked the bite of the social critique - especially about class - that was present in the books.

 

It's really had for that work considering that they barely show District 12, or District 11, and they paid lip-service to their poor lives, but they didn't make it visceral enough. The biggest mistake they made was the way they did the bread toss scene- they should have casted a scrawny little girl they could've made look near death, instead of having Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutherson play that scene.They also could've kept in the scenes where it's clear that District 12 is having rotten food being shipped to them in retaliation for Katniss.

 

My biggest bitch about the Hunger Games movies is the way they treated Peeta. Josh is clearly capable of playing Book Peeta- you get the little movements like the talk show and such. But otherwise, they gutted a lot of Peeta's really funny, sarcastic dialogue. It also bothered me they didn't show the actual reason why Peeta and Katniss were estranged at the beginning of Catching Fire. That revelation was one of my favorite scenes in the first book, and I would have loved to see Josh play that.

Edited September 9, 2014 by methodwriter85

[GaT]

I'm going to bring up an oldie, from 1974, Murder on the Orient Express. The best film adaptation from an Agatha Christie novel, ever. Huge cast, lots of characters, the beginning sets up everything & is riveting, & Albert Finney makes a great Hercule Poirot. 

[CaughtOnTape]

I liked Silver Linings Playbook a lot, but I really wish they had gone with the way the letter betrayal went and the book ending instead of the Hollywood Ending we got.  Still, I think that particular adaption is something where they changed a lot, but the novel's soul was still there and it was still a pretty damn good movie.

 

Warm Bodies is another example. Tons of changes (like Nora being Analeigh Tipton instead of a black woman, the loss of Book Julie's potty-mouth and past flirtation with prostitution, R's suit

Julie's dad not dying

), but the dry, deadpan humor of the book stayed very well intact in the movie. And the way Nicholas Hoult played his romantic longing for Theresa Palmer's Julie was even better than the book, I thought. I wish they could cut down a little less on Perry, though.

 

 

It's really had for that work considering that they barely show District 12, or District 11, and they paid lip-service to their poor lives, but they didn't make it visceral enough. The biggest mistake they made was the way they did the bread toss scene- they should have casted a scrawny little girl they could've made look near death, instead of having Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutherson play that scene.They also could've kept in the scenes where it's clear that District 12 is having rotten food being shipped to them in retaliation for Katniss.

 

My biggest bitch about the Hunger Games movies is the way they treated Peeta. Josh is clearly capable of playing Book Peeta- you get the little movements like the talk show and such. But otherwise, they gutted a lot of Peeta's really funny, sarcastic dialogue. It also bothered me they didn't show the actual reason why Peeta and Katniss were estranged at the beginning of Catching Fire. That revelation was one of my favorite scenes in the first book, and I would have loved to see Josh play that.

 

Not to mention in the book, the way she finally fell for him was way better laid out.  In the movie, it was like one kiss and that was it.  You never got the idea she was having feelings for him at all.  It was very "I'm doing this to keep you alive".

 

And he was PISSED at the end of the book.  The end of the movie he was just kind of like "Eh....whatever."

I wish they would've allowed Josh to show that anger because as it was I was underwhelmed with the first movie.

[Rick Kitchen]

The official website for the film adaptation of Into the Woods had the character names for several of the characters listed as the names used in the Disney cartoon adaptations of the stories.  Somebody caught it and reported it, and then somebody from Disney went in and scrubbed the names.  But at least for a while, Cinderella's stepmother was listed as Lady Tremaine and Rapunzel's Prince was listed as Flynn Rider.  Uhoh.

 

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/09/19/into-the-woods-character-names-not-get-disney-makeover/

[methodwriter85]

Well, to answer my own question, Deadline is reporting that Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin are in negotiations for Me Before You. I love her, so I'm happy to see her as Lou. She might actually be a little too beautiful, but I'm okay with that :) As for Claflin, I've only ever seen him in the Hunger Games and he was okay but didn't have much to test him. I really, really hope they don't screw up this book!

 

 

I finally got around to reading it and really loved it. I'm not familiar with Emilia Clarke but she does sound good- I wonder if she'd be willing to put on 10 pounds for the part? Lou wasn't fat but she wasn't skinny, either. I'd love it if they did. More importantly though, I really hope they keep Lou's character trait of wearing wacky, daring fashion that made her stand out from the other girls of the town. I'd hate it if they decided that Lou should look like a small town girl and keep her in simple clothing until it's time for some patented movie makeover where we see her dolled up and glamorous.

 

As for Sam Claflin, I think he could be good. I'm just a little disappointed they went with a younger guy, because I liked the dynamic of Will being an older, worldly 35-year old, teaching this naïve 27-year old girl about expanding her boundaries. Tom Hiddleston was apparently up for the part and didn't get it- I would've loved him there.

 

The fact that tearjerkers are going to be "hot" now because of The Fault In Our Stars probably means there's a good chance

that they won't chicken out and have Will decide that he

wants to live.

  I hope they borrow a page out of that movie and keep this a small movie.

 

I did have to laugh at an article that called it a "romantic comedy"...umm yeah, no.

 

Another movie adaption I'm looking at...Paper Towns. It'll be interesting to see how they work that one, because it's not really a romance, if they stay true to the book. It's about a guy's idea of someone, and that someone turning out not to really be who he thought she was. Nat Wolf surprised me with how good he was in his bit part in The Fault in Our Stars, so we'll see how this turns out. I do appreciate that they went for an "every guy" here, instead of a hunk, because that felt like who Quentin is.

 

I really think they're probably going to re-work Paper Towns though because I'm not sure the story as is would work as a teen movie.

Edited October 22, 2014 by methodwriter85

[Luckylyn]

I just saw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO19v3Gnz_U'>Hateship Loveship which I found out it is an adaptation of a short story from the book Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage.  I really loved the movie and am thinking about buying the book.  I just wanted to find out from others who have read the story if this adaptation is accurate to the book and if the other stories in it are worth the purchase.

Edited November 11, 2014 by Luckylyn

[proserpina65]

Sep 7 2014. 8:09 am

 

I was so excited about Nick Hornby's A Long Way Down, a book I adore, getting an adaption with a cast I thought seemed really promising - Pierce Brosnan was a pretty inspired choice - and then I finally saw it, and it sucked. Rushed, jumbled, missing all the humour and pathos of the book, with no depth to the characters. I could count the moments where I actually felt for anyone on one hand.

 

I have yet to see an adaptation of one of Nick Hornby's books that worked well.  Probably the one that came the closest for me was the original English film version of Fever Pitch, and even it suffered from being more about a guy and his girlfriend troubles when the book was about his lifelong love affair with a football club.  But Mark Strong's performance as the main character's best friend was so good and almost, almost redeems it for me.

[Schweedie]

I have yet to see an adaptation of one of Nick Hornby's books that worked well.  Probably the one that came the closest for me was the original English film version of Fever Pitch, and even it suffered from being more about a guy and his girlfriend troubles when the book was about his lifelong love affair with a football club.  But Mark Strong's performance as the main character's best friend was so good and almost, almost redeems it for me.

I actually really enjoyed High Fidelity, changed setting and all, but otherwise I agree that his books haven't done well being adapted. About a Boy had its moments, but overall I never really felt it worked. And that other remake of Fever Pitch, the one with Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore and baseball? Shouldn't be allowed to be affiliated with the book. (Which I love. And, uh, sometimes relate to.) 

[methodwriter85]

I really liked Looking for Alaska. I finally got around to reading it, after having about it for years...the book came out back in '05, when I actually was a teenager. It's great. I'm sure if I had read it when I was 19, I would have loved it even more. But I'm now kinda worried about the adaption diluting a lot of things from the book (the constant drinking, the smoking cigarettes, and the sex) in order to get a PG-13 rating, because I really think this movie needs to be Rated R to be true to the tone of the book.

 

However, Sarah Polley strikes me as pretty quirky and edgy, so I think she can actually do a pretty good job with this. Still, I think the studio might force them to dilute the story.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

One of the absolute worst film adaptations of a novel, Exit to Eden.

One of my faves, American Psycho.

[Athena]

I have yet to see an adaptation of one of Nick Hornby's books that worked well.  Probably the one that came the closest for me was the original English film version of Fever Pitch, and even it suffered from being more about a guy and his girlfriend troubles when the book was about his lifelong love affair with a football club.  But Mark Strong's performance as the main character's best friend was so good and almost, almost redeems it for me.

 

I have read all of Hornby's novels and his Believer articles. I don't mind some of the adaptations to his films, but his novels and characters are introspective. That is hard to translate on screen. I didn't mind High Fidelity or About a Boy though. Hornby should start adapting his screenplays. He was nominated for an Oscar for adapting An Education. I hope that isn't the last time he gets good reviews on his screen writing.

[methodwriter85]

   Carla Delevingne is exactly how I pictured Lux Lisbon in the book version of the Virgin Suicides. Too bad it's unlikely that another version will be made.

Edited December 11, 2014 by methodwriter85

[absnow54]

I really think they're probably going to re-work Paper Towns though because I'm not sure the story as is would work as a teen movie.

I found that Paper Towns and Looking for Alaska followed the same formula. Manic pixie dream girl corrupts shy awkward kid, MPDG disappears under mysterious circumstances, shy akward guy obsesses over finding her, sidekick that should be played by Josh Hutcherson gets the best lines (side note, I've never so vividly fancasted an actor while reading a book as I did Josh Hutcherson as the Colonel in Looking for Alaska, I'm actually fearing casting announcements when they come out, because I know my dreams will be dashed.) I loved Paper Towns, but I'm surprised that they're not doing Looking for Alaska first, because I think that's the much tighter story, albeit far more depressing. I felt like Paper Towns was a lot more about Q trying to solve a mystery mostly on his own, while Looking for Alaska was more of an ensemble piece. Nat Wolff is crazy talented though, so I'm sure he can carry the movie just fine.

[BatmanBeatles]

 

Nat Wolff is crazy talented though, so I'm sure he can carry the movie just fine.

I thought he was adorable as Issac in The Fault In Our Stars. My daughter thinks he's cuter than Ansel Elgort.

[DkNNy79]

I generally watch a movie first and if I really like it then I will read the book.

 

Austenland - I just saw the movie and I thought it was really cute.  I also love JJ Feild.  Will definitely give the book a try now.

 

My favorite adaptations:  Saw the movie first and read the book after.

Jane Eyre - Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens

Sense & Sensibility - love Ang Lee's version.  Yes, Alan Rickman is so sexy as Colonel Brandon. 

Pride & Prejudice - I enjoy the 2005 version, but 1995 was my first and will always hold a special place in my heart.

Wives & Daughters (1999) - the BBC really does wonderful adaptations.

 

Ooohhhh, forgot to mention "Age of Innocence" - Martin Scorsese's adaption starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeifer.  LOVE this movie!

[Luckylyn]

 

My favorite adaptations:  Saw the movie first and read the book after.

Jane Eyre - Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens

Sense & Sensibility - love Ang Lee's version.  Yes, Alan Rickman is so sexy as Colonel Brandon. 

Pride & Prejudice - I enjoy the 2005 version, but 1995 was my first and will always hold a special place in my heart.

Wives & Daughters (1999) - the BBC really does wonderful adaptations.

 

Ooohhhh, forgot to mention "Age of Innocence" - Martin Scorsese's adaption starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeifer.  LOVE this movie!

The Ruth Wilson/Toby Stephens Jane Eyre is my favorite adaptation.  Their chemistry was amazing.

 

Wives and Daughters is such a great miniseries.  I loved that the step sisters didn't have cliche problems with each other and actually loved each other like sisters.  It's one I watch over and over.  The marriage proposal in the rain was just lovely.

 

I also recommend Gaskell's North and South.  Richard Armitage can do no wrong in my eyes because of that miniseries.  I do wish the ending was a little more like the book, but I adored that screen kiss.

 

George Elliott's Daniel Deronda was really engrossing.  Romola Garai's character was one who managed to be sympathetic despite questionable choices.  I thought the love triangle was well done because I understood why Daniel would feel drawn to both of them and neither woman is a villain. 

[methodwriter85]

Austenland was a pretty good book. You won't be disappointed. There's also a sequel, which doesn't follow Jane, called Midnight in Austenland. The tone is more of a murder mystery, and it's pretty good.

 

As for John Green movie adaptions, I agree that Looking for Alaska should have been made first but I think they held off on it because the material is incredibly problematic for making a PG-13 movie. I really wish more people were willing to make R-rated teen movies these days, but oh well. Josh Hutcherson so badly needs to enter the John Green-verse, but he's probably antsy to play more adult roles.

 

I'm also looking forward to An Abundance of Katherines and Let It Snow...if they get made. I haven't heard much movement on that. I'm not sure who I picture as Colin in Katherines, but I pictured Carter from Finding Carter as Lindsay. In Let It Snow, I could see Dylan O'Brien as Stuart.

 

I read Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and wow I understand why it's not getting optioned. It's a great book, but even if you ignore the gay thing, it's so incredibly quirky and niche, and it's a just a little too on-the-nose when it comes to teenage depression. The casting for Tiny Cooper alone will be difficult- you need an incredibly large guy who looks like he could play football and at the same time be a flamboyant gay man who can sing and dance. Too bad Damian from Mean Girls is too old now.

[Oreo2234]

The teaser trailer for new adaptation of Far From The Madding Crowd is good. But I wonder if its a bad sign its not being released in awards season. 

[manbearpig]

I liked Looking for Alaska, but I'm only interested in the movie because Sarah Polley is supposedly directing it. When I read the book I pictured Britt Robertson from Life Unexpected as Alaska. Hated Paper Towns. Not for any particular reason, I just found it a chore to get through even though it's a relatively short read.

 

I loved Will Grayson, Will Grayson. I need to re-read that, but yes, it's hard to see it getting made. I think John Green has even said that he doesn't think it will happen.

[methodwriter85]

Britt Robertson kinda looks like she's a bit too old for playing high school now (going off on what she looked like in Under the Dome last year), but then again that never stopped Hollywood. It's still at least somewhat plausible. I am glad that it seems like Sarah Polley is going to direct. She's always come off as a very intelligent and mature person even when she was 11- I bet she'll handle the material quite well.

 

If Josh Schwartz had gotten to direct it like he wanted to back in 2006, I would have bet anything he would have tried to cast Olivia Wilde in the part and Adam Brody in the part of the Colonel, even though he wouldn't be right for the part. Young Josh Schwartz was pretty erratic and while he could do great episodes of the O.C., there were a lot of bad mistakes he made. I'm not sure he would have been mature enough to handle the nuances of the material, and I can just picture him having a field day with the "richies vs. the scholarship kid" subplot.

 

John Green has kind of hinted that Paper Towns won't be as faithful to the book as The Fault in Our Stars was. He might have been blowing smoke up their ass, but there's a vlog where he mentions that Lacey and Angela have bigger parts in the movie.

 

I gotta say, the level of his involvement is pretty cool. It seems like he's being allowed to give input and be part of the creative process, but he's not chaining them to the book, like Stephanie Meyer allegedly did with the Twilight adaptions. Bella's hideous wedding dress was allegedly her doing.

 

Speaking of other movie adaptions, I was incredibly disappointed when I saw Sara Paxton on How to Get Away With Murder and realized it was impossible to have her play teenaged roles now, because I really wanted her as the Wakefield Twins in the long-rumored Sweet Valley High movie. You just can't make her look like a believable teenager now. Maybe around 2010, but not now.Of course, if they decided instead to adopt the "Jessica and Elizabeth are 25 years old" book, maybe it could work. Hmm.

[Rick Kitchen]

Lifetime Network has a new movie coming out, Wuthering High School

 

 

In this modern retelling of Emily Brontë’s classic novel Wuthering Heights, Cathy Earnshaw is an outcast at her wealthy Malibu high school, where she struggles to cope with her mother’s tragic death. Sadness turns to exhilaration when her father brings in Heath, a troubled kid whose mother, a long-time employee of Mr. Earnshaw, is suddenly deported. Cathy and Heath are irresistibly drawn to each other, desperately filling the voids in each other’s lives. But theirs is a destructive love, they rarely show up to class, and when they do it’s chaos. As Cathy’s friends mock the unconventional, arrogant Heath, she feels even further isolated. Finally, Cathy caves to social pressure and breaks up with Heath for a more popular boy. Heath can’t forgive her betrayal, and the two lovers start down a tragic path spurred by jealousy, pride, and their undeniable, consuming passion.

 

smh

[ribboninthesky1]

That is the most hilarious thing I've read today, so thank you for sharing. 

[methodwriter85]

Didn't MTV try something like that ten years ago in a shitty t.v. movie? I just don't think you can put Wuthering Heights into modern high school.

 

Anyway, more talk on Paper Towns as well as Looking for Alaska. I'm bummed that it seems like Sarah Polley might not be involved.

 

Looking for Alaska is now scheduled for July 24th. Also, more John Green talking about the movie:

 

 

Yet another hint from him that the movie adaptation won't exactly be that faithful.

Edited March 11, 2015 by methodwriter85

[blueray]

Best: Lord of the Rings: I feel that the books were well represented in the films. Most of the major plot points were there (minus the whole Sire battle which I fine without).

 

Mostly good: Harry Potter, I feel that the movies were good but they cut a lot out.

 

Worst: Eargon: I turned the movie off in the first few minutes. They destroyed it that fast.

Edited March 11, 2015 by blueray

[caracas1914]

Best old Hollywood adaptation: 1949's " Intruder in the dust" from William Faulkner's novel. Directed by Clarence Brown and produced by MGM (?!!!) and it holds up surprisingly well, with the spirit of the book.

Juano Hernandez gave a memorable performance and to think the best " race" issues movie in over 30 years came from MGM.

Edited March 12, 2015 by caracas1914

[Chrissytd]

19 Film Adaptations Hitting Theaters in 2015

http://parchmentgirl.com/posts/genres/fiction/18-movie-adaptations-coming-out-in-2015/

[Trini]

Worst: Eargon: I turned the movie off in the first few minutes. They destroyed it that fast.

 

I liked the movie fine, but I don't know anything about the book. What stuff did they change?

Edited March 17, 2015 by Trini

[blueray]

I liked the move fine, but I don't know anything about the book. What stuff did they change?

They mess up big time because the whole point is that Eargon raised Saphira from being a hatchling. The movie skipped completely over that, and had dumb special effects. I honest turned it off after that so I can't say much about the rest of the movie.

[Trini]

Ahh, okay. That's a pretty big change.

[methodwriter85]

 

They do seem to be making changes, such as Angela being on the road trip.

 

I do think Cara works well as Margo...as much as the people are bitching that she's not a short, curvy, dark-haired pixie cut girl. She's got a face that looks mischievous and pretty, but very unique. Her face kind of reminds me of a cat.

 

She looks so much like how I pictured Lux Lisbon in the Virgin Suicides it's a shame that the book is probably never going to get another movie adaption, at least not while Cara is still young enough to play Lux.

Edited March 20, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Wiendish Fitch]

The big screen version of The Great Gilly Hopkins, a book I loved as a kid, is coming either this year or next. It's a surprising choice, given that it's one of the less politically correct Newbery Honor books (our titular anti-heroine has a bit of a racist streak), but it boasts a strong cast (Kathy Bates, Octavia Spencer, Julia Stiles). But to the screenwriters, I implore, beg, beseech you: do whatever you feel you must to make the story palatable to modern audiences, but for the love of all that's good and decent, don't change the ending!!

 

 

In the book, Gilly is with her umpteenth foster family, which involves Trotter, an overweight, seemingly doddering woman and William Ernest, a painfully shy kid. Gilly hates them on principle at first, and is obsessed with being reunited with her mother Courtney, a former hippie whom she hasn't seen in years and has idealized as a beautiful, loving woman. No surprise that Gilly grows fond of her new foster family, but her short-sightedness and stubbornness prove to be her undoing, because she writes a damning (and mostly false) letter to the head of foster services, and eventually Gilly is taken away and she's reunited with Courtney, who is a vague, distant person who was paid to take Gilly. Gilly finally realizes what a dumb little ingrate she's been, that Courtney is a selfish, flighty, unsuitable mother who never wanted her, and that she truly loves the foster family she leaves behind. She calls Trotter, who basically tells her "I love you, but you made your bed, now lie in it".

 

I love the ending to the book, because it's the kind of ending you never, ever see in children's literature: Gilly makes an utterly stupid mistake, and suffers the consequences for it. She had a good life, but she threw it away with both hands. The ending is bittersweet and ambiguous; maybe Gilly can have an okay life with Courtney, but maybe she won't (crusty old cynic that I am, I'm leaning more towards the latter).

I think if kids, real or fictional, screw up, they should feel the sting of their actions. Katherine Paterson was so gutsy and wise to write such an ending. But, because of our "all kids are wonderful, special snowflakes" mentality, I have a bad feeling they'll sugarcoat the ending.

[methodwriter85]

Brendan Coyle and Mathew Lewis to Join Me Before You

 

I'm a little nervous at them calling this a romantic comedy, but eh. I do have faith they aren't going to wimp out on the ending, as this is the team from the Fault in Our Stars.

 

However I do worry we'll hear an endless indie pop soundtrack, which was fine for The Fault in Our Stars, but I don't think it'd work for Me Before You. I also get the feeling they'll "age down" the characters and have them dress and act younger to try and make them more relatable to teens...Emilia is actually Lou's age but she seems so much younger, and Sam is of course not 35. I can deal with most changes but I'll hate it if they wimp out on the ending, or wimp out on making Lou as quirky and interesting as she is...her quirks were what made her stand out to Will. I'm going to hate them dressing Lou like a small-town girl instead of the weird, creative one she was.

Edited April 21, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Chrissytd]

Photos from Macbeth

http://screenrant.com/macbeth-2015-images-marion-cotillar-michael-fassbender/

[SallyAlbright]

Photos from Macbeth

http://screenrant.com/macbeth-2015-images-marion-cotillar-michael-fassbender/

Fassbender and Cotillard. Both fantastic actors, but I'm going to be shallow for a moment and say I'd watch it for the beauty even if they were terrible.

[Schweedie]

Photos from Macbeth

http://screenrant.com/macbeth-2015-images-marion-cotillar-michael-fassbender/

 

God, I've been waiting for this for what seems like forever already. It looks so good, and I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high, but I'm so excited for it. Looking forward to seeing reviews after the Cannes premiere. (Oh, please, be good.)

[methodwriter85]

John Green on the Paper Towns adaption, and adaptions in general:

 

 

It's a damn shame that E.L. James can't seem to grasp the basic points that John Green is making. We got hints of how the material could have been improved in 50 Shades of Grey, with that negotiation scene, but unfortunately E.L. was allowed to keep a strangehold on the material, and it's only going to get worse.

 

Then again, I'm looking forward to the inevitable trainwreck. LOL. It's not like this is a beloved book for me, like The Giver was. (I still can't bring myself to watch Jonas being played by a 25-year old hunk.)

 

If they ever rebooted I Know What You Did Last Summer, I'd love for them to try and be truer to the book. I don't need them to get rid of the gore, but I want certain plot points to be there, like the victim being a child and not a grown man, and surface-wise everybody is doing well...Helen is on T.V. (although to be honest I don't think she could be a t.v. news anchor in a modern t.v. network), Barry is a local college sports star, Julie got accepted into Smith, and Ray is taking a fun gap year.  Oh, and them not

completely absolving the quartet of being guilty.

[Ohwell]

Based on the trailers I've seen, I am not at all happy wit the remake of Far From the Madding Crowd.   I read the book,and the original movie it's based on is one of my favorites, with Julie Christie, Alan Bates, Peter Finch.  The main thing I noticed is that Carey Mulligan is miscast.  She's no Julie Christie, who was beautiful as Bathsheba. 

[methodwriter85]

I didn't think she was beautiful enough to be Daisy in The Great Gatsby, but it actually worked out that her face really had that 1920's look to it.