5 Ways To Survive Film Adaptations

1/4/2013

I totally agree with reading the book first. More often than not, I see a film, find out that it came from a book, read the book, and then feel really let down.

However, I do tend to go with your final thought, and just watch the film while stuffing my face with sweets!

It’s got to be strawberry shoelaces!

Hi,

I found your A to Z blog via Twitter. This is my first year taking the challenge. Looks like you’re off to a good start.

I think you’re spot-on about not watching a film adaptation too soon after you’ve read the source material.

Also, as a writer, I tend to watch movies different than laymen, y’know? If an adaptation bothers me, I try to figure out whether it’s simply because it didn’t match my mental version of the story, or whether the screenwriters were doing the best they could to translate it to the silver screen.

Happy A to Z-ing. I’ll be back! ~Tui

Hi Tui – sorry for the late response! Writing has definitely changed the way I watch films – I look more closely at the script now, for sure.
Thanks for commenting x

And there I was thinking I was odd for hating it when TV shows are adapted for the stage. Books into films is a tough one, but I will always prefer the film of ‘A Beautiful Mind’ to the book – enjoy the A to Z challenge!

TV Shows adapted for the stage…. That’s a whole other ball game I think!
Thanks for your good wishes for A-Z Challenge Jolyon, are you taking part yourself?

I very strongly agree with reading the source material long in advance. Reading them together just courts obsessing over the difference between my reading and their interpretation, which is never fair. When it comes to seeing my favorite works adapted, like The Hobbit or Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I simply need to achieve the correct frame of mind. Going in loose always helps.

Oh boy, yes, comparing the book and the film can become obsessive and ruin your viewing. I recently watched One Day on DVD and it’s not as good as the book. Thought I could get away with watching it now as I read it 3-4 years ago, probably forgot most of it, but no, I loved that book and seemed to retain most of it!
Thanks for commenting x

I love this! My solution is just to not watch the movie, because no matter what I will never be satisfied! I just can’t resist seeing the movie though.. It gets me everytime.

Snap… curse of the curious…
Thanks for commenting Allison x

Oh, yes, the old “don’t read the book right before you see the movie” thing. I made that mistake when I was rereading the Harry Potter series, and finished The Chamber of Secrets the same week that the movie came out. It made me so twitchy it wasn’t even funny!

Thankfully, I’ve mellowed out a lot over the past 10 years in terms of books vs. movies. They’re two different forms of media; by necessity, the stories will have to be changed. And I would rather a movie stay true to the spirit of the book than attempt to adhere slavishly to the plot. If that makes sense. 🙂

And sometimes (though this is rare), watching the movie can actually make it easier to enjoy the book. I struggled to read Fellowship of the Ring, but after watching the movie (and absolutely loving it), I breezed through The Two Towers and Return of the King, and it made me an LOTR fan for life. 😀

Ahh, a different tactic!
A boyfriend dragged me to LOTR 1. Loved it.Managed to read all the books before no.2 came out. Books kinda sucked in a way – too many songs. I skipped them! #charlatan
Thanks for commenting! xx

Well said!

My personal disaster is Freaky Friday. LOVED the book but was so disappointed with the film (the Jodie Foster version, I’m ancient)

Good luck with the A to Z Challenge 🙂

Thanks Kit!

I admit, I try to never watch a movie if I’ve loved the book. There are so few exceptions for me to see the film and not be disappointed it is just not worth the risk.

Hahah yes… Have you seen ANY movies which live up to the book? I’d be interested to know…
Thanks for commenting 🙂
Louise x

I admit I have watched lots of films before I read the books, simply because I like the experience and the chance to switch off for a couple of hours. For example, I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Interview with a Vampire’ and ‘Queen of the Damned,’ but I also thoroughly enjoyed reading the books. I don’t think the films spoiled the books in those examples, but I could see the differences.

I love a movie to switch off and relax to. My husband doesn’t get that though – he wants action action action more action – which is fine, but I want to escape a bit!
Lou – thanks for commenting. x

I’m a writer based in South Wales, with an unhealthy obsession with stationery and baking. I mainly blog for my own sanity, but I’m also working on a novel. Still.

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April is month of blogging A-Z for 26 days. #AprilBlogChallenge Check it out!

** A is for ADAPTATIONS **

———————————

I love a good book. I love a good film. But when books become films they are quite often loaded with expectation. It’s hard to feel sorry for successful writers like Stephanie Meyer (of Twilight fame), but I bet she’s nervous when the new film adaptations of her books reach the screen for the first time. Maybe it’s not so much as a worry for them flopping as a movie, but more of a concern of ‘will they live up the the legacy the book series has created?’ And ‘will the fans like the portrayal of the story?’

These are my tips on how a reader can survive the portrayals of screenwriters and directors who hack and hone our beloved stories.

1. Don’t watch and read the same story in a short period of time

I finished reading Hunger Games 15 hours before I saw the film. I finished Lord of the Rings the night before I saw the second installment of the films. Would I recommend that?!

No.

I couldn’t get Katniss’s voice out my head (as she speaks in the first person in the book) and Lord of the Rings was so compressed (yes, shortened to a mere three hours!) that I couldn’t cope! It just felt wrong. I am planning to see Les Miserables on stage and wait a while before I rent the DVD.

2. Read the book first

An oldie but a goodie in terms of ttps. The films show you EVERYTHING. What exact expressions the protagonist has. Whether the sun is shining or not. What kind of car the bad guy drives. Books play on your imagination and writers quite often leave some description unsaid to allow the reader to build a bit more of their own picture. Films can ruin this and limit your imagination if you watch them before reading the book version. As a reader, you don’t get to use your brain.

3. Consider refusing to see the film adaptation of your very favourite book on principle

I seriously considered whether or not I’d regret seeing The Help, Hunger Games, Lovely Bones, and Life of Pi on the big screen (see my review and thoughts with my writer’s hat on concerning ‘Pi’ via this link). I loved these books and I didn’t want the film to fall flat on it’s face. Eventually I caved in, curiosity piqued, but I wasn’t disappointed on any of these occasions. The books were very close to the films, and I felt they were very well done.

However, My Sister’s Keeper was a huge, HUGE disappointment. **SPOILER** The film’s ending was nowhere near the same as in the book and changed the whole story in my opinion. Bad move. I was dying with suspense, couldn’t wait to see what the film makers would make of the car crash and twisted ending, and there was a lousy easy way out instead. JK Rowling is very involved in her Potter movie interpretations – I wonder how much say Jodi Picoult had over this debacle.

You have to remember that the media of film is very different, but can offer a whole other plethora of advantages – especially in terms of special effects and the soundtrack. There’s books which didn’t bring tears to my eyes, but the film of the same book made me blub. And that’s a good thing for the film!

4. If it’s a film written by European, African, Asian writer etc., don’t let the American film giants ruin it

I’m no critic of Hollywood; I love a good blockbuster as much as the next person, but there is something to be said for smaller budget films. Especially if the film crew are a fan of the book. If there’s an independent interpretation of the book, why not try the lesser beaten track and support smaller film production companies? This might save the story being puffed up and enhanced into massive action scenes and over-the-top production and effects, and stay more focussed on the story.

5. Relax

Failing all the above, just get a great big bag of Malteasers, find a nice date, and go to the cinema with an open mind. What’s the worst that can happen?

What do you think – do you have any tips for how to survive a film version of your favourite books? Let me know in the comments box below.

Tomorrow I tackle ‘B’… see you then!

Lou x

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