If you have ever been to a film adaption of a popular novel, you no doubt encountered the phrase “the book was better” from someone walking out of the theatre or commenting on reviews. You may have even been the person who uttered it- and typically, this is true. Whether due to the nature of Hollywood or difficulty transferring from one media to another, books often lose some of their soul along their journey to the big screen. A larger critique of the Twilight Saga films (and many of other debatable-in-quality YA adaptations like Beautiful Creatures and Divergent) is that movies ultimately kill the book’s plot with their changes in plot and misinterpretations in character. Film is the scourge of the novel world, and everyone can agree that most books have no business in the hands of producers.
But what about when an adaption works? When a book actually unfolds on-screen just as well as in written form. Or when it surpasses the novel itself? Whether it be through direction, rewriting, or the right cast to guide the story along, sometimes books own a script well or better than they carried a paperback. These are a few of my favorite examples!
5. Ella Enchanted
Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted was a popular book when I was in middle school. A children’s story retelling the famous Cinderella story, the protagonist Ella of Frell is “gifted” with the ability to obey every direct order she is given. Chaos and fairytale-esque madness ensues. I read this novel several times, and enjoyed a lot of the concepts presented within it (even though the book really didn’t give more than the traditional Cinderella story had already offered).
In 2004, Miramax and Disney decided to take the book to the big screen with the help of Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy, and veered the story in a slightly different direction when they discovered the plot of the novel “didn’t work as a film,” according to Hathaway herself. The resulting movie was less of a Cinderella, and lot more Princess Bride. Complete with mocked tropes, Queen covers, and an appearance from Cary Elwes as the film’s villain, Ella Enchanted’s film challenged the original concepts of the novel and built something quite creative with them. While the movie wasn’t anywhere near perfect- and certainly shows its age since the early 2000’s, it is still a charming and surprisingly fun adaption!
4. The Lord of The Rings Trilogy
Before I am burned at the stake for this, I want to point out that I love Tolkien’s original books with a fiery passion, The Hobbit especially. You likely know the story: a small and simple hobbit named Frodo takes on the journey to return the One Ring to Mordor, with a motley band of elves, dwarfs, and kings.
I actually saw Peter Jackson’s adaption before I read the novels sadly, but even after so many years, I tend to see the film’s as a strong, contained tribute to what Tolkien wrote. Jackson, complete with a fantastic cast, talented crew, and Howard Shore’s undeniably beautiful music, these incredible movies capture the true spirit of Lord of The Rings, the essence of what makes this hero’s journey still a tale we return to after all these years.
3. The Princess Bride
Speaking of The Princess Bride… This film is inconceivable in how popular it is (ha, pun). You cannot go through most bookstores or novelty shops without finding something related to The Princess Bride, on t-shirts, or mugs, or quote collections on magnets. That’s some serious staying power when you consider the film released in 1987, and William Goldman’s original novel came out in 1973. The film itself didn’t even see much success until it hit VHS and became a cult classic. This has actually happened to other 80’s fantasy films, like Labyrinth and Dark Crystal, since.
Both the film and novel were staples of mine growing up, and I often argue that both film and the novel do different things well. The novel is elaborate and bigger, but reads in such a way that it is still being read to you. The movie summarizes and tightens a few details, but still tells the same story in much quicker strokes and quips. It’s almost like getting two views of the same fairytale, each carrying their own merit and value.
2. The Last Unicorn
Much like the above mentioned 80's cult classics, The Last Unicorn's animated adaption has stood the test of time for one particular reason or another. Whether it be its breathtaking visuals (by animators that would later involve themselves in projects like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind) or the earnest message the film often takes on about life's magic- and how we handle these things upon growing old, there is something still amazing about this little tale of a unicorn in search of whether she truly is the last.
Peter S. Beagle's novel, released in 1968, is remarkable and beautiful on its own. Oftentimes, the movie has been criticized for being overly loyal to the book in some places and over-simplified in others. Also marked by its somewhat dated soundtrack by America (and cringey lyrical choices), the film has the potential to not age well. Nevertheless, The Last Unicorn still breathes a unique life into its novel, giving it a style and substance that many fantasy films don't earn. Beagle was one of its notable fans, and what author wouldn't want to see their book so beautifully adapted?
1. Stardust
I'll come out right now and say that this is one of my favorite movies/novels in the world, and I like both for very different reasons. Neil Gaiman's Stardust is the story of a young shop boy who makes a promise to his crush that he will bring her a fallen star, and exchange, she will marry him. But the star he chases leads him right across Wall, the magical barrier between England and the faerie realm. Sky pirates, magical beasts, and royal conflict soon follow his path.
The movie was my introduction to the story, which made me eager to grab the book in high school. But like many others, I was a little surprised at how different the film and the book truly were. It took me some years after revisiting the two works that I realized this was possibly intentional. Gaiman approaches the novel Stardust in the same ways that fairytales are written, sharp and quick with jarring hops in world-building that we simply follow on the dark adventure. The film, released in 2007, had Gaiman's hand on the production and rewrites. The film also builds and adds a great deal of detail to the story- as far as expanding upon many characters and plot points in ways that are more vivid and visually engaging. This is nothing against the original novel either, but rather a fine use of two different mediums for retelling a story. I almost like thinking of Stardust's novel as the folktale to the film's Disney-esque reproduction, showcasing brilliantly how a story can be retold and shared from book to movie theatre.
What are some of your favorite film adaptions? Are they better than the book, or does the old mantra hold true that books always outclass the movie?
