There is no feeling more conflicting for a reader than when it is announced that a really good book is going to be made into a movie. On the one hand, it is often wonderful and exciting to see all of your favorite characters and moments brought to life. On the other hand, Hollywood is pretty darn awful at successfully making books into films that people will actually enjoy, and even worse at following the plot of the books they've chosen to adapt for the big screen. It's not that hard, Hollywood! Just follow the book! Here are some of the worst book to film adaptations, in no particular order...
1. "Jurassic Park" by Michael Crichton
I watched the film version of "Jurassic Park" long before I ever read the book. Don't get me wrong, this movie is awesome. It really is a fantastic film. It just doesn't follow the book, like, at all. In the later films, they do slip in some events/scenes they left out for the first movie, but it just isn't the same.
2. "A Series of Unfortunate Events" by Lemony Snicket
The film adaptation of this series only features the first three books in a thirteen book series, but that isn't the end of the world. The reason that film is on this list is because of all of the big events left out and the huge changes to the plot. The filmmakers literally took the events of the end of the first book and stuck it in at the end of the third book's events to end the film. No.That just wasn't necessary.
3. "The Mortal Instruments" series by Cassandra Clare
Not only is this a crappy book to screen adaptation, but it has been horribly adapted twice so far. First, they made a movie in 2013. The author, Cassandra Clare, confessed to crying at the premiere of the film because of how bad it was and how much they mutilated her book. Now, ABC family has made it into a TV series called "Shadowhunters". I only watched the first episode, and it was SO AWFUL. Bad casting + bad acting + insane plot changes = why did you even bother to make this???
4. "The Hobbit" by JRR Tolkien
Let me start out by saying that this book was NOT meant to be a trilogy, by any means. When someone decides to turn a 300ish page book into a movie trilogy, you just know it's not gonna be good. I'll admit that the first two movies were pretty good, but the last one was just awful. A couple of scenes were dragged out over 2+ hours, and so much was added that wasn't in the original book. There was absolutely no reason to make this into a trilogy, other than the fact that the filmmakers wanted everyone to have to buy three tickets just to watch it.
5. "Eragon" by Christopher Paolini
To be honest, I haven't seen this movie or read the book yet. Everyone who has read the book and watched the film, however, tell me to read the book and not even bother with the movie because it's just that bad.
6. "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult
I don't know how to describe this one without spoiling the ending of the book and the movie, but the two are completely different. I'll just leave it at that.
7. "Left Behind" by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
For this one, I'm talking the 2014 film starring Nicholas Cage. The book is all about the Rapture and then end of the world and all kinds of action and themes, while literally the only thing that happens in the movie is Nick Cage trying to land a plane.
8. "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Known to many as the very worst adaptation of a classic, the 1995 version of "The Scarlet Letter" is just plain awful. First of all, there's Demi Moore and awful fake accent. Then worst of all, there is the fact that they completely change the ending and the entire point of the book, leaving out all of the themes that make the book a classic.
9. "A Walk To Remember" by Nicholas Sparks
I watched this movie when I was relatively young, and I loved it. I still kinda do. But then, years later, I read the book and the illusion was shattered. First of all, the book takes place in the 1950's, while the movie is in present day. The whole play thing doesn't even happen. The two are just so different, it's ridiculous.
10. "Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
I tried to watch this movie when it was on TV once, and it was just so boring and bad, I had to turn it off. Many years later, I read the books, and I absolutely loved them. The two are just so different, I have no desire whatsoever to see the movies.
I don't get why filmmakers do this. The books were super successful for a reason, people love them for a reason. So just stick with the plot of the book! Gah!
