<p>Hi Parents.</p>
<p>I hope you can give me some good movie ideas for the remaining days of my vacation. I like to watch movies based on classic books. Sometimes, I then like to read the book and compare it to the movie. Some pairs I have enjoyed are My Fair Lady (Pygmalion), Jane Eyre, The Count of Monte Cristo, Phantom of the Opera, Cyrano de Bergerac, . . . </p>
<p>Can you suggest some more films that I should watch?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Wuthering Heights, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, The Tin Drum, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Emma, Persuasion, The Magnificent Ambersons, Billy Budd, Swan’s Way, Anna Karenina, War and Peace, The Brothers Karamazov, All Shakespeare (favs. Branagh’s Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Orson Welles’ Macbeth, Lawrence Fishburn’s Othello). The list is endless.</p>
<p>Read Time Traveler’s Wife. The movie is in production!</p>
<p>The “Romeo and Juliet” with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes is a must see.
Also Edith Wharton’s “Ethan Frome” with Liam Neeson and Patricia Arquette.</p>
<p>The Europeans; the Bostonians; A Room with a View; Death in Venice; The Leopard; Heat and Dust; The Remains of the Day; Howard’s End; Les Liaisons Dangereuses; The English Patient; The Hours; Vanity Fair. Tristram Shandy: A **** and Bull Story (as weird a movie as the book is weird). The End of the Affair; The Quiet American/</p>
<p>TV series:
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.The Forsythe Saga; Brideshead Revisited; The Jewels in the Crown.</p>
<p>Filmmakers face a big challenge with classic novels or other works - they’re so well-loved that the film often disappoints someone who’s read and enjoyed the book. Some of the books I’ve listed aren’t old enough to be considered classics yet, but they’re getting there.</p>
<p>Films that don’t let the books they’re based on down (just MHO): In Cold Blood, Dr. Zhivago, A Passage to India, The Maltese Falcon, The Grapes of Wrath, The Age of Innocence</p>
<p>Films that do: The Great Gatsby, The Scarlet Letter (what a disaster), Madame Bovary (I like the film with Jennifer Jones but the book is so much better), Little Women (any version)</p>
<p>My favorite Shakespeare on film: Laurence Olivier’s Richard III.</p>
<p>Sometimes the filmmaker adapts only part of the book, or updates it in such a way that the material becomes more his (or hers) and less the author’s: A Place in the Sun is a very good adaptation of An American Tragedy, I think. Apocalypse Now/Heart of Darkness is another example.</p>
<p>Agatha Christie’s books seem to translate to the screen very well. Try to rent Murder on the Orient Express. It was just on TCM yesterday and is a marvelous film, with an exceptional cast.</p>
<p>By and large, “classic book” films are not my favorite genre. The book is almost always better. Films and novels are really very different artistic forms, and I tend to prefer films that were conceived as such. I don’t think you could pay me to watch a film of The Brothers Karamazov.</p>
<p>Perhaps the best “literary adaptation” film I can remember is the version of Henry James’ “The Wings of the Dove” from about ten years ago. James is a really sensational stylist, and the filmmakers (whose names I don’t remember, but Helena Bonham Carter is one of the leads) did a fabulous job of coming up with a visual style that gives some of the feel of James’ use of language. (Read some James and you’ll know why that’s an incredible trick to pull off.)</p>
<p>“The Quiet American”, which someone else recommended, does an excellent job of replicating the novel (the charms of which are more politico-philosophical than literary, thus lending itself more to translation).</p>
<p>Then there are the films that confront this issue head on, notably “Tristam Shandy”, which marite recommended (a really valiant attempt to film the unfilmable), and “Adaptation”. </p>
<p>Julie Taymor’s “Titus” was a pretty sensational take on a lesser Shakespearean play (although, in my family, I was the only one able to remain in the room to watch the whole thing). And it’s fun to compare different versions of the same classic: Franco Zefirelli vs. Baz Luhrmann for Romeo and [or +] Juliet, several of the “Pride and Prejudice” movies (including “Bridget Jones’ Diary”), or “Clueless” vs. one of the straight "Emma"s.</p>
<p>There are some cross-cultural films that are provoking in this regard, too. Akira Kurosawa did versions of Macbeth and King Lear in “Throne of Blood” and “Ran”; they work really well. “Apocalypse Now” is very much part of that strain.</p>
<p>Of course, the Harry Potter books and movies provide a really interesting set of different takes on how to try to do faithful film versions of a much-loved book. Speaking of which, I loved Alfonso Cuaron’s version of “A Little Princess”; he was the director of “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”.</p>
<p>Some literary “classics” are so bad that they are vastly improved by professional filmmaking. “The Wizard of Oz” fits that bill. John Huston’s “Prizzi’s Honor” is infinitely better than the Condon novel. (John Huston also directed a great cinematic version of Kipling’s “The Man Who Would Be King”.)</p>
<p>You may be too young to remember the vogue for teensploitation versions of classics a few years ago, largely kicked off by Clueless. Some of them are suprisingly fun: Clueless itself (Jane Austen’s Emma), 10 Things I Hate About You (The Taming of the Shrew), Get Over It (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), O (Othello), Cruel Intentions (Dangerous Liaisons).</p>
<p>Two other movies based on Henry James: Daisy Miller and Washington Square.
Another movie channeling Jane Austen: Bride and Prejudice.
One that I forgot: Mansfield Park.</p>
<p>I read recently that Masterpiece Theater is going to re-play some series or movies based on novels, including the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice.</p>
<p>Black Beauty
LOTR ( lord of the rings)
Women in Love
The Go-Between
Far from the Madding Crowd
( all starring Alan Bates)
I never saw a ClockWork Orange but it is supposed to be very good- but while I like Malcom McDowell- I really have a hard time watching violence- except for the comic book variety in Pulp Fiction.</p>
<p>For mini series beside the ones already mentioned I would strongly recommend Jeeves and Wooster- starrying Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry ( also if you watch House, it is great fun watching Laurie have to get saved by Fry)
the books are great- but the two together make even the repetitive storylines worth watching. PG Wodehouse.</p>
<p>( also Tommy and Tuppence - Agatha Christie- actually Mystery Theatre is often taken from great mystery novels. Pd James, Joesphine Tey, Dorothy Sayers…)</p>
<p>Oh Hay!
They have wrapped up filming “Into the Wild” ( partially filmed on campus @ Reed college- with soundtrack by my choice for a last meal- Eddie S. Vedder)
and I think it might be released this fall ( book by Jon Krakauer- directed by Sean Penn )</p>
<p>Also " the Perfect Storm" is a great book/movie-Sebastian Junger</p>
<p>I love the Perfect Storm book/movie but not sure it’s a classic.
Same with 7 years in Tibet, I love the book, have not seen the movie.</p>
<p>well yes they haven’t been around long enough technically to be “classics”
But then neither has the English Patient.
Although the movie inspired me to read the book- which was even better than the movie.</p>
<p>One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest and Catch -22 are classics though
Cannery Row, its hard to think of a classic that hasn’t been made into a movie
some more than once.</p>
<p>That reminds me of Harrison Ford ( who can still fit into Indys pants but we’ll have to see if he can fit into his hat) in the Mosquito Coast.</p>
<p>I always liked the Masterpiece Theater production of “David Copperfield” best, and it starred Daniel Radcliffe in the title role. Speaking of Dickens, why not try Christmas in July? “A Christmas Carol” if you’ve never read it and the movie starring either George C. Scott or Reginald Owen. The 1930 movie of “All Quiet on the Western Front” is a classic that has held up very well over time and from what I remember is faithful to the book, which is also a classic (and short). One of my favorite adaptations is “I, Claudius” which is a Masterpiece Theater/BBC miniseries. Some of the episodes are a bit racy, but you’ll learn a lot about Roman history–even more if you read the Robert Graves’ books the miniseries is based on: “I, Claudius” and “Claudius the God.” You can probably get the miniseries on loan from your public library on either VHS or DVD. </p>
<p>I like “The Quiet American” suggestion very much; also “Grapes of Wrath” for book and movie, “Jewel in the Crown”/Raj Quartet, and “Wuthering Heights” (1939). </p>
<p>How about an anthology of Philip K. Dick? Here are some movies based on Dick short stories (some different titles): “Blade Runner,” “Minority Report,” “Total Recall,” “Paycheck,” “Next,” “Screamers.” More science fiction: “Lathe of Heaven,” the A&E miniseries (pretty good) and the Ursula LeGuin novel (very good).</p>
<p>I’m surprised no one mentioned Moby Dick (Gregory Peck)or the fairly recent < 10 year old remake for A&E with Patrick Stewart as Ahab.</p>
<p>Taras Bulba from the Gogol short story with Yul Brynner, mid '60’s. The Sound & the Fury, with Brynner as well.</p>
<p>The made for TV movies of Man in the Iron Mask and Count of Monte Cristo (both with Richard Chamberlain).</p>
<p>Nicholas & Alexandra, based on Robert K. Massie’s excellent work on the last of the Romanovs. </p>
<p>Dr Zhivago. </p>
<p>The Roots series from a generation ago, although I vaguely remember allegations of some of Haley’s research being questioned. Those knowledgeable, please correct me if I’m wrong.</p>
<p>A number of the PBS/BBC Mystery collaborations… Christie’s Miss Marple, Poiret with Suchet; Jeremy Brett as Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes; Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse series with John Thaw; PD James’ Dalgleish with Roy Marsden.</p>
<p>Sorry if I repeated anything previously mentioned.</p>
<p>Larry Olivier’s & Kenneth Branagh’s Shakespeare classics.</p>
<p>John Thomas and Lady Jane (Lady Chatterley’s Lover, version 1) done by French cast. It has just been released. According to the reviews, this version downplays the class element; the movie is said to be slooow.</p>
<p>The BBC did some series based on Balzac and Emile Zola: Cousin Bette, Le P</p>
<p>My favorite movie made from a beloved book–To Kill a Mockingbird–it’s rare when a favorite book becomes a favorite movie–they’re usually a let down. Catch 22 is worth a viewing also.</p>
<p>I’m only going to add, since so many of my favorites have been stolen by self-absorbed CCers who can’t wait until after I post.</p>
<p>Branagh’s Henry V
West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet
Roxanne and Cyrano de Bergerac
The Three Musketeers
Shelly’s Frankenstein, the 1931 Frankenstein, and Young Frankenstein
The Taming of the Shrew and, well, about 50 movies and a couple of musicals.</p>
<p>Actually, Mudders_Mudder: When D took a Roman history class teacher was frustrated because so many students had watched I, Claudius and had an extremely inaccurate view of Roman history. It is entertaining, though.</p>
<p>I loved Henry V
but I admit I was so distracted at the latest Harry Potter- because I kept wondering how much Emma Thompson and Bonham-Carter saw of each other-
then again- that may be water under the bridge</p>
<p>Patriot Games - Tom Clancy(The book was great, and you gotta love Harrison Ford in the movie)</p>