[ad_1]
Taking a pre-established idea and embellishing it a little seems easy in theory, but the transition from books to film has proved difficult due to high expectations of the movie. Some movies stand out once viewed for the first time, becoming iconic in their own right and staying that way throughout the years. Of these iconic movies, it’s always interesting to see their similarities to the novels that often share the same name.
When a movie establishes itself as iconic, it can be easy to let the theatrics foreshadow the humble beginnings of the original book, seen in films like Jurassic Park. On the other hand, sometimes the author can become intrinsically involved with the production, like J.K Rowling’s consultation in the Harry Potter franchise. From the wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter to the heartfelt moments in Forrest Gump, these movies lept from the page to the screen.
‘Harry Potter’ (2001 – 2011)
The Harry Potter movies have amassed popularity like no other, with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson at the forefront of the franchise from 2001-2011. Written by J.K Rowling between 1997-2007, all seven Harry Potter books follow the coming-of-age journey of the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter.
Although the movies and novels became successful independently, there are a few differences. Notable changes from the books to the series include a limited portrayal of the house elves in the world of the films, the final fight between Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and Harry has more symbolic meaning in the book, and the broad exclusion of Squibs — who are non-magical folk born with one magical parent.
‘Twilight’ (2008-2012)
The ultimate love story of the 2000s, the talk of the town amassed into a fight between Team Edward (Robert Pattinson) or Team Jacob (Taylor Lautner), with Kristen Stewart as the envied woman stuck in a mystical love triangle. Twilight originated from Stephenie Meyer’s successful novels, all of which were adapted into a film.
Those involved in the production of Twilight aimed to reproduce as much material from the novels into the films as authentically as possible while creating an interesting and dynamic bunch of movies. To achieve this, Stephanie Meyer was involved in the process, having been consulted across the screenplay’s script and other production matters. Due to this, the movies were practically one-to-one adaptations of the books.
‘Jurassic Park’ (1993-1997)
Brought to life in hopes of becoming the next Jaws, Jurassic Park’s axiomatic success seemed destined from the beginning, with the original novel by Michael Crichton teeming with film right offers before it was even published until it was given to Stephen Spielberg to be transformed into one of the top-grossing films of all time. Although the Jurassic Park/World franchise has amassed success that has spanned six movies in total, only the original Jurassic Park and the sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, were adapted from the novels’ content.
Universal Studio hired the author to adapt his novel, with several other writers working on the content to produce the original film, in which the end resulted in the violence being toned down, characters more fleshed out from each other, and scenes removed due to the impracticality of filming them.
‘Crazy Rich Asians’ (2018)
The novel Crazy Rich Asians is a romantic comedy loosely based on author Kevin Kwan’s experiences in Singapore. The novel’s bestseller status inspired two sequels, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems, to be written, with both being in development for a film adaptation.
Known for its glamorous aesthetic and diverse cast, the adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians in 2018 is fairly faithful to the novel. Such changes that were omitted or altered in the adaptation include: the Young’s wealth being secretive “old money” (in the movie, the Youngs are in the very top 1%); Astrid (Gemma Chan) is a supporting character in the movie compared to her larger role in the book, and Nick (Henry Golding) doesn’t propose to Rachel (Constance Wu) at the end (of the first book at least).
Fight Club (1999)
A cultural phenomenon, Fight Club, has remained iconic since its release in 1999—and yet, the original novel by Chuck Palahniuk seems largely uncelebrated despite the three-year difference in publication. While the major themes of anarchy and anti-consumerism are largely prevalent in both mediums, there are similarities and diversions from the source material. The stream-of-consciousness in Chuck Palahniuk’s writing is emblematic of the chaotic plot, something that was semi-replicated in Edward Norton’s deadpan narration in the film and Brad Pitt’s erratic rants.
However, the iconic ending was the biggest change from the book to the movie. In the film, the Narrator and Marla (Helena Bonham Carter) watch as the world resets to zero, when major credit card companies are literally demolished, holding hands as Where Is My Mind? by The Pixies plays in the background. In the book, the narrator shoots himself to get rid of Tyler, only to end up in a mental institution, or as he sees it, heaven. The film’s happy ending and the cynical, downward spiral of the book create an impact, depending on which viewers find more satisfying.
‘Carrie’ (1976)
Stephen King is undoubtedly one of the most popular writers ever, earning his works numerous book-to-film adaptations. Carrie was his first written work and, subsequently, the first of his novels to be adapted, shooting his name to stardom. The novel is written in epistolary form, meaning that readers understand the plot through news clippings, interviews, police reports, and testimonies; whereas the movie has a standard linear structure that guides viewers from start to finish. The book has been noted to better characterize Carrie—from her frumpy, pimpled appearance to the strength of her powers being more intense; but the ending between the book and the film is what sets them apart the most.
In the novel, Carrie kills her mother by stopping her heart, uses her powers to slam Billy and Chris’ car into a wall, and has a conversation with Sue that leads her to realize Sue’s innocence. Carrie passes away, and in future years, Sue writes a memoir on her experience with telepathy. The novel ends with another woman writing to her sister, expressing excitement over her newborn’s telekinetic powers. The particulars of these murders are changed in the film, and later, Sue (Amy Irving) dreams of putting flowers in the remains of Carrie’s room before Carrie’s bloodied arm reaches out to grab her. She wakes from the nightmare screaming.
‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ (2013)
One of Martin Scorsese’s highest-grossing films of all time, The Wolf of Wall Street has made a name for itself as an explicit film that explores the money-hungry life of a man who lives an excessive lifestyle, featuring a large star-studded cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, and Matthew McConaughey. Embedded in the historical event of the largest stock market crash, the film recounts the true story of Jordan Belfort, a former stockbroker and trader who manipulated his way to the top.
In the memoir of the same name, Jordan was laid off after the 1987 stock crash, founded Stratton Oakmont to establish a new stock company, and profited off his “pump and dump” techniques that allowed the company to trick investors of their cash. In between this, Jordan enveloped himself in a lifestyle of drugs, illegality, and vulgar sexual interactions, before his demise in 1998, when he was arrested for security fraud and money laundering. In the novel, Jordan was asked to glass over the more graphic parts of his life, particularly the events of his bachelor party, and in the film, many of the real names were changed to avoid legal issues.
The Hunger Games (2012-2015)
The dystopian genre became a trend when The Hunger Games was first released in 2012, highlighting political commentary with a brutal love story like no other. Taking stratification divides to a new level, the film shocked viewers with a world in which citizens of the lower class must fight in an annual battle to the death for the entertainment of the upper class while leaving them rooting for the Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) love triangle.
Adapted from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, the YA novels delved into a dystopian/sci-fi realm that captivated readers before the movies were dreamed of. To keep Suzanne’s concepts at the films’ core, she served as one of the screenwriters, alongside Billy Ray and Gary Ross, to portray Katniss’ story from her perspective — where the material is faithful to the novel. After the success of the first novel’s adaptation, Catching Fire and Mockingjay were produced as well.
‘American Psycho’ (2000)
A film that has truly stood the test of time, American Psycho is quintessential, becoming an iconic horror-comedy film with a cult-like following. A lesser-known fact is that the film stemmed from the controversial novel of the same name, written by Bret Easton Ellis in 1991, who believed that his book had an unfilmable quality to it. Many screenwriters eventually dropped the script over its controversial material and the struggles involved in adapting the dense, reference-laden text of the novel.
The movie, by and large, is incredibly faithful. Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman embodies ’80s yuppie sleaze and a remorseless and unfeeling serial killer. By being a film adaptation, it couldn’t go into the intricate and deliberately excessive level of detail the novel goes into. Specific murders, scenes of Patrick hanging with his shallow friends, and his more hallucinatory episodes were also excised.
‘Forrest Gump’ (1994)
One of the most heartwarming, quotable, and re-watchable movies of all time, Forrest Gump stands as a film worth at least one watch. Written by Winston Groom in 1986, the original novel, Forrest Gump, portrayed a stream-of-consciousness in its writing, where the titular character recounts memorable aspects of his life. The book was originally unsuccessful and unpopular among critics, but when the film adaptation was released, the novel’s sales grew exponentially.
Departing substantially from the novel, Forrest Gump took content from various chapters for Forrest (Tom Hanks) and Jenny’s (Robin Wright) love story to be at the forefront of the plot. While the character of Forrest Gump remains faithful, the book and movie became polarizing—especially the ending. In the film, viewers cry as Forrest is confronted with the idea of having a son (Haley Joel Osment) to take care of alone when Jenny passes. In the novel, however, Forrest lives with his adopted orangutan and Lieutenant Dan, deciding not to be in his son’s life when he sees Jenny happily married.
[ad_2]
Source link