Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I'd Love to See as Movies

Time for another Top Ten Tuesday! Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish; it's fabulous. This week we have one of those topics that cause us book bloggers to dream about a perfect bookish world that gives us what we want. 

Top Ten Books I'd Love to See as Movies

 

Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi

(A live action sequence of five films for each of the story arcs: The Dark Kingdom, Black Moon, Infinity, Dreams, Stars)
Just imagine the special effects. The galactic landscapes...

 

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

(Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Winter)

Such badassary must be translated to film immediately. Meyer confirmed that the rights have been sold, but as we book lovers know, that means nothing. Pre-production is the place where adaptations die.
 

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

This book is an emotional rollercoaster despite being middle grade. Even though this story is full of death, it's full of youth, and it think such a story would translate really well to the big screen.
 

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

(Across the Universe, A Million Suns, Shades of Earth)

If these books were movies, they'd be visually stunning, action-packed... Just all-around amazing.
 

Villette by Charlotte Bronte

 While I imagine this one would be difficult since a lot of the story is about Lucy's psychology (kind of like with Holden in The Catcher in the Rye), I feel like this would make a great indie film.
 

Crossing the Threshold by Amanda Dirlam and Melanie Overmyer

This would be a great teen movie. There's a perfect combinatino of happy and sad, contemporary and fantasy. But first more people need to read this book before it can ever be adapted.

The House of Night by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

(A six-film franchise which combines books.)

P.C. Cast confirmed ages ago that we could be getting a franchise... Unfortunately it seems as though this project has been neglected. Probably because a lot of people hate this series. BUT I LOVE IT AND I WANT MOVIES.
 

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

(The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Dead-Tossed Waves, The Dark and Hollow Places)


Let's all think about this for a moment; These would be some freaking frightening movies. And there's certainly a market for them since a lot of people are into the whole zombie scene. Personally I'm not fond of zombies but I love these books, so there's certainly cross-over appeal. So... why the hell not?


Let me know which books you want to be adapted! If you leave the link to your Top Ten Tuesday, I'll take a peek!

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part One | Directed by Francis Lawrence | Screenplay by Danny Strong and Peter Craig

*This contains SPOILERS for those who haven't read Mockingjay AND some minor stuff for those who have not seen the movie yet.

 

Katniss Everdeen has already been through the Hunger Games. Twice. But danger for her - and all of Panem - is far from over. A revolution is beginning because of her spark, and now she must accept her role as the face of the rebellion. Violence is taking over. And Peeta, who Katniss has always strived to protect, is still in the hands of the Capitol. Mockingjay Part One, like the other films (and books) of this series is packed with emotional turmoil and action, making it an excellent (though 100% accurate) adaptation.

 

In my review of the book in 2011, I talked about how strongly impacted I was by the book. In fact, I even mentioned having no intention to see the films when they'd come out because I loved them too much to see anything go wrong. But, the first movie's trailer convinced me that everything would work out, and it did. Jennifer Lawrence is a perfect Katniss and Josh Hutcherson makes a great Peeta. But weirdly enough, they've decided to split this movie into two parts as they did with the Harry Potter and Twilight series. I wasn't thrilled about this decision: How could they possibly make a 300-something paged book into two effective movies? After all, even though they improvised well with Breaking Dawn, that 700-something paged book could have been one single film.

 

The thing to remember is that the films show more than what's going on in Katniss' head, the books do not. It demonstrates the difference between what works for a book and what works for a movie. That being said, it definitely works here. In fact, some of the parts I thought would be less-effective on screen were cut down and the ones that would work best on screen were amplified. I was surprised, however, that they cut out certain things like the mystery behind District 13, but in the grand scheme I can see why it was necessary for time constraints and to really get the ball rolling right away.

 

I definitely think they split Mockingjay in two in just the right spot... If I was a person who hasn't read the books and just watched the movies, I'd be SO PISSED about such a cliffhanger, but as someone who has read the book, I'm primarily just worried about Part Two. I'm not worried that they'll mess it up or anything; I'm worried about the general content overall. My emotional reaction to the last half of this book was off the charts (perhaps the strongest reaction I've ever had to any book, along with Yann Martel's Life of Pi coming in second), and there have been plenty of times where my initial response doubles when I see a film adaptation because the actors in my head as I read weren't as effective as the ones on screen. Jennifer Lawrence does an amazing job at conveying raw emotion... And I know what's coming next... I don't think I'm going to handle it very well. Even in Part One, I became sad remembering the fate of a certain character.

 

I suppose in some ways this can hardly even be considered a review because I'm hardly reviewing anything... And really, there's not much to critique. Everything was done well, from the acting, to the script, to the special effects and everything in between. The only two things these movies haven't done as effectively as the books is really make me love Gale, be able to picture him with Katniss, and make me adore Finnick as much as I did when reading Mockingjay... They probably could have squeezed in a few more moments with Katniss and Finnick; those two characters could really relate to each other in the first half of Mockingjay and were able to struggle together. So, not perfect (because absolute perfection is impossible in the world of book-to-film adaptations), but it's still one hell of a good movie. There won't be much disappointment.

The Great Gatsby | Directed by Baz Luhrmann | Screenplay by Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce

The American classic The Great Gatsby (click the link to see my classics review and hear about the general storyline, symbolism, and characters) just got revamped for a new film adaptation, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby himself, Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, and Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan.

About a decade ago, a made-for-TV movie was created based on the novel, and let's just say that this new film's trailers looked absolutely amazing after watching that (kind of odd) adaptation. So, between being a fan of the book, the promising soundtrack, the seemingly perfect cast, and comparisons to a worst-case filmographic scenario, my expectations were set extremely high. I wasn't disappointed at all; only one or two nitpicky things irked me, but other than that, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby basically got a perfect adaptation.

I ended up seeing this film in 3D despite that I'm not a 3D enthusiast and I honestly thought it was pointless to put a non-action movie in 3D. However, there were some elements that looked fabulous in 3D... Everything in this movie looks so pretty, and I didn't have any issues looking at three dimensional snowflakes and glitter.

Anyhow, as far as the actual content, this cast is almost exactly how I envisioned the characters. It's kind of creepy. Leonardo DiCaprio kept Gatsby classy, Tobey Maguire kept Nick an observer. But I especially enjoyed how Carey Mulligan portrayed Daisy Buchanan; she was spot-on. She succeeded at being flighty without being ditzy, and she was vulnerable in an innocent way but not a ridiculous way. I don't think anyone else will ever be a better Daisy.

But as I previously mentioned, I anticipated the music in addition to the cast. A little score is made from songs on the soundtrack, and The XX's "Together" and Lana Del Rey's "Young and Beautiful" are most prominent. Being a fan of both songs, I was so excited to hear these different movements extracted from the originals. I feel like they really captured the emotion of the film in an accurate way. Altogether, it felt sort of relaxing with a haunted edge, but with all the party scenes, it doesn't always sound like that. Modern pop music is used when the characters are partying and drinking, and though that may seem out-of-place for a movie based on the 1920s, it didn't bother me. I understood it. If a bunch of big band music was used, I don't feel like audiences would clearly get the picture that the characters were getting so hammered, and that even though that time period was nearly a century ago, people still have fun the same way.

Though the music made the movie more dynamic, I must say that this film's pace was so even and the content was nearly identical to that of the book. None of the changes were too crazy from my view, but I was a little irritated that Tom Buchanan's abusive nature toward Daisy was completely left out. It kind of made a part towards the end, where Gatsby keeps watch by Daisy's house because he doesn't trust Tom, seem a little irrational. I didn't feel like Gatsby then had a legitimate reason to worry about Daisy's well-being when she was alone with Tom without that important detail.

A couple other noticeable changes includes Nick's relationship with Jordan, which we don't hear about much at all, and the falling action. These are changes I don't really care about. I feel like if Jordan and Nick's relationship was pursued in the film, it could possibly take away from the need-to-know events and create somewhat of a plot maze. (Intricacy seems to work better in books that it does on screen.) The falling action is cut just a smidge short, but once again, I think what they cut helped the story as a film. It's nothing even remotely close to being an extreme cut from my standpoint, with the exception of Gatsby's father not being included.

Needless to say, I absolutely loved this new adaptation; other than my two small issues, it did a fantastic job of bringing this classic to life. The filmmakers, cast, and musicians that were part of this certainly did The Great Gatsby justice, and any future adaptations will have a have very a hard time making one better.

Book-to-Film Adaptations

Sometimes, books become utterly phenomenal - so phenomenal that they get their own film adaptations. Of course, those who read a certain book and go see its film adaptation have specific expectations and are sometimes let down. This is natural; it has been occurring over and over again for years.

As a reader, I understand. Ever since Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire hit the box office, I have seen each and every Harry Potter film on opening day. That, my friends, is a commitment. It is a marriage. Plus, I've seen numerous other book-to-film adaptations in between Harry Potter films, making me unable to go see much other movies since movie theatres overcharge their candy and popcorn. (Now that I think about it... the last time I saw a movie that wasn't based on a book at the cinema was in January of 2011...) Anyway, the bottom line is that I've seen a lot of book-to-film adaptations and I've also seen a lot of really strong reactions towards them. Unfortunately, people experience everything from their "favorite part" to "that thing" being excluded, and I'm here to address that.

First of all, let me offer some advice. If you want to be satisfied with a book-to-film adaptation of a novel you read, treat the book and the film as two entirely different matters. Judge the books as a book as a book and the movie as a movie in itself. Do not reread the book the night before you see the movie, you're just setting yourself up to be disappointed, because no adaptation will ever be perfect in comparison to the book. Books are always better, and everyone knows that, so why expect anything else? Am I saying that your disappointment is all your fault? No, I'm saying it might be partially your fault, but on a more indirect level.

Not only will this help you feel better about the adaptation, but it will also help you see the movie for itself. For example, some people were irritated that some good parts of The Help were not included in its film adaptation. This is understandable, but some said that this movie was awful because of that. Not to burst anyone's bubble, but that's not how you're supposed to judge a movie. Obviously, you can take that into consideration, but you can't just lable a movie "bad" just because it was different than the book. You can say it was a bad adaptation if you really believe so, but a film must be taken for itself. Talk about the acting, the visual effects, or the film score when you talk about a movie; leave your comparisons for discussions about how well it adapted the novel.

Since I'm in the book-to-movie spirit, here's a list of some of the film adaptations I've seen of books I read, accompanied by my thoughts about them as far as being good adaptations as well as taking the movie for itself. And believe it or not, it is possible to like a movie that didn't do the book justice.

Lord of the Rings, based on the trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien - I thought these film adaptations were as perfect as could be. Who cares that the beginning of The Two Towers was included at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring's adaptation? Who cares that the end of The Two Towers was featured at the beginning of The Return of the King's adaptation? At least it was accurate! Even the romance that was added in from Tolkien's other work seemed to benefit these films! These movies were amazing in that sense as well as the great acting, breathtaking film score, and award-winning special effects.

Harry Potter, based on the series by J.K. Rowling - Is it possible not to love these movies? I'll admit I was disappointed in the adaptations for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but even then nothing about the movies themselves were bad. Other than that, these adaptations definitely did the books justice.

The Hunger Games, based on the book by Suzanne Collins - Of course, the book was better, but I loved this film adaptation! Not only was it accurate, but the wonderful performance by Jennifer Lawrence made it even more intense. To be honest, I didn't even think that was possible, but it was. Really, all of the actors did a superb job, so if you were one of those people spreading racist slurs about the actor choices of Rue and Cinna, not only are you being exponentially rude, you are also completely missing the point. These actors were chosen because they are amazing and brought these characters to life the best. Color doesn't matter.

The Help, based on the book by Kathryn Stockett - Both the book and the film made me cry, and I think I actually cried more during the movie. Although some parts of the book that I deemed important were left out, everything else was so good I didn't care. All of the characters were so vividly portrayed... It's really no wonder Octavia Spencer won Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars.

To Kill a Mockingbird, based on the book by Harper Lee - This is where my attitude seems to drop off. Though it was a good movie, the book blows it away. I got so much more emotion out of my reading experience, but this movie wasn't bad in itself. I just think that the feel of the book wasn't converted to script quite as easily. Even taking the movie for itself, I got a good moral out of it, but it wasn't the most interesting film ever. However, I LOVE Gregory Peck. He became Atticus Finch, I couldn't picture anyone better. In fact, I say this movie can never be redone because no one will ever play his part as well.

The Shining, based on the book by Stephen King - This movie is a classic and one of my personal favorites. Eeriness and suspense themed the film very well, and Jack Nicholson made people fear him forever. No one will ever successfully look as crazy as him - ever. In his case, he's the Gregory Peck of this film; he owned it. And yet, this adaptation was a flop. I saw a mini series adaptation of this book that actually did the plot justice, but I still didn't like it as much as Jack Nicholson's masterpiece. Sometimes, it doesn't matter if it's a good adaptation, being a good movie is enough.

Twilight, based on the series by Stephenie Meyer - The adaptations of these books are suitable, give and take parts that are more potent in writing that simply could not be made in film. Though these books get a lot of harsh remarks, I can say much worse things about the films. My problem with them? They're so corny. If you've read the books, they're cute little additions to enjoy alongside them, but I don't really see how they can be likeable otherwise. Sure, they're kind of fun, and they don't stray too far from the books... But so corny.

Blood and Chocolate, based on the book by Annette Curtis Klause - Just about every werewolf fan knows this book, and anyone who expected a good adaptation was disappointed instantaneously. This movie is absolutely nothing like the book. The plot is different, the outcome is different, characters' last names are different, characters are different, relations are different... This movie was really just based on the concept of the book. But honestly, I don't care. I love this movie even though it didn't do the book justice at all. The differences were likeable to me, and its film score remains one of my personal favorites.

So, there's my two-cents on this matter. Many many more film adaptations are to be released quite soon, of which I am anticipating:

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (based on the novel by Seth Grahame-Smith)
Catching Fire (based on the novel by Suzanne Collins)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien)
Breaking Dawn Part 2 (based on Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer)
The Host (based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer)

The Hunger Games | Directed by Gary Ross | Screenplay by Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins, and Billy Ray

Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games is one of my favorite books, and I dreaded this film adaptation. I feared it would be nothing like I imagined it. I feared the possibilities of the fanbase. I didn't even want to see it. But, I was wrong to fear such things.

In case you haven't read this phenomenal book yet, The Hunger Games is the first dystopian novel of its trilogy. Each year, the annual Hunger Games take place as ordered by the dictating government. In the Hunger Games, two people from each of the country's districts (ranging from ages twelve to eighteen) must fight to the death on live television. Katniss Everdeen isn't chosen, but she volunteers to save her sister from imminent death. In the midst of the chaos and death controlled by a most unfavorable government, Katniss uses her skill to try to win the Games as her life begins to intwine with that of Peeta Mallark, the male tribute from her district. Together, they will make a statement in these Games, sparking the beginning of what will be an action-packed and powerful trilogy.

First of all, fans of the book will not be disappointed in this adaptation. Most of this movie is exactly the way I imagined it in the book, and I had a huge fear that it wasn't going to be. Only a couple of minor things from the novel were left out. However, most of the book revolved around what Katniss was thinking and that obviously cannot be adapted. I don't think this will bother readers though it might not go as far into Katniss' character, but I do think this affects those who didn't read the book first. I think those who didn't read the book first will understand everything fairly well - just don't go to a movie theatre with a less superior sound system or noisy people because this film requires attention as it is set up in a very different type of world.

James Newton Howard wrote an effective film score for this movie, and I don't think I heard any modern music during the story (thank goodness). Even so, one thing I noticed was the lack of any music. There was so much silence. Normally, I'd denounce this idea, but it worked so well for this film. It allowed for the audience's own raw emotions to be uninfluenced by anything except the sitauations at hand as well as Jennifer Lawrence's memorable performance.

I'll be honest... I cry at just about every movie. I don't know why, it just happens. When I'm seeing a movie in the cinema I try to hold back, but there was no need to during The Hunger Games because I heard plenty of sniffles. However, it probably didn't matter; I would have cried anyway. The prime reason for my emotion was Jennifer Lawrence. Her acting was extremely impressive; she was a great Katniss. But, Josh Hutcherson surprised me more than anybody! I don't think anyone could have been a more perfect Peeta! Plus, I really enjoyed seeing Lenny Kravitz (I can't believe I doubted him) as Cinna and Wes Bentley as Seneca.

Throughout the film, the balance of action and emotion is amazing, as it was in the book. This is perhaps one of the most gripping elements in the trilogy, and seeing it played out on screen was so enjoyable. Since I knew the story well, anticipating particular moments of action was like waiting for a Pop-Tart to pop out of my toaster - I knew it was coming, but I flinched anyway.

As I gather my thoughts of this adaptation, I'm trying to find anything negative. I can't find much of anything. The fanbase doesn't even irk me. And that's saying a lot, because I can't even begin to say how much I love this series, how powerful these books are to me. That's why I was so afraid of this adaptation. The book is always better, no matter what. This seems to be a motto of mine, and I have taught myself to look at a book and its adaptation as two seperate entities to avoid disappointment. I'm proud to say that even if this wasn't my motto, I still would have enjoyed this movie.

After all, some things are so good, they're undeniable.

5/5 Stars