S/O The Help (movie): any movie you've liked bette

[otowngirl]

I think we will all agree that, as a general rule, the book will be better than its film adaptation. But have there been any exceptions? Any movies you've actually enjoyed more?

I actually liked the Water for Elephants movie more than the book. I thought the protagonist's 'old' counterpart was hella annoying in the book, and liked that I didn't have to deal with him in the movie.

[Pippin]

I love the movie version of Practical Magic a lot more then the book mainly because I didn't care for the writing style of the author. I also prefer The Joy Luck Club and The Princess Bride movies probably because I saw the movies first and really like the casts and everything.

[Deleted]

Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. It was the first time I'd sought out the book after watching the movie and didn't learn anything new from th experience.

[bookbunny]

I like The Color Purple and The Princes Bride movies better than the books. I also like the stage production of Wicked way better than the book (but they're totally different).

[mrshandy]

Cold Mountain

I found the book very slow.

I haven't seen Water for Elephants movie, but I think I would like it better since I really didn't like the book very much.

[duckduck]

Ditto The Princess Bride and The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

Also, Under the Tuscan Sun. I love the movie and the book was completely pointless and unrelated.

[PinkSquirrel]

Definitely the Princess Bride. Practical Magic I'm torn on because I love the book, but I really loved the movie. They're pretty close, but the movie may eek out the win there

[briedrew]

Another vote for Under the Tuscan Sun. I also liked the movie version of The Scarlet Letter better than the book. I found that book to be painful to read.

[charminglife]

Fight Club. I think it was because I saw the movie before reading the book.

[msmerymac]

Pretty much all Jane Austen. The Emma Thompson version of Sense and Sensibility is one of my all-time favorite movies.

And also Gone with the Wind.

[Nonny]

The Shawshank Redemption movie is more coherent than the book, and the ending is about a million times better. I love me some Stephen King, but the man's endings suck balls.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix isn't necessarily better than the book, but at least in the movie I don't want to beat Harry about the head the whole time, so it does kind of make for a more enjoyable experience.

[So_Fetch]

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and A Walk to Remember. No, I'm not a teenager.

[otowngirl]

Jul 10, 2012 18:07:46 GMT -5 Nonny said:

The Shawshank Redemption movie is more coherent than the book, and the ending is about a million times better. I love me some Stephen King, but the man's endings suck balls.

So true!

[amyb2332]

I actually think tv shows based off of books often times can be much better than the book series. Although in fairness, in many (most?) of the examples I can think of the show and the books do end up being quite different. So maybe it isn't fair to compare them, but for example: The Vampire Diaries show is about a million times superior than the books (which imo kind of stink). I also prefer True Blood over the Sookie books. And HBO only did one season of this but I loved the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency show. The colors and scenery were really cool to see but the book version was a bit flat for me. Other examples: Sex and the City, Gossip Girl, and I've heard Dexter is better than the series it is based on.

[Deleted]

I am probably one of the only ones out there that couldn't get through the book version of The Help. I loved the movie, though.

[dorothyinAus]

I preferred the film versions of Sarah, Plain and Tall and Father's Arcane Daughter.

Other film adaptations have been very well done, but were not necessarily the books -- like Kevin Sullivan's production of the Anne of Green Gables books (excluding the final movie, which was pure fiction) and What the Deaf-Mute Heard. I put Life with Mother Superior (The Trouble with Angels) and The Princess Bride in this category as well.

[Deleted]

I haven't seen the movie 'The Notebook' because I hated the book and figured books are better then movies. I have had several people tell me this was not the case here, that the movie was much better. I have found that to be true with all the Nicolas Sparks that I have seen the movie and read the book.

[writingwithheld]

Not a movie, but Wicked. I could not for the life of me get through that book. I loved the musical, though. I guess things are just better with singing and dancing.

[missmaddie]

Wicked was beyond painful to read, though I say it last year and loved it on stage.

I also second a PP's mention of TV shows like Dexter.

Eat, Pray, Love was a fun film but an annoying, and often boring, read.

[DarcyLongfellow]

I definitely agree with Under the Tuscan Sun, Cold Mountain, Sex and the City (man, that was one awful book), and Wicked.

Also --
About a Boy -- odd book, but good movie (Hugh Grant is yummy when he plays an asshole-ish character!)
Forrest Gump -- I read this in high school, but I remember the book being really awful
The English Patient -- I love this book, but I had to watch the movie first before I could get into it
The Devil Wears Prada (I don't remember details about this book, but I remember feeling "blah" about it, but really enjoying the movie)