Reflection 4: Books to Films

Demi’s Best & Worst Film Adaptations

These are adaptations that I have personally read and seen. I included some that I liked and some that I thought didn’t do a very good job portraying the book. For the most part, I like when the movies are very similar to the book and stray very little.

Best
Best Children’s Book Adaptation: The Cat in the Hat
I can't even count the number of times my mom read The Cat in the Hat to me. My sister’s and I loved all Dr. Seuss’ books, but this one never got old. Our whole family made the trip to the theater to see the movie and at seven years old I was ecstatic. The movie was fun and entertaining and just like the book. That’s what made it so good and I loved it.

Best Adult Novel Adaption: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

 This movie did a great job sticking to plots and character description. Things were just like I imagined and the characters were almost dead on. At some points in the book I got confused because it takes place in a different country, but the movie was very clear and easy to follow.

Best Action Adaptation: The Hunger Games
The movie included the important parts of the books and left out scenes that weren’t completely necessary to the plot. I liked how it still portrayed the fighting scenes but included things happening outside at well. It gave a lot more perspective and entertained viewers.

Worst
Worst Tear-Jerker Adaptation: My Sister's Keeper
I couldn’t believe directors changed the ending and made a different girl die. It made it a bad adaptation because the book ending provided so much more closure. The characters were somewhat accurate, but it strayed too far from the book.

Worst Adaptation Based on a True Story: The Blind Side
Michael Oher isn’t described at all in the book how he is portrayed in the book. The movie was a lot more just for pure entertainment and the book was all about the true story. His character was too different.