HOT TAKE: These Movies were BETTER than the Books

Hello Lovely Readers!

Happy summer time- may your AC always work, your book shelf be well stocked, and your cold drinks be ever satisfying! I am still working through my thoughts on Don Quixote; I apologize for taking so long! In the meantime, I thought I would publish some smaller posts. 

SO

I generally approach book to movie adaptation with extreme caution. Like much of the book loving community, I tend to find the book is much better than the movie or tv show adaptations. In some cases, the screen adaptations are mind blowingly awful. Now there are some I think are just as good, which I will post at the end, but they are the exceptions. 

THAT BEING SAID…

These are five books where I think the screen adaptation was BETTER. Keep in mind these are my personal opinions, so take it with a grain of salt. 

Without further ado, let’s pour some hot tea; here are my hot takes: 

1.The Princess Bride (1987)

The source material behind this beloved movie is of the same title by Wiliam Golding, published in 1973. It is an odd book, largely due to its style; the story was written by S. Morgenstern (an author who doesn’t exist) and Wiliam Golding, the actual author, claims to be editing the original story to share only the good parts. Confusing? The novel uses italicization to distinguish the two voices but it still felt distracting. Now I am not against metafiction but I don’t believe this book utilizes the tool for an enjoyable reading experience. Now the plot of the book and movie are similar but I find that the movie does a better job focusing on the fun and engaging parts of the story. So, as inconceivable as it is, the movie is better. 

2. Julie and Julia (2009)

This movie is based on the 2005 memoir Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell. The premise is quite interesting- a New York woman needs something to break the monotony of her life so she decides to cook every recipe from Julia Child’s famous cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year. She records her successes and failures in a blog. In the movie, the plot is the same except it is interspersed with scenes from Julia Child’s life, showing her journey from newly married in Paris to the food icon she becomes. Why did I prefer the movie you may ask? BECAUSE JULIE POWELL IS INSUFFERABLE. I do not say this lightly. I found her very annoying both in her writing style and personality. She feels very self absorbed and whiny. In the film, Amy Adams is able to temper that fault with her natural likability. I also love the intertwining of Julie and Julia in the film, largely because I find Julia Child an interesting, larger than life personality. I would say skip this book, watch the movie, and then treat yourself to Julia Child’s FANTASTIC memoir, My Life in Paris. 

3. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

I will start off by confessing that I love Studio Ghibli films. They have so much richness and beauty, both in story and artwork. Howl’s Moving Castle is my second favorite from this studio (just barely behind Kiki’s Delivery Service, a childhood favorite) and so when I learned there was a book, I gave it a go. While it is in no way a bad book-it is a fun childhood fantasy-it just didn't captivate me in the same way the film does. The book and movie are definitely different. The book, written by Dianne Wynne Jones in 1986, focuses on Sophie, a young girl cursed by a witch to be an old woman, and her adventure with the warlock Howl. In the novel, however, I found Sophie a bit more annoying. Additionally, the world building and explanation of magic was lacking; Sophie has magic, sort of and Howl is from our world (England in the 1980s) but neither is explored or explained fully. The book is not bad but it cannot hold a candle to the Miyazaki film. I would say check both out but I do conclude the movie to be superior. 

4. Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins is one of the most famous fictional characters ever put to screen. She is the perfect balance of kindness and severity. She knows how to have fun but also how to teach important lessons to her charges. With her, even chores are fun! Plus who can forget the lovely Dame Julie Andrews. Julie Andrews is just AMAZING- her singing, her acting, her dancing!

Oh right…the book. Mary Poppins is the first in a series by PL Travers published in 1934. To be clear, much like Howl’s Moving Castle, I don't think the book is bad at all! It’s quite enjoyable, filled with fantastical adventures for the kids ( there are four in the book) and Mary Poppins. I did think the repeated mention of Mary Poppins’ vanity was annoying and I will say Mary Poppins is sort of scary and unusually cross. I actually think an excellent adaptation to watch for the best of book and film is the stage adaptation of Mary Poppins; it is still based on the Disney film but incorporates elements from the book not previously seen. I have only read the first book and would not be against visiting the books at a later time. For now, I will still recommend the Disney adaptation over the book. 

5. The Princess Diaries (2001)

Ah being a teenager- so full of potential, fun, and existential dread! The Princess Diaries is a book series written by Meg Cabot, the first being published in 2000. It is an epistolary style series in which the protagonist, Mia, is a 14 year old girl just trying to make it through her awkward teen years but soon finds out that she is the heir to the throne of Genovia. I found the first book to be funny, though inappropriate at times, and drenched with teen angst. The movie, starring a young Anne Hathaway and the ever elegant Julie Andrews, tones the angst down and I am happier for it. Sometimes, Mia came across as very annoying in the books though I think it was true to her age. I did not care for the grandmother or father character (who is still alive in the book) at all; they felt very unlikable. As I write this, I am realizing that Julie Andrews seems to make everything better (just kidding...sort of)! For me, I could take or leave the book series but the movie is still one of my childhood favorites. 

Well there you have it! Five instances where the movie adaptation outshines its written source! Now as a little bonus, here are some film adaptations that are just as good (but not better) than the books:

-The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

-Holes

-Pride and Prejudice (the BBC miniseries)

-Sense and Sensibility

-Emma

-Perks of Being a Wallflower

-Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

-To Kill a Mockingbird

-Hunger Games

What are your thoughts? What movies, if any, do you find better than the books? I would LOVE to hear from you! You can either comment below, DM me on Instagram (also subscribe to it- I am @ladybookishblog ), or comment on our Facebook page. 

Happy Reading!

Lady Bookish