Movies Based on Books That I Have Read
Here is a list of movies based on books that I have both read the book AND watched the movie. For series, I'll just list one of the movies in the series. I'm missing quite a few in this list; I'll have to add them later.
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- DirectorJoe WrightStarsKeira KnightleyMatthew MacfadyenBrenda BlethynSparks fly when spirited Elizabeth Bennet meets single, rich, and proud Mr. Darcy. But Mr. Darcy reluctantly finds himself falling in love with a woman beneath his class. Can each overcome their own pride and prejudice?Rather embarrassingly, I didn't read this until after watching the movie.
- DirectorCurtis HansonStarsMichael DouglasTobey MaguireFrances McDormandAn English Professor tries to deal with his wife leaving him, the arrival of his editor who has been waiting for his book for seven years, and the various problems that his friends and associates involve him in.This is a rare example of where I actually liked the movie better than the book. The book is quite good, but I don't feel like you're missing anything by just watching the movie.
- DirectorStephen FrearsStarsJohn CusackIben HjejleTodd LouisoRob, a record store owner and compulsive list maker, recounts his top five breakups, including the one in progress.Great book, great movie. Slightly different feel to them, since the book takes place in England (and they make a lot of fun of Americans); whereas the movie takes place in the US.
- DirectorJoe WrightStarsKeira KnightleyJames McAvoyBrenda BlethynThirteen-year-old fledgling writer Briony Tallis irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit.Tried to read the book before watching the movie, but could only get through the first 30 pages. Watched the movie, then tried reading the book again (once you get past the first 50 or so pages, the book is amazing). I think I lost a little bit of the effect because I knew the ending/twist, but knowing that made me notice a lot of the intricacies/details throughout that make this an amazing work of literature. Book is a must read.
- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsDaniel RadcliffeEmma WatsonRupert GrintHarry Potter, Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their third year of study, where they delve into the mystery surrounding an escaped prisoner who poses a dangerous threat to the young wizard.Arguably the best movie of the series (at least of the 3 in the series that I've watched -- I know, I know). Should I even admit that I've only read up to book 4?
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsBrad PittEdward NortonMeat LoafAn insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.Read the book after watching the movie; ended up searching high and low for a used copy with a particularly good forward by Chuck Palahniuk. His non-fiction stories are almost (if not more so) fantastically disturbing and fascinating at the same time.
- DirectorJulian SchnabelStarsMathieu AmalricEmmanuelle SeignerMarie-Josée CrozeThe true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffers a stroke and has to live with an almost totally paralyzed body; only his left eye isn't paralyzed.Amazing amazing amazing book. Equally impactful movie, but holding the book that Jean-Dominique Bauby wrote in such a laborious way is incredibly powerful.
- DirectorNora EphronStarsAmy AdamsMeryl StreepChris MessinaJulia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book.When I heard they were making a movie out of this book, I bought the book. It's a fun, quick read (probably pretty similar to Julie Powell's blog). The movie was pretty enjoyable too.
- DirectorStephen DaldryStarsMeryl StreepNicole KidmanJulianne MooreThe story of how the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have had to deal with suicide in their lives.As Liz Lemon says "Why did they call this movie The Hours when it feels so much longer? They should have called it 'The Weeks'!" The book is actually quite good and well-written; the movie lost a bit of that in translation and yes, does feel quite long.
- DirectorCatherine HardwickeStarsKristen StewartRobert PattinsonBilly BurkeWhen Bella Swan moves to a small town in the Pacific Northwest, she falls in love with Edward Cullen, a mysterious classmate who reveals himself to be a 108-year-old vampire.I admit, I did read the first book in the Twilight series, and I've seen all three movies to date. I did not, however, continue reading the series. Instead, I read Lucy Kinsley's comic detailing the rest of the series. (Spoilers, of course.)
- DirectorSharon MaguireStarsRenée ZellwegerColin FirthHugh GrantBridget Jones is determined to improve herself while she looks for love in a year in which she keeps a personal diary.A staple of the chick-lit genre. Book is great, movie is a guilty pleasure. (Don't read/watch the second in the series though, awful.)
- DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsSusan SarandonTommy Lee JonesBrad RenfroA young boy who witnessed the suicide of a mafia lawyer hires an attorney to protect him when the District Attorney tries to use him to take down a mob family.I do believe this is the only John Grisham book that I've ever read, but not the only movie based on his books that I've seen. I vaguely remember enjoying the book and the movie, but I'm hard pressed to remember any particular details (aside from the soda can incident). RIP Brad Renfro, though.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsSam NeillLaura DernJeff GoldblumA pragmatic paleontologist touring an almost complete theme park on an island in Central America is tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park's cloned dinosaurs to run loose.We watched this movie in the John Danz theater (now converted into a Barnes and Noble, I think), and I remember pulling my feet up off the floor when the raptor jumps up at Lex. It was also probably the most gruesome book that I'd ever read at that age.
- DirectorSofia CoppolaStarsKirsten DunstJosh HartnettJames WoodsA group of male friends become obsessed with five mysterious sisters who are sheltered by their strict, religious parents in suburban Detroit in the mid 1970s.The book is strange in that it is incredibly interesting to read, and yet when it's all over, you don't feel like anything happened (even though, as the title indicates, there are suicides). The movie is quite good, and quite a good adaptation.
- DirectorLasse HallströmStarsKevin SpaceyJulianne MooreJudi DenchAn emotionally beaten man with his young daughter moves to his ancestral home in Newfoundland to reclaim his life.Amazing book. Strange, but pretty decent, movie. Annie Proulx really does her research when she writes a book -- and it shows. Kevin Spacey was fantastic (although I didn't imagine him as Quoyle when I read the book), and Cate Blanchett was powerful as Petal.
- DirectorRyan MurphyStarsJulia RobertsJavier BardemRichard JenkinsA married woman realizes how unhappy her marriage really is, and that her life needs to go in a different direction. After a painful divorce, she takes off on a round-the-world journey to "find herself".I just recently finished reading this (wasn't that inspired to read it until I heard it was being made into a movie); the Italy section was my favorite (both in the movie and the book). Julia Roberts was fantastic in the movie, although I felt that some of the more important bits of the book were left out. And, as Josh Brolin said in his interview with us, Billy Crudup's character was amazingly well performed.
- DirectorChris WeitzStarsNicole KidmanDaniel CraigDakota Blue RichardsIn a parallel universe, young Lyra Belacqua journeys to the far North to save her best friend and other kidnapped children from terrible experiments by a mysterious organization.I read both The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife back in high school, before The Amber Spyglass was published. While I really enjoyed them, I had difficulty going back to read the third in the series, and I was rather disappointed with the movie of TGC.
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsMichael CeraMary Elizabeth WinsteadKieran CulkinIn a magically realistic version of Toronto, a young man must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes one by one in order to win her heart.Loved the movie, read the first comic. I haven't been inspired to read the rest yet, but my friend Lance told me that he was reading them very slowly in order to be able to enjoy them longer (and was a little distraught when he was finished).
- DirectorLawrence KasdanStarsWilliam HurtKathleen TurnerGeena DavisAn emotionally distant writer of travel guides must carry on with his life after his son is killed and his marriage crumbles.I remember reading the book, and I remember watching the movie, but I don't really remember much about either, except bits of plot and small details like the family never answering the phone. Probably worth another view, if not another read.
- DirectorTate TaylorStarsViola DavisEmma StoneOctavia SpencerAn aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.Finished reading the book the day before I went to go see the movie, so I was intimately aware of what was changed in the adaptation. I can see why the changes were made in the movie, but the book paints a more complicated picture.
- DirectorMona AchacheStarsJosiane BalaskoGarance Le GuillermicTogo IgawaThe life of a determined young girl is changed when she befriends her building's concierge, a solitary woman who is more than what she seems.The book is amazing -- highly recommended. It's marketed as YA, but there are very dense sections about philosophy that most teenagers I know wouldn't want to wade through. The movie is also quite good, and not nearly as dark as the plot summary makes it out to be.
- DirectorNicolas RoegStarsTim RothJohn MalkovichIsaach De BankoléA trading company manager travels up an African river to find a missing outpost head and discovers the depth of evil in humanity's soul.Read the book in high school, watched the movie. Re-read the book a few years back. Despite some of the standard complaints about it, there are some really amazing passages in there.
- DirectorChris WeitzPaul WeitzStarsHugh GrantNicholas HoultToni ColletteWill, who attends single parent meetings to woo women, meets Marcus, a troubled 12-year-old boy. As they become friends, Will learns to be responsible while he helps Marcus with his studies.Good soundtrack (Badly Drawn Boy), pretty good movie. I don't remember the book that well, but I'd say it was worth the read.
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsKenneth BranaghJulie ChristieDerek JacobiHamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his father murdered and his mother remarrying the murderer, his uncle. Meanwhile, war is brewing.Saw this at the Guild 45th with my parents, complete with intermission. We had Spot Bagels from the Wallingford School House. Read the play in high school.
- DirectorTom StoppardStarsGary OldmanTim RothRichard DreyfussTwo minor characters from the play 'Hamlet' stumble around unaware of their scripted lives and unable to deviate from them.Gary Oldman and Tim Roth, awesome.