Can a film be better than the book? It doesn't happen often - but there are some great examples.
Many say that the Oscar-nominated film Brokeback Mountain was better than the Annie Proulx short-story it came from.
Which films are better than the books they are based on? Here is the latest selection of Your Views
SH (Cockle Bay) The Last of the Mohicans, only because the Olde Englysh language makes it sludgy to read while the movie barrels along. The 1970's tv series was fantastic.
Worst? Easy - The Beach! Story completely ruined by making Leo a hero.
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Steven (Mt Cook, Wellington City) Blade Runner is far better than the Philip K Dick short story. In fact I would think the only time a movie is better is when it is a full length movie from a short story.
Fed Up Taxpayer, H (Hamilton) Agree with Shawshank Redemption and Jaws but can anyone really think the movie Gone with the Wind (absolutely dreadful acting such a disappointment was better than the book)I wish they would remake Gone with the Wind then it would stack up.
Shame the movie makers don't get into more books for movies have read some really amazing books that have never made it into a movie - example The Exile what a movie that would make.
My pick for worst adapation of a book series to movies would have to be The Bourne Trilogy - whatever books they were based on wasn't them - especially the Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum they had absolutely nothing to do with the books at all. Loved the adapation of Jurassic Park felt it brought the book to life - sequels sucked.
Johnny (West Harbour) The Passion of the Christ.
Kiwimurray (Remuera) Gandalf (St Heliers) - it is interesting that you rate The Shining. Stephen King himself considered it the worst ever film made from his books. Mind you I also thought Cujo and Christine were pretty dire as movies. It is maybe slightly surprising that the ones that have received critical acclaim (Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me and the Green Mile) are all based on novellas or short stories. I just hope they never try to film the Dark Tower series from King. That would have to be about 400 hours long!
