Which movies are the most faithful adaptations of books?
 

Reading through the <i>DaVinci Code</i> threads, it seems some people think the movie was quite faithful to the book, while others say there were lots of changes.

I think it is pretty much accepted that some changes are inevitable, since we are talking about two completely different mediums - but which movie adaptations do you think are the most faithful, either in point-by-point comparisions, or in capturing the tone and spirit of the source material?

Based on what I have seen/read these movies are all pretty faithful to the books:

- The 13th Warrior (from the book Eaters of the Dead)
- Bram Stoker's Dracula (main addition was the love story)
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Depp movie was closer to the book)
- Chronicles of Narnia
- Fight Club (book's ending was the main difference)
- Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
- Interview With the Vampire
- The Last Man on Earth (from the book I Am Legend)
- Lord of the Rings (Tom Bombadil was the main deleted portion from the book)
- The Ninth Gate (from the book The Club Dumas, the movie dropped the Dumas storyline, but everything else felt close enough)
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

The Haunting (1963) The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Shawshank Redemption although there are some slight changes is in my opinion better than the novella.
Green Mile
Dances With Wolves
Get Shorty
The Outsiders

I liked The Rainmaker and A Time to Kill even though they're not too faithful to the books, other than those two I've yet to see a John Grisham adaptation that I liked or was truly faithful to the original work. I have some hope that a better version of the Firm (maybe a TV miniseries) will be made.

I believe the most faithful adaptation would be Love Story from the Erich Segal book.

2001: A Space Odyssey - Weren't they both worked on at the same time?

THE SHINING

(*ducks*)

grrrrr

Don't get me started.... :lol:

Sin City.

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I have the book, but have not read it yet. Is the movie really different?

For another Stephen King novella, Stand by Me is pretty close to The Body.

The Running Man (Steven King novel) - wasnt this more disturbing than the movie? I've heard in the book that its not just some Gladiators rejects who try to hunt Arnie down but the audience (basically everybody) try to kill him, and he is doing the show because its the only way he can afford treatment for his dying wife.

Way. They both feature a haunted hotel with normal mom, psychic boy and cuckoo dad interred; from there, they bear almost no similarity to each other, but I consider both to be masterpieces of their particular media.

Romeo and Juliet with Leo DiCaprio and Claire Daines :)... try and beat that

does Sin City count?

Back in my college fiction to film class we watched the "The Great Gatsby" with Robert Redford as an example of a very faithful adaptation that didn't necessarily work.
Here is a link to Ebert's review for one take on this film adaptation:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/...401010315/1023

How about Silence of the Lambs?

To Kill A Mockingbird

A Separate Peace

The Cider House Rules

Ordinary People

The Firm (at least until the conclusion)

Hearts in Atlantis; Hawaii (both faithfully-made PORTIONS of greatly amplified stories)

Beloved (to its detriment)

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (to its GREAT favor)

wasn't Jaws pretty faithful to the book? I was under the impression it was.

I assume that out of the 20+ adaptations of Oliver Twist, at least one has to be faithful to the book. :)

I think 2001: A Space Odyssey wins most faithful book adapted from a movie.

Murder on The Orient Express.

Considering that Hooper and Mrs. Brody have an affair?

Mystic River