No Country For Old Men (2007), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Slumdog Millionaire( 2008)
Depending on who you are, hearing that one of your favorite books is going to be turned into a movie can be the best news in the world. There's something special about seeing the characters you pictured in your head in real life, seeing them right there walking and talking in front of your eyes instead of just in your head. It amazes me that so many movies are, whether we know it or not, based on novels. Does it mean that no one can come up with an idea anymore? Or does it mean that the authors' ideas are so good that we have to see them in film format? Do authors hope that their books will be picked up and dragged to Hollywood to become a screenplay? Who knows, really, but I guarantee that an overwhelming number of the movies you've seen are also books.
Coming from someone who loves a good book, there's always fear that when it becomes a movie the director and producer will screw it up. There's a fear that seeing that story that's been in your head since you turned the last page will be ruined by it becoming a film. The last thing you want is to leave the theater disappointed. But so many of these movies do so well, like the three I focused on, No Country For Old Men, Million Dollar Baby, and Slumdog Millionaire-- all Best Picture winners at the Oscars.Somewhat surprisingly, these three movies have a lot of things in common. They're about hardship and overcoming it, unexpected circumstances (and unexpected money), and relationships worth fighting for. In all three, the actors give stellar performances, and maybe that's what makes them so good. Maybe that's what makes them Oscar winners. Or, maybe, they just have really good scripts, which came from some great books. Although I have not read any of the books these movies are based on, I'm sure that the directors did the authors justice.
I understand the hesitation in how to feel about turning books into movies. I'm terrified that arguably one of the best young adult books ever written, The Fault in Our Stars, will be ruined by it becoming a "summer blockbuster." But I am also so excited to see Augustus and Hazel's love story in theaters. Look at how well Harry Potter, Divergent, and Hunger Games have done-- they were all the ideas of authors. Books.There's something really special in these three movies that simply couldn't have been achieved if they were written as original screenplays instead of adaptations. So next time you're watching the Oscars, pay special attention to the winners. Then see how many of them were novels first. And the surprising small number of hits in the "Original Screenplay" category. All three of these movies are definitely worth the watch.
Hi Jessica, I think you do a good job starting this idea. These are three good films to select, as you said, because they did so well as films (best picture winners). But, I guess I was looking for more analysis and information about why, specifically, these films did so well and why other adaptations fail or don't do well. You touch upon it a bit, but I wanted more. Plus, more research or info about how adaptations get turned into films would have been good. The cynical part of me believes that the book acts as a "test market" for the story first, and if it's a best seller, there's a "ready audience" for the movie version, especially if the publisher of the book is part of the same conglomerate. But, maybe it's just that the public is enamored with certain stories that MUST be put to the screen. I think that some of the best adaptations are those where the book wasn't a huge success, and in fact, the public doesn't already know really well. This way, the director has more room to take it and work from it without alienating the audience. Anyway, good job!
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