If you’re an avid reader like me, I’m sure you can attest to the frequent internal struggle over deciding whether to watch the movie adaptation of your favorite novel or not. Every time I read a page-turning book that becomes a binge-watching movie, I struggle with whether or not I want to watch the movie. Nevertheless, I almost always give in out of sheer curiosity, but I don’t always enjoy it.
In my opinion, there are three problems with movies based on books that make them a recipe for disaster.
First off, people have higher expectations when a movie is based on a book. When people see a movie without any prior knowledge about the plot or characters, they are able to just enjoy the movie in the moment and evaluate it in itself. But when a movie is based on a book, people have already decided in their head how they view the characters and the plot, so when the movie doesn’t live up to viewers’ expectations and imaginations, it leaves fans disappointed. The bar is high because of how invested consumers are in the book, and movie producers have a lot to live up to whenever a book is involved.
Second, when people read a book, the author’s words often create a picture in their head. When a book turns into a movie, readers are often disappointed because the visuals included in the movie don’t match up with what they had envisioned in their head.
Third, movie adaptations often omit many details that make up the book. Simply put, books have the ability to be extremely detailed because of the page length. However, condensing a 600-page book into a two-hour film means that details are often removed. This usually makes readers upset because, as many of you may know, the small details are what make a book so addictive and interesting.
Nonetheless, if done right, the movie version of a book has the ability to be spectacular. Seeing words on a page come to life can be thrilling for readers. Throughout the years, I have seen many movie adaptations of some of my favorite books, so here are some of my favorites and least favorites:
- “The Hunger Games” — YES
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This trilogy will always hold a special place in my heart. Throughout each book in the series, “The Hunger Games” tells the story of a dystopian society where 24 members from the 12 districts are selected through a reaping process into an annual event where they have to fight to the death. There are so many details and emotions that went into this series, so it’s hard to not become invested. Even though the movies didn’t capture a lot of the little details that I loved in the series like background information about each district, it still included almost all the major details. I was absolutely blown away by the cast, and I loved watching my favorite series come to life in a successful way.
- “After” — NO
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It upsets me to say this, but these movies are just NOT it. Out of everything I’ve ever read, I’ve never felt as invested in a series as I was with this one. All five of these books follow the intense and rocky relationship between two people in college, and it truly is impossible to put this series down. In my opinion, this series is just too complex to make into a movie because there are five lengthy books packed full of specific details, complex characters and numerous plot changes. The first movie left out so many major plot points, and the acting did not do the characters’ relationship justice. The second movie just came out in the U.S. on Oct. 23, and it didn’t meet my expectations, either.
- “The Fault in our Stars” — YES
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All I can say about this movie is “WOW!” I was immediately captivated by this book because it tells the story of two teenagers suffering from cancer who fall in love. The story is so inspiring and takes readers through a complete whirlwind of emotions. I wasn’t sure how the movie would measure up, considering how each word written in this novel completely moved me. However, I absolutely adored the two main characters in the movie, and seeing the plot on the big screen made me love this story even more.
Books and movies allow us to live vicariously through someone else’s lens. When a book turns into a movie, it has the opportunity to deliver a captivating visual experience for fans. However, movies only have the ability to carry out the thrill of a book if done right.