Films based on books are a special kind of cinema. You often hear the phrase “the book is always better than the movie”, but there are plenty of movies that prove that this is not always the case. From Godfather To Jurassic Parkmany of cinema’s most beloved masterpieces are based on books.
Most often, a new writer is hired to write a screenplay based on the book in question. In some special cases, however, the authors themselves adapt their book into an equally creative and entertaining scenario. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s usually a sign of guaranteed quality.
10 It’s Good to Be Quiet (2012) - Stephen Chbosky
Stephen Chbosky is part of an even more select club of authors who have not only written, but also made a film based on their own book. It was in The perks of Being a Wallflowerthe story of an underdog freshman who befriends two high school students who welcome him to the real world.
The film is surprisingly intimate, sincere and mature. Chbosky’s steady hand behind the camera ensures that this special kind of growing up is told with the raw emotional punch and sincerity he wanted, backed up by the main cast’s fantastic performances.
9 “Room” (2015) - Emma Donoghue
Although Room presented through the innocent eyes of his deuteragonist child, make no mistake: this story is not easy to digest. Its hero is Jack, a child cared for by his loving mother in a 10-by-10-foot space in which they were confined by their captor.
Jacob Tremblay offers one of the best children’s performances of recent times, and Brie LarsonThe Oscar-winning twist on this incredibly complex character is just incredible. But the strongest Room lies in its creatively structured, beautiful and touching script. It was written Emma Donoghuewho also wrote an equally devastating novel.
8 “Postcards from the Edge” (1990) - Carrie Fisher
If you haven’t lived under a rock, you know Carrie Fisher as the incredible actress behind characters like star Warsprincess Leia. What you may not know is that she was also an accomplished writer. Postcards from the edgebased on her semi-autobiographical book, is about a substance addicted actress who is forced to return to life with her mother to avoid unemployment.
The film has been almost forgotten over the years, which is an absolute tragedy. It features some brilliant performances from two of Hollywood’s biggest icons, and Fisher’s witty writing is full of great dialogue, smart and hilarious gags, and deep themes holding it all together.
7 Gone Girl (2014) - Gillian Flynn
Incredible David Fincher During his prolific career, he has established himself as one of the best modern thriller directors, directing films such as Disappeared girl. Tense and suspenseful, it’s about a man who reveals that his wife has suddenly gone missing, and the media slowly starts to sort through his lies and deceit.
Fincher’s tense directing sets the atmosphere Disappeared girl quite exciting, but Gillian Flynnwrites that first of all attracts the audience. Her character drawing is impeccable and her ability to create tension with very simple elements is unmatched.
6 Hellraiser (1987) - Clive Barker
It’s rather surprising that a simple horror novel served as the basis for one of the biggest and longest running horror franchises, but that’s exactly what Clive BarkerX hellish heart did. He wrote and directed the adaptation himself: Hellraiserwhere the unfaithful wife meets her dead lover’s zombies and demonic cenobites pursue him.
Barker was dismayed by previous film adaptations of his work, which led him to decide to make Hellraiser yourself, and the result could not have been better. With a dark atmosphere and themes not often seen in horror films, the writer and director has made one of the best adaptations of horror books.
5 Akira (1988) - Katsuhiro Otomo
Akira needs no introduction. It revolutionized both anime and animation in general, with breathtaking sets and some of the most stunning visuals cinema has ever seen. In it, a secret military project turns a gang member into a rampaging psychic who can only be stopped by a motley crew.
Katsuhiro Otomo, the author of the manga on which the film is based, agreed to make a cinematic adaptation only if he retained full creative control. Fans are grateful to him for this, because the result is one of the most exciting animated action films of all time.
4 The Exorcist (1973) - William Peter Blatty
If you are even a little familiar with the horror film genre, you have probably heard Exorcist be named the scariest movie of all time at least a few times. And it’s a well-deserved title, as the film tells a gripping story about a mother who enlists the help of two priests to free her possessed daughter. .
William Peter Blatty managed to keep the plot of his book more or less the same while adapting to the screenplay, as well as narrow its focus and make the whole thing even more horrific.
3 The Goodfellas (1990) - Nicholas Pileggi
There are many good reasons why many believe Martin Scorsese the best director working today, and Good guys is one of those reasons. Fascinating study of character, explores life Henry Hill and his hectic life as a gangster.
Many say that Good guys best crime movie of all time, and Nicholas Pileggi Largely thanks to this. In collaboration with Scorsese himself (who doesn’t write many of his films), he turned his book into a gripping screenplay full of memorable characters, quotable dialogue, and many of the genre’s greatest scenes.
2 Jurassic Park (1993) - Michael Crichton
Legendary Steven Spielberg made some of cinema’s most important and memorable landmarks. One of the best is Jurassic Parkabout a tycoon who created an island full of living dinosaurs that is rapidly getting worse.
Spielberg’s direction is outstanding and the groundbreaking special effects have aged like fine wine, but Michael CrichtonA poignant screenplay was just as important to the film’s success. He turned one of the most popular science fiction novels into one of the most famous science fiction films, proving that a great concept behind a great writer can work in any medium.
1 The Godfather (1972) - Mario Puzo
History of creation Francis Ford CoppolaX Godfather, perhaps the greatest American film ever made, so famous that almost all cinephiles know about it. It’s a gripping crime drama about an aging mafia boss who must hand over control to his headstrong son, and the path to that goal is as gripping as the movie itself.
Mario Puzo wrote in the novel of the same name one of the pinnacles of his genre; and then, when he adapted it into a screenplay for a Coppola film, he again exceeded all expectations. A famous story goes that when Puzo decided to learn how to write screenplays after making Godfatherhe bought a book, the first chapter of which read: “Study Godfather“. It’s hard to disagree.
Source: Collider
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