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Worst movie adaptations: The recent release of Watchmen based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore got me thinking about what I thought were the worst movie adaptations of books. What book or books did a director or directors completely ruin in the adaptation(s) that you wish you could “unsee,” and why in your opinion, what made it or them so bad in contrast to the book or books?
First, let me start off the top since I was the one who came up with this Weekly Geek’s topic, that I don’t know whether or not Watchmen was a bad movie adaptation of the book since I didn’t read the graphic novel. From what I’ve heard from those who’ve read it that the movie was faithful to the graphic novel.
Myself: without the benefit of reading the book, while I understand the concept, I thought it was too long (maybe trying to cut in on closeups in scenes like a comic book) and I really didn’t need to see naked blue guy so much. I’m not for censorship, by any means, but I don’t think it would have been too much to ask that he wear his Speedo through not just one scene in the movie but others as well — just saying.
So on to the topic:
Whenever I think of worst movie adaptation of a book, I think of mainly one book: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Steinbeck’s theme of humans relying on each other at the end of the book gets skewed in the movie to become a treatise of capitalism by director John Ford, whose other works such as The Quiet Man I enjoy. Cinematograhy-wise, the movie is pure genius, but story-wise, it’s…hmmmm…crap and is not faithful to Steinbeck’s vision at all.
So what movie adaptation of a book chafes your literary sensibilities?
20 responses so far ↓
downersgrove77 // March 14, 2009 at 10:15 am
Oh …. that’s great … trash the movie when you didn’t read the graphic … nitwit …:)
Anyway, there’s a reason they deemed this story unfilmable for over 20 years …. READ THE GRAPHIC NOVEL and you’ll see why …
Ahhhh …. that felt good…..
unfinishedperson // March 14, 2009 at 11:52 am
Oh…this is great…now I get slammed by Mr. Graphic Novel/Comic Book Geek himself, my brother-in-law, folks. ;)
I still plan on reading the novel, but will still stand by my original review: thought the movie was too long and still didn’t need to see naked blue guy. I did like V for Vendetta, both movie and book, and oh, did read that one too…of course, thanks to you.
Looks like I need to write more about graphic novels to get responses from you…or hey, you know what sometime you could write a guest post for me about graphic novels. Like what are the essential ones to read for readers of my blog, who, like me, aren’t “up” on graphic novels at all (ummm…obviously)? Let me know in your free time. ;)
pussreboots // March 14, 2009 at 1:34 pm
I could only think of one, Lolita. Read my thoughts here.
unfinishedperson // March 14, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Understand completely as I mentioned on your blog. Kubrick doesn’t quite capture the gravitas of Nabokov’s subject matter.
Terri - teelgee // March 14, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Grapes of Wrath…it was the ending that ruined it for me. Of course, back in the day they couldn’t have rendered the ending the same, but did it have to end on such a high note? It was almost a happy ending in the movie, which I didn’t take from the book at all. Good example.
unfinishedperson // March 14, 2009 at 11:02 pm
No, my wife mentioned that to me that they couldn’t have done that ending back then…but still just a huge disappointment after reading the book. I can’t wait to see what your choice will be.
Ali // March 14, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Interesting question, it’s going to take some thought for me to come up with my answer since I haven’t seen any book-to-movie adaptations recently and I’m notoriously bad at remembering movies! I bet my husband will be able to help me come up with some, though.
unfinishedperson // March 14, 2009 at 11:04 pm
Look forward to seeing what you and your husband come up with. :)
Kim // March 14, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I never have read Grapes of Wrath, but we did watch the movie back when I was in high school in the late ’70s. I could not have hated a movie more–and yikes, if that was a happy ending in comparison to the book, I shudder at the thought of slogging through that book! ;)
Great response, great idea for a topic!
Kim
unfinishedperson // March 14, 2009 at 11:04 pm
Well, no, I don’t know if it was happy as much as it wasn’t faithful to the book at all and didn’t keep to the tone. If you haven’t read the book, don’t want to ruin the ending for you.
farmlanebooks // March 14, 2009 at 5:23 pm
I haven’t seen the Grapes of Wrath – not sure I want to now! I think I’ve read it – long time ago, but can’t remember anything about it…that’s terrible isn’t it!? I’ll have to pick it up again to remind myself.
unfinishedperson // March 14, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Cinematographically (word?), it’s a great movie and Henry Fonda, as always is quite an actor, although I preferred him in one of his later roles in Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time in The West, playing against type as an anti-hero.
unfinishedperson // March 14, 2009 at 11:13 pm
The book, though, is worth it.
Maree // March 14, 2009 at 5:48 pm
I haven’t seen the Grapes of Wrath and ended up doing a TV adaptation. Happy Weekly Geeks :)
unfinishedperson // March 14, 2009 at 11:08 pm
I saw that yours was on Agatha Christie’s Evil Under The Sun, right, with David Suchet? I commented over at your blog too, I believe and could see why you didn’t like the adaptation, especially adding characters back into the movie who weren’t in the book.
susan // March 15, 2009 at 1:42 am
unfinished,
I can understand you disliking the movie but how can you call it a poor adaptation if you haven’t read the series? I’m confused. Isn’t the topic: worst adaptations? That implies you’ve read the original. Why using the Watchman as the lead I guess is my questiion.
unfinishedperson // March 15, 2009 at 10:13 am
Susan: I think as I explained in my post I used that as a jumping off point, because it got me thinking about adaptations. I didn’t say whether I thought it was a bad adaptation. I could have used Twilight or any other recent book made into a movie for a jumping off point.
It was just that the movie that got me thinking about adaptations…I’d like to read the graphic novel now and see if it was faithful, which I’m guessing it was, but perhaps too faithful in that those of us who haven’t read it get confused, plus the subject matter, to put it bluntly, is pretty damned depressing– and doesn’t really fit into what people perceive as good comic book movie material. I think the way it was marketed was/is part of the problem. In the previews, the focus was on the flash and not the substance, but that’s the case with most movies any more.
Erika Lynn // March 15, 2009 at 4:24 pm
I love Steinbeck and The Grapes of Wrath but I have never seen the movie and now i am glad. thanks!
Weekly Geeks v9.10: Worst Movie Adaptations | Literary Escapism // March 15, 2009 at 10:31 pm
[...] unfinishedperson 2. Jo 3. pussreboots (Lolita) 4. Kim (page after page) 5. [...]
KimB // September 14, 2009 at 10:36 am
I’m sure it’s not the worst, but Frances Mayes writes a wonderful memoir about moving to Tuscany and fixing up an old house there in Under the Tuscan Sun. The movie strays so much from it, throwing in the obligatory romance, and changing the details of Mayes life. The book is a good read, and the movie light fun fluff, but they are only related to each other loosely.
Contrast that with The Princess Bride. Goldman’s good book becomes a masterpiece when it is honed and edited for the screen. Anything dull is gone, but the genius remains. It is brilliantly done.
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