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Mar
16
Weekly Geeks 2009-10: Book to Movie
2009 at 12pm Posted by Rebecca Joines Schinsky
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?
I didn’t even have to think about this one. Demi Moore’s version of The Scarlet Letter is hands down the worst book-to-movie adaptation I’ve ever seen. I fell in love with the book when we read it in my English class junior year of high school, and I’ve done several re-readings and begun a collection of vintage editions in the 10 years since. Pretty much everything about this movie adaptation is bad. The acting. The casting. (Hello, Hester Prynne is an adulteress but she’s never described as being on the Demi Moore level of sultry.) The changes they made to the plot.
I get it. Not much happens in the book. It’s a slow burn kind of situation. The language is old fashioned and elaborate. It uses words like “ignominious” and “quell.” There’s a mystery to be solved, but it’s not a fast-paced thriller, and most of the book is character driven and focuses on their internal turmoil. That’s not very commercial, and it’s not easy to portray on film.
So why couldn’t they just leave well enough alone and not make a film adaptation? (I know there are other versions, and none of the ones I’ve seen have been any good, but this one just burns me up.) And why oh why oh why did it have to be Demi Moore? I mean really. This is not a romance novel, and it shouldn’t appear that way on the movie poster.
Harumph.
It’s been several years, but the awfulness of that adaptation is burned into my memory. Thankfully, the details are getting a little fuzzy. I think I’ll just let them fade away.
Another book-to-movie combo I’m not a big fan of is the transition from John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany (which, you all know by now, is one of my all-time favorites) into the movie Simon Birch. Now, they make it pretty clear that this is a case of “inspired by” rather than a straight book-to-movie adaptation, and thank goodness for that. The movie does depict some of the great scenes from the book (namely the Christmas pageant “boobies” incident), but it also cuts out the boys’ adolescence and adulthood and loses the main theme of the book, which focuses on destiny and purpose and issues of faith.
By itself, the movie is sweet and sentimental, if a bit overdone, but when you know the book it’s based on, it just doesn’t cut it. And this guy will never, never, look like Owen Meany to me.
I do, however, love the casting of Ashley Judd, and I think she fits Irving’s description of Tabby Wheelwright to a T.
And oh yeah, the 2 hours I spent watching The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy? I want those back.
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The movie version of The Bell Jar is really, really awful too.
Ooh, I totally agree about Hitchhiker’s guide.
P.S I Love You was a great book … until they turned it into an awful movie with Hilary Swank.
As a huge Pat Conroy fan, I consider the film adaptation of The Lords of Discipline to be a religious afront.
I agree that that kid looks nothing like Owen Meany. I haven’t seen the movie, but that image is just… nope. As for “Hitchhiker”, I didn’t mind the movie. I just don’t really associate it with the book. They’re sort of separately amusing in my mind.
I actually didn’t mind the movie “interpretation” of Hitchhiker’s Guide all that much, but I know my husband would agree with you about it – he was VERY disappointed with it.
I’m not sure I’m going to weigh in on this WG topic, but reading everyone’s responses has been interesting!
The scarlet Letter seems so nostalgic to me now. I had to read it for American Literature in 11th grade and I just couldn’t bring myself to like the book. During the days of the puritan, adultery was a big deal punishable by hanging but I cannot help feeling annoyed about how the book just rambles on and on about the triangle relationship. I re-discovered the novel again in college, with a whole new attitude. I came to appreciate the depth with which Hawthorne delineates the three characters and their relationship with Pearl, respectively.
I have never read Bell Jar–I know it puts me to shame again like before I read Gatsby!
Darn it! I was just about to write a blog on The Scarlet Letter…I’d been thinking about it for days!!! Aargh!
Scarlet Letter was definitely a horrendous movie…I think I watched the first couple scenes and had to turn it off! (I loved the book.)
I loathed the Keira Knightley Pride and Prejudice adaptation, but it definitely isn’t as bad as Scarlet Letter!
[...] The Scarlet Letter. I will second everything Rebecca said in her blog. I watched this in the theater during high school with my best friend and our boyfriends. We had [...]
“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” movie was so-so, although Zooey Deschanel made a great Trillian.
I hated the film adaptation of “The Golden Compass”, but everyone I saw it with (none of whom had read the book, except me) liked it.
I loved reading Owen Meany although I started it many years ago and couldn’t get into it but when the movie came out I found it in my stacks and started over again so I could compare. I loved the book, the movie not so much.
[...] Freedom and Safer. Both were really enjoyable, and in completely different ways. I discussed book-to-movie adaptations for Weekly Geeks and the worst “best” books I’ve ever read for BTT. And I did a [...]