This week, I have film on the brain.
Like most bibliophiles, I love a good book-to-film adaption, and like most of my habits and ideals, my expectations for literary adaptations have changed drastically since I was a child.
My generation grew up reading and watching the “Harry Potter” series. This was my first experience with literary adaptation, and it set the bar high.
From then on, anytime I learned that one of my favorite books was to be made into a film I began to harbor unrealistic expectations for the adaptation.
I wanted nearly every detail from the novel to make it into the movie, but I didn’t understand that creating a film is a huge process and that movies would actually be pretty boring if that were the case.
Some of the recent book-to-screen adaptations I’m looking forward to watching are HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” which I reviewed in last week’s column, and “Arrival,” which is based on a book of short stories by Ted Chiang.
I also am looking forward to seeing the adaption of “Murder on the Orient Express,” based on one of my favorite novels, and one of the most prominent Agatha Christie works. This movie would not just be an adaptation but also a remake of the 1974 film, so it will be interesting to see how the film will be updated.
It makes sense to regard literary adaptations with caution. Despite filmmakers’ best intentions, sometimes the end result in no way resembles the original work. In even worse scenarios, the movie is simply bad.
In my opinion, some of the best adaptations largely follow the plot of the original material but change certain aspects that wouldn’t work cinematically. Sometimes novels contain so much backstory it would be ridiculous to include all of it onscreen.
Although books and movies differ in many ways, there are benefits to both media.
For example, when reading a book, I find I am much more involved with the characters’ internal thoughts and emotions. When watching a movie, there is often an added level of suspense from watching the plot physically unfold.
While it is entertaining to compare the printed versions to their adaptations, an adaptation becomes truly great if it can stand alone as an outstanding piece of work.
Perhaps one of the most notable adaptations in cinematic history is the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. In 2004, “The Return of the King” won a record-tying 11 Oscars, including Best Picture.
Despite never having read the books, I love the movies, and critics and audiences have labeled the adaptations a success. While I used to let my sense of superiority get in the way of my enjoyment of books and movies, I now can enjoy books and their adaptations as separate entities.
Whether someone is a bibliophile or a movie buff, it really comes down to telling good stories. Everyone can find something they enjoy, and ultimately it doesn’t matter if they’ve read the book first or not.
kchrisco@ius.edu
@katiechrisco
