What's your take on this one?

@celticeagle (157563)
Boise, Idaho
June 23, 2012 9:25pm CST
I love to watch movies. I especially like the old vintage ones with Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Irene Dunn, James Stewart and folks like that in them. But the modern romance, drama, horror, thriller and even some comedies are entertaining. But, here is my guestion. If you read a really good book and found out it was going to be made into a movie would you expect it to be done like the storyline of the book? Would it upset you if the movie wasn't? Or would you be interested in seeing the way the screen play is written, directors and such do the movie? For me I find it very sad when a very good storyline isn't followed in the movie. Take for instance Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned and ERB's Tarzan. The list goes on and on. And if I wrote a book I would want the storyline to be followed if a movie was made out of it. Your take on this please.
5 people like this
20 responses
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
24 Jun 12
Most books are not copied to the screen exactly. I have heard it is because it is to expensive to make the movie as the book as the book is more exact and time specific and things like that. Did you watch the mini series "North and South " parts 1 and 2? Amazing story! But I started to read the book and in hearing about it....it was not totally as the book. The facts were the same, but the characters a bit different for instance... Orey (Patrick Swazye)...in the book he lost his arm in the war...but in the movie, he just got a leg injury that left him stiff legged. "Gone with the Wind"... i did read that book and Scarlett had a child by every husband she had! In this case.. I like the movie better than the book. Then there is Nights in Rodanthe. I read the book and was spell-bound. Couldn't wait to see the movie. I rented it and was bored to tears! It was horrible and hardly anything like the book. In the book the mother was telling her experience to her married daughter that had lost her husband. In the movie, she was telling her teenage daughter about it. But even the happenings and events in the movie were so stupid. THe feeling was not there at all. Another one was Time Travelers Wife. I love time travel stories so I was anxious to read this...and bought and paid FULL PRICE for the book! That was the first mistake! I literally had to WORK at keeping track of it all! THe dates, which one was first, which ones was after...was this "chapter" before last chapter or after it? They had the date and ages of the two people at the beginnign of each chapter, but it was literally a grab-bag as to time line. First I was reading they were in one month, then another month way down the road and athen back to before that first month. I literally had to work at keeping track of things. I always had to read things 2-3 times just to put it all in prospective! Then I saw the movie...stupid me for thinking the book was so bad! The movie was worse!!! NO dates and it all went so fast...however I will say.. if I hadn't read half the book first, I wouldn't have understood or "gotten" the movie as much as I did. I only read 1/2 the book. I was literally just to exhausted to continue! IT was to much work and no enjoyment! So I would have to say, if you read a book and love it...don't see the movie! If you see the movie and love it...don't read the book! Once a memory is slashed..you can't get it back again as it was before!
2 people like this
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
25 Jun 12
I read the TTW book back before the movie premiered,and I really enjoyed it..the story of a Guy jumping randomly through time and into the life of the Girl He'd Marry was an interesting premise..the way the chapters followed his jumps gave some clue as to how disjointed the process could be for him/them..The movie made things more linear,less convoluted,and concentrated on the love story,and less on how things developed in his life..
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
24 Jun 12
I think you are right to a great degree. SOme hold true but many do not.
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Jun 12
So there is a place for both.
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
24 Jun 12
I have always enjoyed reading. One a book I am interested in becomes a movie I am anxious to see it. I know tha directors and screenwriters can't follow a book exactly but i am disappointed when a movie changes the storyline of the book entirely.
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
24 Jun 12
Yes, like in the case of Queen of the Damned. If I see a good movie I want to read the book because there is usually more indepth in the book.
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
24 Jun 12
yup would like it to followt he story line in the book I have read books and the story line follows pretty good BBBBUT there is more in the book than on the screen
1 person likes this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
24 Jun 12
and thats why I will see the movie if book is goood
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
25 Jun 12
It does work both ways. And I think too that I am glad to see a book made into a movie so those that don't read that much can enjoy the movie.
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
24 Jun 12
That is why I will go and read the book if the movie is good.
• United States
24 Jun 12
It is rare for me to have read the book before the movie comes out. But I do expect the movie to follow book's plot. I feel the same about history. If a film is suppose to be about a moment in history, then the plot Better follow what Really happened!
1 person likes this
• United States
25 Jun 12
That promo made me so angry. Now kids are going to think Lincoln hunted vampires! Wrong! I hate the idea of this film So much!
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
25 Jun 12
Ya, and now days alot of times it doesn't. It is what the director and screen writer likes to think might have happened. Like this new Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. Ugh!
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Jun 12
Me too! I hope people bochot the movie. It is stupid and just shows the length that people will go to to make money.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (214281)
• Chile
24 Jun 12
I have seen very good movies based on good books, but not always are they made following exactly the book script. There have been many Tarzans along the decades and each of them belongs to the moment the movie was made. I read the original Tarzan when I was grown up and discovered it was a racist and bigoted book. If I had read it while I was little, I wouldn`t have noticed that. And if I had been a reader of the time the book was written, perhaps I wouldn´t have minded that. As I see it, there are many variables to poder upon when comparing the book with the movie (or movies).
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
25 Jun 12
Oh, yes for sure. I have read books I wish they would make a movie out of or felt it had movie paticle. And I have seen movies I didn't want to end and had to go read the book.
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
24 Jun 12
Very interesting view. THank you.
@marguicha (214281)
• Chile
24 Jun 12
Sometimes watching a good movie makes you want to read the book and viceversa. Don`t you think?
1 person likes this
@PageTurner (2825)
• United States
24 Jun 12
Hello celticeagle With the exception of almost any story / book written by Stephen King, I do not expect any movie to follow the storyline of the book. If I were to read a really good book and discover that a movie had been made from it, and I saw the movie and it actually followed the story line, I would be in shock.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
24 Jun 12
Hello. Yes, I don't find it happening very often either. Where the Red Fern Grows did pretty much follow the storyline of the author. There are afew.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
25 Jun 12
If I read the book first I am usually always disappointed because it rarely is the same or rarely the way I pictured the scenes to happen.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Jun 12
That is so true. It just isn't plausible.
@bunnybon7 (50975)
• Holiday, Florida
24 Jun 12
oh i whole heartedly agree. if theres anything i hate is to want to see the movie really bad cause i think im going to see like things that was in the book and they just change it all or skip right over something really important to the plot
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Jun 12
And leave out some of the most important scenes. Ugh!
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
29 Jun 12
I am constantly disappointed with movies that are made from books. I am the same as you..if I write something...I would want the plot to be followed too. I think the only movie I have watched that was true to the book was The Road. I was actually pleasantly surprised by it.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
29 Jun 12
Well atleast there are two out there.
@MandaLee (3756)
• United States
25 Jun 12
Dear celtic, I agree with you. If I wrote a book, I would want the storyline to be followed in the movie. I would be disappointed if it wasn't. I wish there was enough time in movies to end them the same way as the book ends.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Jun 12
If I wrote the book I would have to have it in the paper work that I would have final say on some things.
@blue65packer (11826)
• United States
24 Jun 12
I hate when books are made into movies and some are totally different from the book! This is why I won't see a movie again that is made out of a book I have read! Caes in piont; Back in the day I saw a film version of the "Black Stallion" by Walter FArley. I was in shock and angry! How dare they hardly follow the book! I was a teenager when it came out and didn't realize they did this to books! Another example: I read "Message in the Bottle" and then saw the movie. I was not happy! The book didn't follow the book,every well! I ended up loving the movie and hating the book! So now can you see how frustrating this is for me! My neice Randi is the same way!
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Jun 12
Ya, I have had several of those happening to me too.
@Christoph56 (1504)
• Canada
24 Jun 12
There are some huge differences between movies and books. Books that are made into movies, following along with just how the book goes, are usually long and borring, and make hardly any money. A book can go anywhere... a single chapter can be an act of the story, and it can go in completely different directions, or have no change from the beginning to the end, and it works great in a book, but not in a movie. Movies are all the same, it needs a 3 act structure, it needs minimal characters that all go through a transformation from the beginning to end, it needs constant shocks followed by cool down times, and it needs each piece to blow away the last piece. Books don't have these rules, and therefore, a book can be very different from the movie. The other part though, is that when you read, it's up to your own imagination, what happens. You visualize whats happening, nobody else. So, with a character, maybe one line they said, or one action they did, really told you who that character was, but the director saw it differently, and cut that line, or changed it around. You, and the director, are looking at completely different characters, and that makes a huge difference in a movie. They're just not the same, it's not something you can just switch and move around, easily. They have very different structures to it, and therefore, there will always be, a lot of differences.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Jun 12
THat is all so true. I was trying to say the same. It is all left to interpretation.
@hvedra (1619)
27 Jun 12
Some books just cannot be filmed - the author doesn't have a special effects budget to think about or how long the audience has to sit in the dark for. A lot of recent adaptations veer from the original story. We recently picked up a copy of Chocolat on DVD and it does have some differences from the book but is still a good film They do keep the overall atmosphere and feel from the book even if some characters are different (the Mayor and the Priest). You can forgive a certain amount of deviation if there's still a good film at the end of it. The same with Sherlock, I normally wouldn't be too keen on an updating but gave it a go because Mark Gatiss was involved and he's done some fantastic original work so I thought he might do justice to the stories. In other cases Hollywood makes a complete pig's ear out of adapting something. I loved the Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley but hated the TV version of it.
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Jun 12
I think alot of it does come down to our take on a book too. If we have a personal relationship with it or if it doesn't matter. And,ofcourse, the author has that personal relationship with his work. And even then some feel it and some don't. And it all just comes down to the money.
1 person likes this
@bjc66bjc (6730)
• United States
25 Jun 12
Hi there, there are certain book that would be very interesting to see made into a movie...But there are also some book that a little different outcome would also be interested in seeing a little variation...
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Jun 12
You're right but doing that would disrespect what the author wrote originally.
@GardenGerty (157027)
• United States
24 Jun 12
So often it seems that the movie industry just buys the rights to the title, and who cares what the plot was in the book. I am also saddened when a book I love fails to be followed in a movie.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
24 Jun 12
We should hold a vigule on afew, huh? Light some candles and say afew words.
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
25 Jun 12
Some movies based on books might never have made it to screen if some artistic license wasn't taken in the screenwriting process..Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" was considered unfilmable until Computer Graphics evolved to the point where it eventually became possible.. And "John Carter"(of Mars!) currently would be the record holder for a Movie staying in "Development Hell"...the Movie was released in time for the CENTENARY of the original stories having been published..Think of that..around the time of the "Titanic" Disaster,people were reading those stories for the first time..
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
25 Jun 12
I'd think most Movies would want the Book Author's input for the screening of their story,if they were available..
1 person likes this
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
26 Jun 12
Why would an author ever not care about what was being done with their original source material? (Assuming of course they were alive to voice their opinion or disagreement..* and even then...)I could see arguments,lawsuits and walkouts over creative differences coming out of issues arising from the transfer of a book to the screen..but not apathy.. *I posted a discussion a while back about Actress Jennifer Garner getting the role of Agatha Christie's "Miss Marple" Amateur Detective Character in a movie project under development..The Christie Estate had apparently sold off all film rights to that Character in the past,so there was nothing they could say about what was being done with the Character..
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Jun 12
I would hope so. And I am sure that some authors don't care as much as some others.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
24 Jun 12
hi celticEagle I would be disappointed if the story line of a favorite novel was not followed. Stephen Kind did one better he helped direct and produce most of his books into movies. also he always played some brief walk on part too.I know I too if I were the author would want them to follow my book in the movie don't Hollywood mess it up. A good storyline in a novel should surely be able to put into the movie as is. I imagine a lot of people are disappointed when the directors make a lot of changes and sometimes its almost impossible to tell that is from the novel you loved. lol.I also loved the old vintage ones too with actors the likes of what we seldom see today. Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable, wow those were the days.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
24 Jun 12
typo bad one Stephen King nogt Kind darn,. typos.
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
24 Jun 12
I thought you probably meant Kind. I am amazed at the books/movies he has written. Just learned over the last year I think that Shawshank Redemption was his. I like his writing just not always his endings and storylines. Very prolific though. He wrote a great book on writing as well.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
24 Jun 12
I always prefer reading thew book first because they change the movies up so much sometimes i don't eveb recognize it as a book i've read.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
25 Jun 12
That is what happened with Queen of the Damned. Ugh!
• United States
24 Jun 12
I too like vintage movies. I think they are way better then anything they come out with today. The storylines were way better back them & the actors were better actors too I feel. As for when they make a book into a movie I'd like to see that they stick as close to the original story as possible. I don't mind if they make a few changes, but if they stray to far from the book then I'd rather not waste my time seeing it.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
25 Jun 12
And a person would get totally titalated hoping they would just kiss at the end. What you have discribed is exactly what happened with Dark Shadows. I was such a fan when I was young and was so excited to see the movie. To find out what they had done with it was very upsetting.
@mikyung (2232)
• Philippines
24 Jun 12
Like the Harry Potter movie series, for some of the parts,the storyline deviate from what is in the book. I admit I read the 1st volume of it, but I lost my interest reading it, after they released that movie. Though I'm a Harry Potter fan. Sometimes they need to deviate the story to make it more "cinematic". I have no problem with that. But nowadays, I always check the web before buying a book or watching movie. If there are either versions of them, I would either watch or read the other, whichever comes first. Many are spoilers out there.
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
24 Jun 12
Same things happened to me. I would like to go back and read the books at some point.