Author Topic: Favorite movie based on a great book  (Read 11328 times)

oldbike54

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Favorite movie based on a great book
« on: August 20, 2019, 05:55:18 PM »
 I tend to prefer movies that tell a story , minimal special effects , although with modern CGI those can be made to look pretty realistic . Violence and chase scenes leave me wondering if the screenwriter can tell a story , although a good action adventure movie can be fun .

 Not much of a movie buff , perhaps 10 movies have been memorable to me .

 So what is your favorite movie based on a great book , one that tells a great story ? Help me compile a list , reading has become more problematic lately , I fall asleep  :laugh: Hoping maybe you guys can steer me towards some worthwhile movies .

 Maybe at the top of the list is The Shipping News , based on Annie Proulx's book of the same name , just to give a hint . Thanks

 Dusty

Offline davedel44

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #1 on: August 20, 2019, 05:59:49 PM »
Grapes of Wrath

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2019, 06:03:57 PM »
Rambo and jaws are two movies that I read the book first.

Offline drw916

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2019, 06:07:53 PM »
Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian.  The 20+ book series is outstanding.  The movie , although a compilation of a couple of the books, was also excellent.
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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2019, 06:07:53 PM »

Offline Beowulf

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2019, 06:09:01 PM »
I have to go with Ben Hur. The book was amazing to read. Really hit on the customs of the time. That book did a good job of depicting a scene. Loved the movie with Charlton Heston not the new one.

Best trilogy of movies based on a book i have seen not read is the samurai trilogy starring Toshiro mifune.
« Last Edit: August 20, 2019, 06:12:00 PM by Beowulf »

Offline yogidozer

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2019, 06:12:11 PM »
I've always found books to tell a story better than most movies. Into the wild, is one example.
Jeremiah Johnson is one of my favorite movies, based on a book called Crow Killer.
The book Woman Walking Ahead: In Search of Catherine Weldon and Sitting Bull and the movie
Woman Walks Ahead are equally good.
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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2019, 06:12:33 PM »
A few that I think are good translations are Sometimes a Great Notion, Little Big Man, and The Maltese Falcon.

oldbike54

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2019, 06:12:56 PM »
 That is kind of the problem , almost invariably the book is just so much better than the movie , Jaws being an example . The book tells a helluva story, more about how people really are than anything , the movie was really kinda stupid . Same with The Shining , the book delved into the human psyche, it had pathos and a real plot , apparently the screenwriters for the movie just read the Cliff's Notes , because the movie didn't have anything to do with the book .

 Dusty

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2019, 06:15:28 PM »
Dave already beat me to it: Grapes of Wrath. Also like Bruce Springsteen's song inspired by book/movie: Ghost of Tom Joad
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Offline yogidozer

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2019, 06:24:55 PM »
Dusty, sounds like we share a love for reading. I think you might enjoy a few books by a woman named Anne LaBastille.
This are non fiction, her love for the outdoors. She built her own cabin, by herself, mostly, in the Adirondacks.
The first is titled Woodswoman.



Offline JC85

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #10 on: August 20, 2019, 06:39:28 PM »
It's not based on a book, but if you've never seen "My Dinner With Andre," I have a feeling that you'd love it. Nothing exciting; the entire movie consists of a conversation between two characters over dinner. But it is well worth the watch. It is a love it or hate it kind of movie. You'll either love it for the content of the conversation between the two characters, or hate it, because nothing really "happens" in the movie.
« Last Edit: August 20, 2019, 06:40:50 PM by JC85 »
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oldbike54

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #11 on: August 20, 2019, 06:41:40 PM »
Dusty, sounds like we share a love for reading. I think you might enjoy a few books by a woman named Anne LaBastille.
This are non fiction, her love for the outdoors. She built her own cabin, by herself, mostly, in the Adirondacks.
The first is titled Woodswoman.




 Mentioned this in the first post , reading has become problematic , I just fall asleep . For probably over 50 years I read somewhere in the vicinity of 40 books a year , maybe more , nearly a novel or biography or historical faction a week , usually over 100 pages every night . Now , two paragraphs in and sleep just takes over . What I want are movies that stay at least somewhat true to the book , where the screenwriters and director know the story and have some respect for that story .

 Dusty

oldbike54

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #12 on: August 20, 2019, 06:43:35 PM »
It's not based on a book, but if you've never seen "My Dinner With Andre," I have a feeling that you'd love it. Nothing exciting; the entire movie consists of a conversation between two characters over dinner. But it is well worth the watch. It is a love it or hate it kind of movie. You'll either love it for the content of the conversation between the two characters, or hate it, because nothing really "happens" in the movie.

 Thanks JC , there have been a couple of good movies that were all dialogue driven that weren't based on a book .

 Dusty

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #13 on: August 20, 2019, 06:52:08 PM »
Fight Club.
But I can't talk about it.

Offline kingoffleece

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #14 on: August 20, 2019, 06:53:33 PM »
Gorkie Park.  GREAT book and the movie was well done.

Papillon, with Steve McQueen, was fantastic.  Absolutely a must read.
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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #15 on: August 20, 2019, 06:59:22 PM »
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Offline yogidozer

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #16 on: August 20, 2019, 07:01:37 PM »
Sorry Dusty, I misunderstood. Thought you meant the things you've been reading lately haven't held your interest.

oldbike54

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #17 on: August 20, 2019, 07:03:09 PM »
Sorry Dusty, I misunderstood. Thought you meant the things you've been reading lately haven't held your interest.

 No problem Yogi , it is frustrating to not be able to read like I did for all of those years .

 Dusty

Offline JC85

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #18 on: August 20, 2019, 07:05:02 PM »
Thanks JC , there have been a couple of good movies that were all dialogue driven that weren't based on a book .

 Dusty

I love good flicks like that, so if you have others you can recommend, feel free. Another good one is The Man From Earth (not to the confused with The Man Who Fell to Earth.) It was really low budget, but if you can look past the iffy production (lighting and things like that,) it is a fascinating movie.
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Offline tazio

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #19 on: August 20, 2019, 07:11:06 PM »
Silence of the lambs.
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oldbike54

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #20 on: August 20, 2019, 07:23:57 PM »
I love good flicks like that, so if you have others you can recommend, feel free. Another good one is The Man From Earth (not to the confused with The Man Who Fell to Earth.) It was really low budget, but if you can look past the iffy production (lighting and things like that,) it is a fascinating movie.

 12 Angry Men comes to mind .

 Dusty

Offline wrbix

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #21 on: August 20, 2019, 07:28:54 PM »
The Road
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Offline maquette

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #22 on: August 20, 2019, 07:35:02 PM »
The Road

The book was great, haven't seen the movie yet. I've read all of Cormac McCarthy's books and he is something special (and kinda scary).  :laugh:
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Offline QuattroValvole

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #23 on: August 20, 2019, 07:43:00 PM »

I’ll second ‘Sometimes a great notion’ and ‘Gorky Park’. I’d also add ‘Never Cry Wolf’ based on the book by Farley Mowat.

Offline alanp

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #24 on: August 20, 2019, 07:49:23 PM »
No Country for Old Men.  Not Cormac McCarthy's best book but a darned suspenseful movie. 

I am really enjoying books by David Mitchell lately;  Cloud Atlas, number9dream and The Bone Clocks are fabulous.  Only one really lousy movie,  Cloud Atlas, has been based on any of them though. 

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #25 on: August 20, 2019, 07:54:55 PM »
Mentioned this in the first post , reading has become problematic , I just fall asleep . For probably over 50 years I read somewhere in the vicinity of 40 books a year , maybe more , nearly a novel or biography or historical faction a week , usually over 100 pages every night . Now , two paragraphs in and sleep just takes over . What I want are movies that stay at least somewhat true to the book , where the screenwriters and director know the story and have some respect for that story .

 Dusty
If you get a chance, read FIRST BLOOD (Rambo).  Surprisingly It follows the movie fairly consistently.

oldbike54

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #26 on: August 20, 2019, 07:56:24 PM »
If you get a chance, read FIRST BLOOD (Rambo).  Surprisingly It follows the movie fairly consistently.

 Dan , that would require the rest of my days one paragraph at a time .

 Dusty

oldbike54

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #27 on: August 20, 2019, 08:00:49 PM »
Where the red fern grows.

 That story took place just about 30 miles East of here , an area I am very familiar with .

 Dusty

Offline yogidozer

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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #28 on: August 20, 2019, 08:09:09 PM »
Where the red fern grows.
A favorite of mine! Something how you can tell hounds apart by their howls.
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Re: Favorite movie based on a great book
« Reply #29 on: August 20, 2019, 08:09:58 PM »
To Kill a Mockingbird.
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