Films Screwing Books

[Wills]

I know we have had similiar threads before but this just rankles.

I missed Cider House Rules when it was on cinema release and searched to find the video or cd before discovering it had never been released.

Having watched the film tonight on TV I can only guess John Irving had some kind of control over the video/cd release but no control over the film adaptation.

Anyone know for sure if Irving was involved in the screen play or had veto rights.

Anyone suggest any other book that has been so comprehensively screwed.

Will's

 

[shereads]

Pooh's Big Adventure.

 

[fille]

Bonfire of the Vanities.

 

[shereads]

The Name of the Rose.

 

[shereads]

With Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments," it worked the other way. The film was marvelously funny and cheesy. Lots of slaves in mini-length togas, rampant scenery-chewing by Charlton Heston, and Edward G. Robinson as Pharoah snarling, "Ha! You tell your so-called god that I'll let yer people go when I'm good and ready," or words to that effect.

The book is all "thous" and "thou shalts." The movie has one of my all-time favorite come-on lines, "Oh, Moses, Moses. You marvelous, irrepressible fool!"

 

[Wills]

Damn, missed Pooh's Big Adventure as well.

Enjoyed Name of the Rose, as long as you overlooked the Scottish accent.

With CHR it is completely different, time line is changed, different charactors die, different charactors get pregnant. Why call if CHR, why not Banana Sundae Rules or There Ain't no Rules 'cos it sure has hell has little to do with the book. Ok it's got apples in it, but they only had a little part.

Will's (packing it in for the night)

 

[shereads]

...and for Most Ironic Moment In A Book-Screwing Movie, the Oscar® goes to:

Demi Moore's version of National Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, in which a woman raising an illegitimate child in a Puritan settlement fends off a tavern rowdy by slapping his face and saying, "You bastard!"



She produced the movie, too, for which criminal charges ought to have been filed. At the very least, there should have been a class-action lawsuit by all the students who received failing grades on their book reports because the rented the film instead of buying the Cliff's Notes. Imagine the surprise of all the Early American Literature teachers who read student papers reporting that the guilt-tormented Reverend Dimmesdale doesn't die after acknowledging his child but elopes with Hester Prynne.

I guess it focus-grouped better with a happy ending.

---------------

Because I can, I'll take this opportunity to post one of my favorite passages in American fiction, and the reason I decided not to sleep through all of my Lit classes.

The angel and apostle of the coming revelation must be a woman, indeed, but lofty, pure, and beautiful; and wise; moreover, not through dusky grief, but the ethereal medium of joy; and showing how sacred love should make us happy, by the truest test of a life successful to such an end! So said Hester Prynne, and glanced her sad eyes downward at the scarlet letter.

And, after many, many years, a new grave was delved, near an old and sunken one, in that burial-ground beside which King’s Chapel has since been built. It was near that old and sunken grave, yet with a space between, as if the dust of the two sleepers had no right to mingle. Yet one tombstone served for both. All around, there were monuments carved with armorial bearings; and on this simple slab of slate—as the curious investigator may still discern, and perplex himself with the purport—there appeared the semblance of an engraved escutcheon. It bore a device, a herald’s wording of which might serve for a motto and brief description of our now concluded legend; so sombre is it, and relieved only by one ever-glowing point of light gloomier than the shadow:— _

“On a field, sable, the letter A, gules”

 

[kellycummings]

The Shining. Not saying the movie wasn't good, it was OK, but the only thing it had in common with the book was the title.

 

[shereads]

The Shining. Not saying the movie wasn't good, it was OK, but the only thing it had in common with the book was the title.

Agreed. The book was the first and only Stephen King book that scared the daylights out of me, because the character of Jack was so normal - and you watched him slowly turn into someone who could murder his wife and son. In the Kubrick film, Jack Nicholson's face telegraphs crazy as soon as he raises an eyebrow.

I'd have loved that movie if I hadn't been expecting the book. As it is, I loved Nicholson's performance simply because he was having so much fun going over the top.

"Heeeere's Johnny!"

 

[minsue]

Rush. (mid-nineties, I think. Jennifer Jason Leigh & Jason Patrick) Luckily I saw the movie first. I read the book later and was shocked to find that the movie made up an ending about 2/3 the way through the book.

 

[kellycummings]

Agreed. The book was the first and only Stephen King book that scared the daylights out of me, because the character of Jack was so normal - and you watched him slowly turn into someone who could murder his wife and son. In the Kubrick film, Jack Nicholson's face telegraphs crazy as soon as he raises an eyebrow.

I'd have loved that movie if I hadn't been expecting the book. As it is, I loved Nicholson's performance simply because he was having so much fun going over the top.

"Heeeere's Johnny!"

And no topiaries!!! How can you do The Shining without the topiaries? Hedge maze my ass! Frozen to death my ass! The damn boiler blows up!
I swear, Kubrick was a great director and the movie was very stylish but if you're gonna film a book, film the book!

 

[shereads]

He tried the topiaries, but CGI was primitive back then and it looked too cheesy.

Loved the tricycle-cam, though. The scenes in the hallway from the kid's point-of-view on the Big Wheel were the scariest part of the movie.

That, and the wife's discovery that his epic-length manuscript says nothing but, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

 

[kellycummings]

He tried the topiaries, but CGI was primitive back then and it looked too cheesy.

Loved the tricycle-cam, though. The scenes in the hallway from the kid's point-of-view on the Big Wheel were the scariest part of the movie.

That, and the wife's discovery that his epic-length manuscript says nothing but, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

Ok, yeah, when the boy is riding down the hallway and sees the twin girls. Creepy!
The manuscript is a classic. Standing alone, the movie is really very good but after the book it's quite a letdown.
The Simpsons did a good version of it.
"All work and no beer makes Homer.....something....something..."

 

[shereads]

Ok, yeah, when the boy is riding down the hallway and sees the twin girls. Creepy!
The manuscript is a classic. Standing alone, the movie is really very good but after the book it's quite a letdown.
The Simpsons did a good version of it.
"All work and no beer makes Homer.....something....something..."

Eee! Thread hijack idea: Movies that were done as well or better by the Simpsons:

#1: Cape Fear. Sideshow Bob (Kelsey Grammar) wins parole despite having a tattoo that says "Die Bart Die." (When questioned, he tells the parole board, "It's German for 'The Bart The.'")

 

[NoJo]

I think it would be more difficult to find a shitty book that made a great movie. I can't think of any, in fact.

 

[SnoopDog]

Well, I guess one could in general speak of Stephen King adaptations. It's just too difficult to capture the complexity, the moods and thoughts of any SK novel. The Stand comes to my mind, immediately. I actualy liked what Stanley Kubrick did with The Shining.
Then again I think there are a lot of films that may comprehend and change their respectative books, but did a great job.
Best example, Lord of the Rings, perfect book, more-than-perfect movie. I also very much liked David Lynch's Dune though the book is way better. I guess there are more examples. Of course you can never accomplish in bringing a good book to the big screen in a proper way staying true to the original.
But if Lord of the Rings has proven only one thing, than it is that there is no such term as impossible.
Just my two cents,
Snoopy

 

[Remec]

Anyone know for sure if Irving was involved in the screen play or had veto rights.

Anyone suggest any other book that has been so comprehensively screwed.

Not having read "The Cider House Rules", I am at a lost in coming up with anything to make a comparison. I thought it was a very good movie, how different was it from the book?

The last two things I read before seeing them in theatres were "Interview With the Vampire" and "The Ice Storm" both of which had some changes, but only Interview would I classify as comprehensively screwed. (Some of Rice's changes I could understand, others I was and am at a total loss about.)

 

[Wills]

Remec

Just a few differences jotted below.

1. Candy has her abortion but later gets pregnant by Homer, they raise the child living together with paralysed Wally on the Cider Farm pretending the child is his.

2. Rose does not get pregnant.

3. Roses father does not die.

4. Dr Larch fakes entire history for Homer, through medical school the whole works and Homer does finally return to the clinic but not until much later in life.

5. Candy's father builds a bomb, just in case the war goes bad and blows himself and the lobsters to kingdom come.

6. The girl at the clinic who has the hots for Vernon plays a much more significant role throught the book, leaving the home in search of Vernon, entering into a lesbian relationship and finally turning up at the Cider House.

Just a few differences!

Try the book, I am sure you will enjoy the read.

Will's

 

[Guest]

Agreed. The book was the first and only Stephen King book that scared the daylights out of me, because the character of Jack was so normal - and you watched him slowly turn into someone who could murder his wife and son. In the Kubrick film, Jack Nicholson's face telegraphs crazy as soon as he raises an eyebrow.

I'd have loved that movie if I hadn't been expecting the book. As it is, I loved Nicholson's performance simply because he was having so much fun going over the top.

"Heeeere's Johnny!"

He completely ad-libbed that line, but Kubrick left it in because it worked so well. Jack does play the pathological psychopathic killer so well.

I have never, not once, seen a film that lives up to the original book. Many of King's books have been slaughtered on the screen, I've given up watching movies made from books, and just stick to reading.

I'm a member of RLK! - Richard Laymon Kills: The official Richard Laymon website, and every now and again a thread is started up asking "Which Laymon book would you like to be seen made into a film?" Admittedly, his writing his very cinematic in style, and his novels would lend themselves well to being made into films, but I doubt I could bring myself to watch them.

There has actually been a low budget black and white film made of his book 'In The Dark'. It was made by fans and is only ever shown at the various horror conventions. Apparently it is excellent, and is very true to the book. They don't cut out the more harrowing scenes, for one thing. To me, this is the only way justice can be done to the original story of a book, when translating it to screen. If it is made with passion and with the heart of true fans of the book, who appreciate it for what it is.

On a side note, the anniversary of Richard Laymon's death was Valentine's Day. We did commemorate this at RLK! But, I just want to say here: RIP Richard. I loved that man, and will always love his work. He left a great legacy behind him, and always used to talk to us, his fans, on his old message board. Many of whom have now gone on to be mass market published authors themsleves. He was the champion of the little guy.

Lou

 

[kellycummings]

Eee! Thread hijack idea: Movies that were done as well or better by the Simpsons:

#1: Cape Fear. Sideshow Bob (Kelsey Grammar) wins parole despite having a tattoo that says "Die Bart Die." (When questioned, he tells the parole board, "It's German for 'The Bart The.'")

Dracula

Grandpa Simpson "We have to kill the boy!"
Marge "How did you know he was a vampire?"
Grandpa "He's a vampire?"

 

[minsue]

Pulp Fiction

(not awake enough to quote lines for ya, though)

Edited to add: this is for the Simpsons threadjack, not the book butchery.

 

[NoJo]

Everything the Simpsons do is better than the original, imho.

A greased up Groundskeeper Willie chasing Homer through the ducts of Springfield Elementary was way scarier than Alien.

Just watched the one where Homer trips out on psychedelic chili sauce. The animators definitely did some thorough research on that one. Phew.

 

[minsue]

Everything the Simpsons do is better than the original, imho.

A greased up Groundskeeper Willie chasing Homer through the ducts of Springfield Elementary was way scarier than Alien.

Just watched the one where Homer trips out on psychedelic chili sauce. The animators definitely did some thorough research on that one. Phew.

You've just reminded me as another one!

Nightmare on Elm St

Groundskeeper Willie as huge evil bagpipes.

 

[NoJo]

Have to say I laughed at the Seinfeld take on "The English Patient". Like Elaine in that episode, I found the original film unbearably boring.

 

[TheEarl]

Books that were screwed as films: All the Bond books (The original Ian Fleming ones that is).

Sure I do like the Bond films, they're great, but James Bond will always be remembered as the fast screwing, glib playboy spy with gadgets galore. Rather than as the cold, cruel spy, who gets his emotions crushed in Casino Royale and shuts down his emotions thereafter. You Only Live Twice was a classic book with fantastic character creation of a shattered James getting over the death of his wife.

Despite the filmmakers trying to make Bond a harder character, they're never going to capture the books.

The Earl