Examples of the TV or Movie being better than the book
- Thread starter Joelist
- Start date
I'll go first as I watched this a few days ago - the miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's opus The Stand.
I've read the book. While a good story it is bloated in the book with too many characters and as was typical of King at this phase of his writing career his prose lacked polish and rambled in places.
Now the story of The Stand miniseries is interesting in that the original idea was a theatrical movie. The problem was (and is) that the story is just too long and trying to compress it into a movie would result in something unwatchable. After some more false starts it finally became a six hour miniseries with King himself penning the screenplay and (and this was a BIG help) Mick Garris directing.
The miniseries is to me FAR superior to the book. It eliminated a lot of unnecessary characters and the good directoral work meant the pacing is even as well. The story just flows better in the mini and also because the miniseries clipped off some of the over the top nasty gore from the book it is a better watch overall. It also helps that several performances are top notch (Gary Sinise, Jamey Sheridan, Ray Walston, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Miguel Ferrer, Laura San Giacomo and yes Rob Lowe) which balances Shawnee Smith's laughably poor acting and Molly Ringwald being miscast - she tried but it's just the wrong role for her.
I've read the book. While a good story it is bloated in the book with too many characters and as was typical of King at this phase of his writing career his prose lacked polish and rambled in places.
Now the story of The Stand miniseries is interesting in that the original idea was a theatrical movie. The problem was (and is) that the story is just too long and trying to compress it into a movie would result in something unwatchable. After some more false starts it finally became a six hour miniseries with King himself penning the screenplay and (and this was a BIG help) Mick Garris directing.
The miniseries is to me FAR superior to the book. It eliminated a lot of unnecessary characters and the good directoral work meant the pacing is even as well. The story just flows better in the mini and also because the miniseries clipped off some of the over the top nasty gore from the book it is a better watch overall. It also helps that several performances are top notch (Gary Sinise, Jamey Sheridan, Ray Walston, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Miguel Ferrer, Laura San Giacomo and yes Rob Lowe) which balances Shawnee Smith's laughably poor acting and Molly Ringwald being miscast - she tried but it's just the wrong role for her.
The Expanse. 
Both the series and the books are awesome and pretty much in exact sync. But one if a visual representation of the other and the series fleshes out the books in a way just not possible in print.
Both the series and the books are awesome and pretty much in exact sync. But one if a visual representation of the other and the series fleshes out the books in a way just not possible in print.
Lord Ba'al
Well Known GateFan
You guys are having all the fun. Unfortunately, I don't read, so I can't weigh in on this topic.
Yes, I made the unfortunate mistake of purchasing Hunt for Red October after seeing the movie, and was appalled at the lack of depth. The movie was awesome.
I have another one...the book by Pierre Boulle, Planet of the Apes was not only completely unlike the excellent Planet of the Apes movies, but also unlike the awful Tim Burton adaptation of the story. Strangely enough, the Tim Burton movie was closer to the book than the theatrical series of 5 movies in the 1970s which to me are the best version of the story. They are so different from the book that they qualify as a different work altogether, and an entire series of screenplay novels were published after the fact. The Planet of the Apes is one of the first multi-film first-run movie franchises to come out of Hollywood.
The book Hunt for Red October is longer and more technical but it also was very accurate in its descriptions of a lot of naval and especially submarine operations - so accurate Clancy and his compatriot Larry Bond (designer of the Harpoon modern naval warfare game) actually wound up meeting with several high ranking officers to prove they did not use classified information - they just guessed based on experience and knowledge and did it well.
The book bordered on a dramatic documentary, whereas the movie fleshed out a man, a global threat and a friendship. It personalized the story told in the book in a way the book might not have been able to do even if it tried.
Quetesh
Well Known GateFan
I used to love to read on vacations, but somehow, there is never any time to do this anymore.
One of the books that I read, that I liked, but I loved the movie was The Nanny Diaries. The movie just really fleshed out the overbearing mother so much more, and I would also say the same for The Devil Wears Prada. It is much more satisfying to see the partial redemption of a character that you have grown to hate on screen than in a book.
One movie that was the opposite in the same genre would be The Confessions of the Shopaholic, the book felt more like a complete story while the movie really centered entirely around Sophie's character. Don't get me wrong she is the main character, but the other characters in the movie felt like they were there only to showcase her, in the book you got to know and care about all of the characters.
One of the books that I read, that I liked, but I loved the movie was The Nanny Diaries. The movie just really fleshed out the overbearing mother so much more, and I would also say the same for The Devil Wears Prada. It is much more satisfying to see the partial redemption of a character that you have grown to hate on screen than in a book.
One movie that was the opposite in the same genre would be The Confessions of the Shopaholic, the book felt more like a complete story while the movie really centered entirely around Sophie's character. Don't get me wrong she is the main character, but the other characters in the movie felt like they were there only to showcase her, in the book you got to know and care about all of the characters.
Lord Ba'al
Well Known GateFan
I have them perform plays for me. I am of course the star in the stories. And if they portray me badly, I have their primta removed.
