Over the years, numerous popular novels have had a movie adaptation. Some classics include Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings, Little Women, etc. However, no matter how “must-watch” worthy these series and movies are, those who have read the original books tend to argue that the movies do not do the books justice.
There are many theories as to why this might be the case. One common reasoning is that the time duration of movies restrict the amount of detailed plot points that can be contained within the time. A book may be as short as 100 pages or as long as 1000 pages. However, a movie must commit to two or three hours of screen time. Due to this, movie producers are forced to omit or alter scenes’ lengths, which therefore may affect the plot.
Another point that has been made is that movies, because they are visual presentations, leave viewers few things to imagine. In a book, readers are free to imagine the characters, locations, and even facial expressions. In a movie, although the cast and filming locations are chosen to fit as closely as possible to the book’s description, readers may have had their own unique imagination but now find themselves limited to the director’s interpretation.
Recent adaptations that have garnered attention include the movie Red, White, & Royal Blue (originally a novel written by Casey McQuiston). A large chunk of the novel is emails shared between the two main characters discussing their sincere thoughts. However, in a movie, that is hard to portray, and therefore monologues of the characters were there instead. A scene later in the movie discusses these emails, which could be confusing for those who have not read the book. This is an example of the flaws of movie adaptations, as it may be forced to alter significant moments in the story.
As for The Summer I Turned Pretty (originally a trilogy written by Jenny Han), from the comparisons avid fans have made of the book trilogy versus the TV series, it is noticed that the series altered quite a few points. For example, Taylor and Steven, the main character’s best friend and brother, were not significant characters in the novels, but played a large role in her decisions in the series. With Taylor and Steven’s loveline being popular amongst fans, many have expressed their want for a spin-off of those two characters. This connects to XO, Kitty, a spin-off on Lara Jean’s (from To All The Boys series) little sister, who did not have a separate storyline. This demonstrates that spin-off films are generally a result of the movies’ success, and the movies are produced due to the books’ popularity.
According to Goodreads members, the top five best movie adaptations are (in order): The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Gone with the Wind, The Godfather, and To Kill a Mockingbird. This poll may bring into question, what makes a good movie adaptation? It may be the avoidance of the points mentioned above: a movie that follows the major significant plot points and descriptive narrations of the novel while providing viewers with a visual interpretation of the fictional world and perhaps expanding on the roles of certain minor characters.
