Flick Critique: Best novel adaptations

Before movies, the main way to convey a story was through innovative novels, often with controversial plots and themes. Eventually, movies became a more common way to share these stories with audiences, some of them grabbing inspiration from novels.

While adaptations have become common, there are often cases where viewers are left disappointed with the film. In some special instances, however, audiences are torn between the novel and the film, finding it nearly impossible to choose. Here are five book adaptations that have left viewers, and even the authors themselves, in awe.

Bret Easton Ellis’ “American Psycho” was certainly a controversial novel upon its 1991 release, earning the author and his work major backlash.

While the plot of the book is certainly dark, filled with violence primarily directed toward women, Ellis and Mary Harron, who directed the subsequent film, were adamant in representing the central themes of the novel in the movie. The film focused on appearance versus reality and the dangers of materialism.

During the rise of Yuppies, the 1980s were regarded as a time of excess and greed, when individuals seemed to lose their identity. In the case of the protagonist in the movie, Patrick Bateman, he desperately wants to stand out that he chooses mindless violence as his way to differentiate himself from his coworkers.

Both the film and the novel manage to warn audiences against the dangers of consumerism and reluctant loss of identity, showing how greed and vanity can have violent outcomes.

While prolific author Cormac McCarthy has certainly written many novels that have become beloved movie adaptations, none are perhaps as well-known and praised as the Coen brothers’ “No Country For Old Men.”

Released two years after McCarthy’s novel, “No Country For Old Men” is often lauded as one of the Coen brothers’ best work, supposedly even earning the author’s approval. With stellar performances from Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones, this film managed to remain faithful to McCarthy’s work, mostly relying on the actors, direction and cinematography to make the novel come alive.

While films often overshadow the books, this is seldom the case for authors as accomplished and well-known as McCarthy. Nonetheless, the film adaptation may be the closest example of a movie stealing the spotlight from a renowned author and their original literary work.

Perhaps a less faithful adaptation, but equally as recognizable, is François Truffaut’s 1966 adaptation of “Fahrenheit 451.” While the director took some of his own liberties, he certainly earned himself much praise, as it is now considered a cult classic in the world of film.

The movie was challenging for the French director to film for both personal and professional reasons, and Truffaut received backlash for his now praised film. Similar to its predecessor, the 2018 remake did not receive much praise, leaving audiences wondering if it could one day earn the status and fame Truffaut’s film did as well over the years.

Nonetheless, unlike the recent remake, the 1966 film eventually earned Bradbury’s approval, further contributing to the audience’s change of heart and to the film’s later success.

Another controversial book-to-film adaptation is Irvine Welsh’s “Trainspotting,” which was later adapted in 1996 by Danny Boyle. This film even led to a highly-rated sequel released in 2017. While many readers and viewers criticized the glorification of drug use, both Welsh and Boyle have certainly made it clear that they focused on the harmful consequences of addiction.

Once highly criticized, “Trainspotting” has become a beloved cult classic, warning viewers against the many repercussions brought about by drug use and praised by Welsh himself.

A master of book adaptations, Stanley Kubrick certainly embraced the power of bringing a novel to life. While Kubrick’s adaptations of “A Clockwork Orange” and “Lolita” are certainly enough to earn him a spot on this list, his finest adaptation is arguably of Stephen King’s “The Shining.”

Combining one of the most recognized horror novelists and one of the most prolific directors of all time, it is not surprising this movie has become one of the most iconic films of all time, a difficult title to snag in its horror genre.

“The Shining” single-handedly revolutionized the horror genre in film, focusing on silence and using daytime rather than nighttime to play on audiences’ fears. While King himself attempted to make his own adaptation after criticizing Kubrick’s film, his miniseries’ flop just cemented Kubrick’s film as a cult classic.

Evidently, the coexistence between books and films will remain a key and essential relationship for bookworms and cinephiles alike. Without novels, many filmmakers would not have the inspiration to draw from with which to create their masterpieces. Some authors would not be as beloved if their novels were not thrust into the spotlight through a cinematic adaptation.