do you expect a movie to be exactly like the book??

What do you expect?

  • I don't expect the book to be like the movie

    Votes: 28 65.1%

  • I expect the book to be like the movie

    Votes: 12 27.9%

  • I don't really care :)

    Votes: 3 7.0%
  • Total voters
    43
S

suze

New member
So I have a totally random question lol

Do you expect a movie that is made from a book to be exactly like the book??

Reason why I ask is I don't expect that ever when I go to the movies. Last night I went, and the lady next to me complained the entire time and disrupted what I was watching, then half way through they got up and left all mad because the movie was nothing like the book!

I just thought it was the most random thing ever!! Movies where I live aren't cheap..... and the movie wasnt that bad!

oh btw it was The Lovely Bones... I read the book, and to be honest the movie was better than the book I personally thought anyway.

Anyway thanks for answering my random curiosity lol
 
I know better. The movie is never as good as the book. There's too much information that simply doesn't translate to the movie screen.
 
If it's a book I love, I hope it's like the book, and am disappointed if the director's vision changes it a lot. I understand instances where filming may not be able to duplicate the book, but when there are integral character changes or storyline changes, I might grouse about it at home lol. But to get grumpy and leave? Kinda silly unless it was just horrid.
 
I don't ever expect a movie to be exactly like the book, but I do expect the plot to be similar to the book or the ending.

Like, I think the Di Vinci Code didn't have the same ending in the movie as in the book. That sort of thing bothers me. But usually, its been so long since I read the book and watched the movie I'm trying to remember what was in the book. LOL!
 
ColleenSwerb said:
I know better. The movie is never as good as the book. There's too much information that simply doesn't translate to the movie screen.
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word. But I still want it to be that way and get annoyed if its too different for no reason at all (ie Twilight).
 
Darcy Baldwin said:
If it's a book I love, I hope it's like the book, and am disappointed if the director's vision changes it a lot. I understand instances where filming may not be able to duplicate the book, but when there are integral character changes or storyline changes, I might grouse about it at home lol. But to get grumpy and leave? Kinda silly unless it was just horrid.
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I agree with this :) I am always a little bummed if it was a book I loved. I hate when they take out a part of the book that I loved. or a piece of the story that I was hilarious or moving, etc and then they don't put it in the movie/show. It's always a bummer. :(
 
I agree with you ladies! It nice when it is, but I understand somethings just can't translate to movie.

you mentioned Twilight...... that was so far fetched from the book!! then New Moon I thought they followed to book to closely but just my opinion lol

has anyone watched a movie that was that bad you left a theater?? I just never have. I know enough from a preview I'm usually good. Might not be what I expected, but I give it its full run! lol
 
LOL, I'll let my avi do the talking for me.


Oh, and I'm a member of the Haldir Lives group (take that, Peter Jackson!) :p
 
Darcy Baldwin said:
If it's a book I love, I hope it's like the book, and am disappointed if the director's vision changes it a lot. I understand instances where filming may not be able to duplicate the book, but when there are integral character changes or storyline changes, I might grouse about it at home lol. But to get grumpy and leave? Kinda silly unless it was just horrid.
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This is exactly how I try to look at it too, I usually try not to have too high of expectations for the movie going into it too.

I think the only time we have ever got up and walked out of a movie was a long, long time ago...it was the movie The Thin Red Line, it's about WWII and had a ton of big name actors in it but it was just SO slow and boring. My DH loves war/action movies and he thought it was just awful.
 
I do not expect it to be exactly like the book but I do dislike when it is changed really drastically. There are alot of examples of this...one was My Sister's Keeper. Ughhhh I was prepared for one ending and then it was like completely opposite. I mean it was the most likely way it would have ended in real life but still totally different from the book
 
I have shut off a handful of movies at home that I rented, but never walked out of the theater. Too much money spent to not watch it all.
 
Twice...once was that one called Phonebooth or something like that. You know the one where the guy is in a phonebooth for almost the whole movie? Blah so stupid. Second one was with Steven Seagall. I cannot remember the name of the movie but it was one where he threw a credit card at a guy and like sliced his throat. Sucked big time!! And I was sooooo disappointed with New Moon. I was so excited to see it and it just was not that good. Maybe less of Kristin Stewart would make it better LOL

sbrobinson08 said:
has anyone watched a movie that was that bad you left a theater??
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It's impossible to make a movie exactly like the book. There's just too much info in a book. It will never translate completely. But, I do want the movie to stay true to the spirit of the book. It bothers me when the movie veers so far away from the book that you can hardly tell they came from the same source.

I love To Kill A Mockingbird (one of the best in my opinion - book AND movie) and Lonesome Dove (the TV miniseries was an excellent adaptation of the book, but it had to be 6 hours long to do it).
 
I've left movies at the Theater before.

Blast From the Past, I actually like it now.
The Talented Mr. Ripley

Passion of the Christ (but this one only because I couldn't stop crying, very loudly)

Trying to think if there are anymore, oh yeah.

The second Blair Witch Project movie. :huh:
 
The only movie that has ever lived up to the book for me was Pride & Prejudice (the BBC/A&E version), and it was done as a mini series...with way more time to spend on the character and plot development.

I NEVER expect it. Always wish it though. When I'm disappointed enough with the first attempt(s), I won't even bother with future releases like Harry Potter and Twilight.
 
jessica31876 said:
Twice...once was that one called Phonebooth or something like that. You know the one where the guy is in a phonebooth for almost the whole movie? Blah so stupid. Second one was with Steven Seagall. I cannot remember the name of the movie but it was one where he threw a credit card at a guy and like sliced his throat. Sucked big time!! And I was sooooo disappointed with New Moon. I was so excited to see it and it just was not that good. Maybe less of Kristin Stewart would make it better LOL
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never heard of those two movies... lol not surprised since you said they sucked, I probably just don't remember!

Yes new moon *least fav of the books + bad acting + Kristen Stewart = bad movie!
 
krystalhartley said:
The only movie that has ever lived up to the book for me was Pride & Prejudice (the BBC/A&E version), and it was done as a mini series...with way more time to spend on the character and plot development.
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Yes. *sigh* the best movie of all time. I watch it regularly. It was sooooo fabulous and so true to the book. Even if you sat down to watch it the whole 5 hours and some is totally worth it. Colin Firth is the only Mr. Darcy.
 
nesser1981 said:
I've left movies at the Theater before.

Blast From the Past, I actually like it now.
The Talented Mr. Ripley

Passion of the Christ (but this one only because I couldn't stop crying, very loudly)

Trying to think if there are anymore, oh yeah.

The second Blair Witch Project movie. :huh:
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omg yes the blair witch was really bad lol oh and Paranormal activity I hated! that documentary style movies isn't me. I didn't walk out tho, I just sat and watch anyway.
 
crystalbella77 said:
I have never left a theater, but mostly because I rarely go. lol I go like once every couple of eyars, lol
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lol I go all the time! oh but I don't have kids to worry about. I probably see atleast 2 to 3 movies in theaters a month, and he can rent 9 movies a week for free if we want. My husband runs a blockbuster movie store, so obviously we are big big movie buffs in this house!
 
I walked out of The Rock {with Nic Cage & Sean Connery} because it made me physically sick to see all those folks die. It was probably the last violent movie I ever watched, except for Troy, which I didn't even realize would be violent until I was already in there because you know I was so sidetracked by Orlando, Brad and Eric, so I just focused on muscles in the gory parts.
Oh, and James Bond. I walked out of a James Bond movie because it was SO awful to me.

And, since you asked, I don't want a movie to stick to the book IF it doesn't tell the story properly. I thought Twilight tried to have book scenes when it should have told their love story without trying to stick to the details from the book.
 
LOL We rent tons of movies so I hear ya!! :) I would go to theater if these pesky kids would just entertain themselves for a few hours. :p and get out of diapers! :D
 
crystalbella77 said:
LOL We rent tons of movies so I hear ya!! :) I would go to theater if these pesky kids would just entertain themselves for a few hours. :p and get out of diapers! :D
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You have a little while for that! I'm sure its a wonderful feeling when those diapers come off and they entertain themselves! watch out when that happens, you'll just get pregnant and be back where you started.... isn't that what usually happens :p
 
I think New Moon tied with Breaking Dawn as my least favorites. They both had their moments but for different reasons I disliked them. One of the things about Breaking Dawn that bugged me is how it seemed to drag on and on when it really could have been much shorter and less boring. Well parts of it anyhow. I am looking forward to the next two movies though. Im just hoping they get it right next time.

Oh and one movie that held pretty close to the movie was "The Notebook". OMG I loveeee that movie and the book. You kinda have to like those sappy chick flicks though to like the book or movie I think.
sbrobinson08 said:
Yes new moon *least fav of the books + bad acting + Kristen Stewart = bad movie!
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sbrobinson08 said:
has anyone watched a movie that was that bad you left a theater?? I just never have. I know enough from a preview I'm usually good. Might not be what I expected, but I give it its full run! lol
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To answer the original question, I agree with everyone, I expect basic plot and character adhesion but minor changes don't stress me.

To answer this question, I walked out of Joe v. the Volcano because it was terrible, The Man (Samuel L. Jackson and Eugene Levy) for technical issues that the theater refused to resolve, and The Word Trade Center because my DH picked it not knowing how freaked out I would get (we were dating at the time and we left after 10 minutes, I just don't watch movies like that, they are too emotional draining and I don't sleep for days.)
 
ColleenSwerb said:
I know better. The movie is never as good as the book. There's too much information that simply doesn't translate to the movie screen.
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I agree. I always hope that the movie and book will be as close as possible but I know better than to expect it. I really wish movies were more like the books but it's Hollywood.

But I've also noticed that in some cases the movie is better than the book. I think it really depends on the book, the actors, the directors and the writers for the script.
 
My husband rented this and I didnt watch much. It was just too hard. Im that way with alot of movies though. Like Ladder 49 I kept asking him if Joaquin Pheonix was going to die because he had already seen it and he kept saying he did not remember. I was so mad at him because he did remember but did not want to tell me because he knew Id tell him to turn it off.
carriesmom said:
The Word Trade Center because my DH picked it not knowing how freaked out I would get (we were dating at the time and we left after 10 minutes, I just don't watch movies like that, they are too emotional draining and I don't sleep for days.)
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I agree with what several others mentioned. I don't mind minor changes for the sake of saving time when the book translates to the movie, but I HATE it when the diverge completely from the plot or feel of the book. If it's not going to carry the same feel, why even bother with the movie, kwim?

Oh, and the only movie I've ever walked out of was the most pathetic excuse for a Kevin Costner movie ever - WaterWorld. I just couldn't sit and watch that thing.
 
joelsgirl said:
And, since you asked, I don't want a movie to stick to the book IF it doesn't tell the story properly.
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Exactly. I'd much rather they make a solid movie than try to include every little thing in the book. The first two Harry Potter movies were like that. I liked the later ones a lot more because they could stand on their own from the book.

But I'll admit, I was rather disappointed by the movie version of Confessions of a Shopaholic. That is my absolute favorite book series and while I think the movie was cute on it's own, it was absolutely nothing like the books. I would definitely have preferred them to be at least a BIT more like the original storyline.
 
nesser1981 said:
I don't ever expect a movie to be exactly like the book, but I do expect the plot to be similar to the book or the ending.

Like, I think the Di Vinci Code didn't have the same ending in the movie as in the book. That sort of thing bothers me. But usually, its been so long since I read the book and watched the movie I'm trying to remember what was in the book. LOL!
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Da Vinci Code was sooo different from the book but Angels and Demons was soooo much better (movie and closer to the book)
 
i don't expect them to be exact, but pretty close. completely different endings frustrate me. i recently read My Sisters Keeper. loved it, cried. i have not seen the movie yet, my mom got it for christmas so i'm hoping to borrow it soon. i'd like it to be pretty much what happened in the book.

i am currently reading The Time Traveler's Wife, almost done with it. i want to see the movie later on. it's sort of a complicated, strange type of book so they probably have a little bit more room for error there, lol.
 
haha I loved Seven!


I just finished Dear John to gear up for the movie (dd wants to see it..lol so I had to kinda preview it to see what it was about) anyways..I didn't LOVE the book so I hope the movie is good.
 
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