Books & Movies

I don't always like movies based on books. I'll like the book, then I won't like the movie. Or vice versa, in much less frequent cases. However, here are:

ELEVEN BOOKS I LIKE THAT BECAME MOVIES I LIKE
(presented alphabetically)

1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - We start this off with a wonderful book that actually became two movies I like. Roald Dahl, the author, was reportedly unhappy with the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that starred Gene Wilder, classic though that film has become. Tim Burton's version was closer to the spirit of the original, but I have to say I like them both for what they bring.
2. Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk burst onto the fiction scene with his first novel that became a movie directed by David Fincher. Palahniuk's style really brings out the narrator's state of mind with definite stream of consciousness writing, and the adaptation managed to stay faithful to the source material without revealing the big twist at the end. Both are violent, gritty, darkly funny, and, for me, very good.
3. The Godfather - Mario Puzo's novel was long, dramatic, spellbinding, and included an absolutely pointless subplot set in Hollywood. Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation was everything good about the book, with only a hint of the terrible Johnny Fontane story, and that was all that was necessary. I'm not as big of a fan of the second movie, though the young Vito Corleone story, taken from the original novel, was excellent.
4. High Fidelity - Nick Hornby's first fictional novel was about a man with a record store trying to figure out his life and relationships in Britain. The movie version, starring John Cusack, moved the locale to America and lost none of its punch. The story is very deep and insightful about the way men think, and though I don't really have the same lifestyle or subscribe to the same philosophies, I can still relate.
5. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - This Douglas Adams story began life as a radio program, then as a book, then as a TV series for BBC, then as a movie produced after Adams' death. Not a lot of people like the movie, but I really do. It is a departure from the original story, but Adams publicly stated that every version would be different to give them more reason for being. And I must say, Sam Rockwell's Dubya-inspired performance steals the show.
6. Jurassic Park - I wouldn't say Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel is great, but it was definitely groundbreaking. I guess my problem is all the giant holes in the movie, but the story is great. It's Crichton's greatest work, and the movie is fun, so what the heck. On the list it goes!
7. The Princess Bride - William Goldman "adapted" this book from a book he claims his father read to him. The movie took another fourteen years to make it to theaters, but was well worth the time. An absolutely perfect cast, some of the most quotable lines on celluloid, and a beautiful story made the film a classic, but it all came from the novel. Goldman wrote the screenplay as well.
8. A Series of Unfortunate Events - The first three books of Lemony Snicket's thirteen book series were made into a film by Brad Silberling in 2004. It was not a major box-office success, but I really enjoy its quirky charm. Jim Carrey was excellent in his role, which some critics disagree on. They think he was too goofy, but come on. It's an over-the-top role, who better than Jim Carrey?
9. The Shining - Stephen King hated Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of his book. I'm not sure of the exact quote, but I think he said something about Kubrick not understanding horror. No offense, Steve, but I found the movie terrifying The book was equally as terrifying, and I read that second. You'd think I knew what was going to happen and wouldn't be scared, but no. So, in a sense, Kubrick's version helped King's version by not spoiling the suspense.
10. The Silence of the Lambs - The Thomas Harris novel was really good to begin with; in fact, I would say it is the best of Harris' few novels. The movie, behind stellar performances by Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, really brought the story to life. The movie was very faithful to the book, and though the Hannibal Lecter franchise has gotten completely out of hand, this is definitely one of the gold standards of book adaptations.
11. Thank You For Smoking - Christopher Buckley's satire about the tobacco lobby was hysterical, and the movie definitely emulated the sentiment. My biggest complaint about the movie was that it changed the culprit, but I'd still recommend both. Aaron Eckhart made a great lead for the movie.

Honorable mention - The Lord of the Rings. I didn't include it because it was three books and three movies and I didn't want to waste the space. But yes, a fantastic (if wordy) trilogy of books by JRR Tolkien made into a fantastic trilogy of movies by Peter Jackson.

Oscar Shouldawons

In honor of the Oscars this Sunday...

ELEVEN MOVIES THAT DIDN'T WIN BEST PICTURE, BUT SHOULD HAVE
(presented chronologically)

1. Citizen Kane (1941) - The Maltese Falcon was also up for Best Picture in 1941, but the prize went to How Green Is My Valley, a film by director John Ford. I can't attest to the quality of HGWMV, having not seen it, but there is no doubt that Citizen Kane's long term impact far outweighs that of the Oscar winner. For its technical merits, there has never been another film like it.
   
2. High Noon (1952) - The Greatest Show On Earth, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, is sometimes called the worst movie ever to win the Best Picture Oscar. Personally, I think High Noon is one of the best Westerns ever made, so I'm happy to give it my vote instead of TGSOE
   
3. Dr. Strangelove (1964) - This is a controversial choice for me, as My Fair Lady, 1964's Oscar winner, is so popular. I don't care for it. And Dr. Strangelove is just such a wonderful satire, I can't imagine any other film that year being better.
   
4. Fiddler on the Roof (1971) - This is another controversial choice. The French Connection is undoubtedly a great film, but it's not something I can watch over and over again. Give an award to Gene Hackman for his role, maybe another one for the car chase, but give the Best Picture to a classic musical, Fiddler on the Roof.
   
5. Raging Bull (1980) - Robert Redford's directorial debut, Ordinary People, won the Oscar in 1980. But Raging Bull is such a classic, while Ordinary People is largely forgotten, which puts it on my list. This is the first of two times a Martin Scorcese movie appears on my list.
   
6. Field of Dreams (1989) - Maybe I just have a soft spot for Field of Dreams, but I can't imagine why Driving Miss Daisy won in 1989. It's been a long time since I saw Miss Daisy, but it was largely forgettable to me.
   
7. Goodfellas (1990) - This classic gangster movie got shafted. Dances With Wolves beat Goodfellas? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Kevin Costner over Martin Scorcese? I'll give Costner Field of Dreams, but he has never made or been in another movie I liked.
   
8. Fargo (1996) - Fargo was the best movie of 1996, but the Coen brothers' style was a little too obscure for people. Hopefully, they'll finally get an Oscar this year with No Country For Old Men, but I'll pick Fargo over The English Patient any day of the week.
   
9. Saving Private Ryan (1998) - Shakespeare In Love. WHAT? Spielberg wins best director, but Shakespeare In Love was a better movie than Saving Private Ryan? WHAT?!? This is the biggest travesty since Goodfellas lost.
   
10. Traffic (2000) - I know I'm among the minority, but I hated Gladiator. I had a friend who swore up and down that it was the greatest movie ever, but I hated it. I walked out thinking I had wasted three and a half hours of my life, only to find that it had only been two and a half hours. No, Traffic was much more interesting, and should have won the Oscar.
    
11. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - A Beautiful Mind was Ron Howard's reward for all his years in Hollywood. Maybe there wasn't another director more deserving, but The Fellowship of the Ring was just so good. And the series only got better. Return of the King won the Oscar for all of them in 2003.
    

I'm going to give a bonus honorable mention to Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption for 1994. They both could have won Best Picture Oscars in a lot of years, but there were three deserving films that year, with Forrest Gump taking the prize. I'm not saying Forrest Gump should have lost, just that Pulp Fiction and Shawshank deserve equal recognition.

Romantic Comedies

A quick explanation about this list. This is a collection of eleven movies that are romantic comedies mostly in the sense that there is romance in the comedy, but the relationship is not necessarily the main theme of the movie. I would not call these "chick flicks" or even traditional romantic comedies, just movies that are genuinely funny and result in a happy connection being made. The list is in alphabetical order.

ELEVEN ROMANTIC COMEDIES

1. Chicken Run - It's a Great Escape style adventure, starring chickens. It's all claymation, and it's a brilliant movie. The romantic tension between Rocky and Ginger is a great plot point, but I'd really recommend the movie for its technical brilliance. Plus, it's pretty funny.
   
2. Dave - This 1993 movie starred Kevin Kline as both the president and his impersonator, and Sigourney Weaver took the role of the First Lady. It's a very sweet movie, with a man forced into an impossible situation, making a difference, and falling in love at the same time.
3. Galaxy Quest - This Star Trek parody is a wonderfully funny movie. There are two romantic connections made, one between Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver, and the other between Tony Shalhoub and Missi Pyle.
   
4. Ghostbusters - Sigourney Weaver again (geez, she's in everything!), this time with Bill Murray in Ghostbusters. Of course, Ghostbusters is about busting ghosts, but the relationship between Dana and Venkman provides some good laughs.
   
5. Groundhog Day - Bill Murray is one of my favorite actors and comedians, and this 1993 movie showed several sides to him. A man is forced to repeat the same day over and over, and makes a change in himself in order to cope. The romantic subplot with Andie MacDowell puts this on the list.
6. High Fidelity - This movie is definitely about relationships, but it's interesting in that it explores why some men are so nutso when it comes to commitment. John Cusack comes to some very deep realizations through the movie, and I think it's great.
7. Liar Liar - Jim Carrey at his finest (well, comedic finest - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is his absolute best). This movie is absolutely hysterical, and, while very sappy in places, does really show a great change in Carrey's character. The romance comes at the very end.
   
8. Office Space - This movie about office rebellion has a nice subplot between Jennifer Aniston and Ron Livingston. The hero really has to come to terms with himself and his life in the movie, and he makes giant strides in finding out what he needs to be happy.
   
9. The Princess Bride - Well, what romantic comedy list would be complete without this one? There's much more here than the love story - action, comedy, tragedy, and yes, romance. If you haven't seen it yet, shame on you.
   
10. Shaun of the Dead - Yeah, OK, but it's a really good movie, and there is a romantic subplot between Shaun and his ex-girlfriend, so I count it in this definition of a romantic comedy. The romantic aspect is part of what gives this movie such heart.
11. Young Frankenstein - Two romantic subplots (Gene Wilder/Teri Garr, Peter Boyle/Madeline Kahn) put this on the list, but this is one of Mel Brooks' three best. I would probably sandwich it in quality between The Producers (#1) and Blazing Saddles (#3), neither of which have enough of a romantic subplot for me to include here.
    

Enjoy some of these on your Valentine's Day.