13 Movies That Basically Spat On The Book They Were Based On And 14 That Are Like A Love Letter To The Book
1.Missed the mark: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
The problem starts with aging up the characters, which entirely changes the tone and stakes of the story, but it doesn't end there. When the author of the book publicly criticizes the film and complains about having basically no influence on it, you can bet it's going to be a bad adaptation. The movies are just way too different and don't capture the heart of the books.
2.Spot on: Dune
So, I ended up reading all of Dune the same week I saw the movie, and I have to say, while it wasn't a perfect adaptation, I do think they did a really good job with difficult-to-adapt subject material. The changes felt necessary to make it more cinematic, and I felt like most of the casting (especially Rebecca Ferguson) and acting was really strong. Visually, it was everything I wanted and more.
3.Missed the mark: My Sister's Keeper
I'll be honest, I don't remember much of what I thought of the bulk of this film, because I've never watched it again after that ending. HOW CAN YOU CHANGE THE ENTIRE TWIST ENDING TO THE OPPOSITE FROM THE BOOK?? Disgraceful.
4.Spot on: The Lord of the Rings (fine, if I have to choose...The Return of the King)
I will forever see these films as perfect adaptations. They cut exactly the right things from the books (sorry, Tom Bombadil) and added exactly the right lines and moments to make it more cinematic. The casting was stellar, and the special effects are legendary — not perfect by today's standards, but also not just overly CGI'd.
5.Missed the mark: The Hobbit
The first one was alright, and the second wasn't horrible, but...did we really need nine hours of The Hobbit, a book that really could've been covered in half a movie? They stuffed way too much in here and really milked the source material for all it was worth, taking too many liberties and cheapening the source material. The Lord of the Rings films are so good that I wish they'd just left it at that.
6.Spot on: Twilight
HEAR ME OUT. Robert and Kristen played those parts to perfection. They actually cast Native Americans in the roles of the werewolves, and the first movie at least was pretty damn close to the book. Also, that soundtrack?! Not that Twilight is the best book ever, but that movie was a damn good adaptation.
7.Missed the mark: Breaking Dawn (Parts 1 and 2)
I know a lot of people liked the twist where it seemed Carlisle had died, and while I think it was a valiant effort to create more of a climax in a book that didn't have much of one, I don't like what a big change it was. I also just feel like this book really didn't need to be two movies...and let's not even talk about the weird CGI for Renesmee.
8.Spot on: Matilda
Roald Dahl imbued all his work with a sense of magic, even beyond the actual magic present in his stories. Matilda was one of my favorites of his books, and the move perfectly captured the heart of the story as well as its darkness. The characters were just as I imagined them, and the casting was perfect.
9.Missed the mark: A Wrinkle in Time
This is one of those films that tried to do too much. LOVE the cast, love the messaging, just don't like the execution. A Wrinkle in Time (like The Lorax) is one of those books that just doesn't make sense to be turned into a movie. A Wrinkle in Time isn't grounded fantasy like Harry Potter, where we're dying to see it come to life onscreen — so much of it feels like we're supposed to imagine it on our own, and not always come up with the same thing. The visuals were beautiful, but just not what I imagined, and it didn't feel like it held the same magic as the book.
10.Spot on: The Princess Diaries
OK, if I'm being real, this wasn't a "spot on" adaptation in that it did feel really different from the book — but in a good way! Like Crazy Rich Asians, it felt like many of the changes were natural in turning the style more cinematic and genre-fitting, and like with many of these examples, Anne Hathaway brought a new perspective to the character from the book. Casting Julie Andrews in particular was a stroke of genius, and I honestly wish we'd gotten more screentime from Sandra Oh and Caroline Goodall as the principal and Mia's mom, because even the minor characters were great.
11.Missed the mark: Eragon
This is by far the worst book-to-movie adaptation that I have ever seen. My dad was reading Eragon to me, and we rushed to finish so we could go to our local movie theater and see the movie on Friday night. We walked out in complete and utter shock. We still quote, "You can hear my thoughts!" "Yes, and you mine!" and, "We'll give him a funeral fit for a king!" It wasn't grounded in any reality, and the plot was mangled into something unrecognizable. Sad!
12.Spot on: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
All the Hunger Games adaptations were decent, but Catching Fire has to be one of my favorite book-to-movie adaptations and one of my favorite movie sequels of all time. The casting (in particular, Jena Malone as Joanna, Sam Claflin as Finnick, and Jeffrey Wright as Beatee) was flawless, and the splashy Capitol lifestyle was contrasted with the grim reality of the games even better than in the first film. The political undertones and tension were much stronger and handled super well.
13.Missed the mark: The Giver
The Giver was NOT another thrilling dystopian novel like Divergent or The Hunger Games, and it had no business being turned into a movie that felt like an iteration of those. It just did not feel as dark and interesting as the book. Also, I love Taylor Swift, but what the heck was she doing here?
14.Spot on: A Series of Unfortunate Events (the TV series)
This has got to be one of the closest book-to-screen adaptations, which is a potentially risky move (usually it's good to take a few liberties), but it works here because it's just done so well. The humor is perfectly captured, and the visual design and editing are spectacular. It feels larger than life while also grimmer than life, whimsical yet depressing at the same time, just like the books. They also threw in some fun cultural references through Sunny, and a bit of subtle self-aware humor that felt like a loving reference to the fact that most people who loved these books are now adults.
15.Missed the mark: A Series of Unfortunate Events (the movie)
Look, this one was fun. It had a stellar cast. But Jim Carrey just wasn't creepy enough as Olaf, and Klaus and Violet were WAY too old, taking away a lot of the creepy factor. It just didn't carry the same type of dark humor the books did so well at. Also, trying to fit three books into one film just didn't do the books justice.
16.Spot on: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
If you don't think this is the best Harry Potter book/movie, you're either wrong or lying. It perfectly bridges the gap between kid and teen Harry and his friends, and it's the closest Michael Gambon ever comes to actually acting like Dumbledore. We get to see some of the most iconic moments from the entire series, including Hermione punching Malfoy and "EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!" Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, and Alan Rickman shone as Sirius, Lupin, and Snape, in a film where their history was at the forefront. Also, Harry's angst is at its best here.
17.Missed the mark: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Look, I was a huge Harry Potter fan growing up, and I saw this particular film six times in theaters. But even after the first viewing, I knew it was awful. The visual design does a good job of conveying the darkness of the book...but that's about where the similarities stop. The sixth book, to me, is the grimmest book of the series, with themes of the allure of power, obsession, and suspicion. The film turned it into a high school rom-com with jokes that did not belong, and then took the one happy aspect of the book — Harry and Ginny's relationship — and made it extremely dull and lifeless.
18.Spot on: Room
I was a little cautious when they turned Room into a film — part of the reason the book had worked so well was because it was from Jack's perspective, and thus didn't feel like torture porn or some splashy sensationalizing of a horrible trauma. I wasn't sure how they could keep the perspective with Jack in the film — but they proved me wrong. They kept it grounded in his experience while giving a bit more to Joy without feeling like it was completely her story, and both Jacob Tremblay and Brie Larson played their roles with such reality that you couldn't help but feel like you were right there with them. I've never been more anxious than I was in that truck scene!
19.Missed the mark: Before I Fall
I LOVED this book in high school, even if it had its problems (that ending...). The movie was OK (largely due to Zoey Deutch), but it lacked the heart of the book, and I didn't really believe Kent and Zoey's connection. I didn't feel like Juliet got the nuance she deserved, and the ending, again, felt far too Hollywood and kind of cheap.
20.Spot on: To All the Boys I've Loved Before
The book was adorable and relatable, yet still emotionally resonant and riveting, and bringing it to the screen worked perfectly largely due to the charms of Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, as well as their chemistry. I can't speak for the sequels, but this first installment was a perfectly charming exploration of first love and the dynamics of high school, just like the book.
21.Missed the mark: All the Bright Places
I definitely had some problems with the book, which I felt romanticized suicide and wrapped things up too neatly at the end. The film, to me, only magnified those problems. By focusing more on Violet in general and Finch mostly only as far as his influence on her life (as opposed to the book, which had dual perspectives for both, and had them both start on the ledge), Finch felt even more like a tragic hero who only existed to lift up another, rather than his own character dealing with trauma and mental illness while also trying to help another with the same. This was a disservice to Finch and those with mental illness — and as emotionally grounded as Justice Smith was, the script just didn't allow for a more complicated exploration of his character. The Post-its also felt like a random add-on rather than a huge part of Finch's character.
22.Spot on: Holes
I'm pretty sure everyone around my age range loves Holes. As they should — it's a great adaptation of the source material and a classic all on its own. Adults (especially big stars) often feel out of place or don't hold their own in movies with a large cast of kids — but here, Sigourney Weaver is completely bone-chilling, hateable, while still feeling layered.
23.Missed the mark: The Lorax
How did a film with a voice cast this star-stuffed turn out this bad? Maybe it's because the picture book this story was based on just...didn't need to be turned into a movie. Its political message felt largely obscured, and it just did not feel like a Dr. Seuss story at all to me.
24.Spot on: Crazy Rich Asians
Crazy Rich Asians was a great, hilarious book — but the film elevated it to a new level, adapting it to better fit the rom-com format with a star-studded cast. Focusing more on Rachel (yet still leaving room for the supporting cast to shine) made this film more grounded and relatable, and Gemma Chan in particular absolutely killed it as Astrid.
25.Missed the mark: The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
While it was a decent action movie if you hadn't read the books (my dad enjoyed it), it was like a slap in the face if you had. They completely changed the ending (which ruined the entire setup for the third film), and it felt very much like without Dylan O'Brien, no one would be watching. Kaya/Teresa basically faded into the background, and the normally excellent Giancarlo Esposito, Patricia Clarkson, and Aidan Gillen all felt one-dimensional. The first movie was alright, but I didn't even bother watching the third after this one.
26.Spot on: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
This is another example that excelled because of its casting. A fresh-faced, pre–Gossip Girl Blake Lively was EXACTLY who I pictured as Bridget, and America Ferrara was an absolute breakout star of this film. The characters all felt authentic to their ages and that time period in the same relatable way the book did, and it was very much a love letter to the book and its fans. As for the sequel...we don't talk about that.
27.And finally, missed the mark: The Golden Compass
Oh, lord. Another one I rushed to see and then was vastly disappointed. High-concept fantasy and sci- fi film adaptations are really hit or miss (usually miss), and this one just did not do the book justice, featuring a pretty bad, sanitized hack-saw job of the book. It pretty famously watered down the messages about religious corruption, which was the entire point of the book, though there was still, of course, a huge controversy about it being "anti-religion."
