Top Ten Tuesday: Best/Worst Book-to-Movie Adaptations

 

The Top Ten Tuesday meme is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, and this week's topic is film adaptations of books, both the good and the bad. For a longer list of "best" adaptations, check out my previous Top Ten Tuesday post.

Best:

1.) Just generally, Andrew Davies' period dramas. This includes, of course, the famous BBC Colin Firth version of Pride & Prejudice, but also less well-known ones like Northanger Abbey, Little Dorrit, and Wives & Daughters. An exception would be the 1996 Emma, as I prefer the version featuring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam. (Mainly because, hello, Jeremy Northam.)

Catherine and Henry in Northanger Abbey... aren't they adorable?!

2.) The 1983 version of Jane Eyre, which I know practically nobody is familiar with (it stars Timothy Dalton and Zelah Clarke). It's probably the version that is most faithful to the original book, although the 2006 version does a decent job as well.

3.) Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel. Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie play off each other really well as Anne and Gilbert. Even though there are some major liberties taken with the storyline in the second movie (they kind of mashed together plots from a few different books in the series) the two main leads still manage to make it an entertaining movie-watching experience.

4.) Lord of the Rings. It's not a perfect rendering of the books, but hey, it comes pretty close. And it definitely gives off that necessary EPIC feel.

5.) The 1996 Much Ado About Nothing film. This is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, and it's done wonderful justice in this version. The roles of Beatrice and Benedick are critical, and Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh play them pretty much to perfection. Honourable mention to the new Much Ado About Nothing film, which I saw just a couple days ago and was really quite good (certain scenes were absolutely hilarious!).

Worst:

1.) The 2011 adaptation of Jane Eyre. I saw this in theatres and I kid you not, my friends and I were cracking up practically the whole way through. And Jane Eyre is not a comedy.

Rochester: "It is your SOUL that I want." Me: Run, Jane!!! Run!

2.) Ella Enchanted. I know I've used this example before, but this shouldn't even be considered an adaptation. It's appalling how they completely massacred Gail Carson Levine's novel.

3.) The 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice. There are certain aspects this one has going for it (the panoramic shots of scenery are breathtaking) but I don't think either of the leads are particularly well-cast. I'm not a huge Keira Knightley fan and I liked Matthew MacFadyen better as the character he plays in Little Dorrit (*points up*) than Mr. Darcy.

Darcy: "You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love...I love... I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on." Elizabeth: "Well then...your hands are cold." Me: ... WHAT??????

4.) The Princess Diaries 2 movie. Technically I guess this one isn't really an adaptation, because it's not based off of any storyline Meg Cabot wrote, but it's a very cheesy, cringe-in-places kind of movie. (To be fair, it is funny in spots too.) It bugs me how Michael is completely written out of it, though.

5.) Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story. This is the third Anne movie and it departs significantly from L.M. Montgomery's original books. As in, they didn't even bother mashing together her storylines this time, they just came up with something totally different. For the most part it is pretty ridiculous — I like the scene where Anne and Gilbert find each other again, but that's about it.

No, that little boy is not Davy from the original series. That's Dominic, one of many new characters inserted into this rather pathetic attempt to 'continue Anne's story' without, um, consulting the books or anything.

What are your top ten best/worst book-to-movie adaptations?

Life of Pi: Blu-ray Giveaway!

That's right, it's another giveaway! The Life of Pi film is coming out on DVD/Blu-ray today, and ThinkJam has generously offered up a Blu-ray copy of Life of Pi to two of my readers.

First, here's a little more about the film:

"A “magnificent and moving” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone) motion picture event that has been hailed as “a masterpiece” (Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times), taking in over $500 million in worldwide box office.  LIFE OF PI follows Pi Patel, a young man on a fateful voyage who, after a spectacular disaster, is marooned on a lifeboat with the only other survivor, a fearsome 450 lb Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker. Hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery Pi and his majestic companion make an amazing and unexpected connection."

The giveaway rules:

- Entrants must have a mailing address within the US or Canada
- Entrants must be 13 years or older
- Tweeting and following are always appreciated, but not required
- One entry per person
- There will be 2 winners, randomly selected, each of whom will receive 1 Blu-ray copy of Life of Pi
- Giveaway ends March 24 at 11:59 pm EST

To enter, please fill out THIS FORM. Comments, while wonderful, do not count as entries.

Cross My Palm: YA Fantasy

This is a series of posts I'm doing discussing current trends in YA genres and what might be in store for the future. This is just based on my own observations of books and what I've seen publishers/authors/other bloggers talking about.


Sorry it's been so long since the last post in this series! You can catch up on all the previous posts here (contemporary, sci-fi/dystopian, historical, and paranormal YA have already been covered), but this time it's YA fantasy trends.

• Time travel is the next "hot" topic. I think time travel stories hold a lot of potential for creativity — and apparently publishers think so too, with offerings such as the Hourglass series by Myra McEntire, the Ruby Red series by Kerstin Gier, the River of Time series by Lisa Bergren, and Tempest by Julie Cross. Not always "fantasy" in the strictest sense, I know, but time travel books kind of fit into several genres...

• Retellings — both fairytale and mythological — are holding their own. On the fairy tale side of things, we've got books like the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, Jackson Pearce's fairy tale companion books (Fathomless is releasing this year), Queen of Glass by Sarah J. Maass, and Enchanted by Alethea Kontis. In terms of mythology, there's a whole subsection just for "the underworld" stories, like Meg Cabot's Abandon trilogy, the Sirenz series by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman, the Everneath series by Brodi Ashton, and The Goddess Test series by Aimee Carter. Other mythological retellings (or stories with mythological aspects) include the Starcrossed series by Josephine Angelini, the Medusa Girls series by Tera Lynn Childs, Starling by Lesley Livington, and the Gods & Monsters series by Kelly Keaton. And there are even a few upcoming fantasy retellings of classic tales like Jane Eyre (Ironskin by Tina Connolly) and the Ugly Duckling (The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors).

On a related note, fairytale retellings seem to be popping up in TV and movies as well! Any of you who have not yet tuned into the TV show Once Upon A Time, you guys are missing out. And I haven't watched Grimm but I know that it's a CSI-style show based on the Grimm fairytales. Also, be on the lookout this year for the movies Snow White and the Huntsman (yes, it stars Kristen Stewart – but seriously, check out the cool trailer!) and Mirror Mirror (which has Julia Roberts in it, even though the trailer makes me think a lot of the comedy might not be my style). 

• Here be dragons — well, a few, anyway. Dragons are no vampires in YA, at least not yet. But there seems to be the start of a renewed interest in these fire-breathing monsters, with books like Sophie Jordan's Firelight series, Seraphina by Rachel Hartman, Incarnate by Jodi Meadows, Prophecy by Ellen Oh, and Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey.

• Faeries are in, but elves and dwarves are not. Tolkien-esque fantasy does not yet seem to have made its way back into popularity, but faeries still hold an allure for readers. (Note the spelling there: by and large these are the unpredictable, can't-always-be-trusted "fey," not the Tinkerbell type of fairies.) Examples of upcoming faerie releases include Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier, The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long, The Wood Queen by Karen Mahoney, The Falconer by Elizabeth May, The Torn Wing by Kiki Hamilton, and Luminance Hour by Ryan Graudin.

• Thieves and assassins are stealing readers' hearts. In a way, I think this is kind of the fantasy version of the trend in historical YA for secret agents and spies. I guess there's something about the seedy underbelly of a city that draws readers in... Recent or upcoming books that fit into this category are Thief's Covenant by Ari Marmell, Mastiff by Tamora Pierce, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maass, Grave Mercy by R. L. LaFevers, and Liar's Moon by Elizabeth C. Bunce.

• Oddly enough, "touch" seems to be an important theme in fantasy (and paranormal) YA these days. I don't know if this is just a fluke or what, but with books like Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder, Touched by Corrine Jackson, the A Touch trilogy by Leah Clifford, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, the Clarity series by Kim Harrington, and the Curse Workers series by Holly Black...it seems like this idea is becoming popular. What do you think?

• Unusual settings (for fantasy) and PoC characters are making an appearance. I wouldn't say yet that either of these aspects are common in YA fantasy, but hopefully others will follow these authors' leads and make it happen. We're talking books such as Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff, the Wildefire series by Karsten Knight, the Daughter of Smoke & Bone series by Laini Taylor, Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst, The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson, and Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson.

So, what are your thoughts on trends in YA fantasy? Is the "power of touch" something concrete or just coincidence? Will we keep seeing more PoC characters and different settings in the future? Will there be a return of the elves? Let me know what you see for the future of YA fantasy!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books to Movies

The "Top Ten Tuesday" meme is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, and this week's topic is film adaptations of books. I really enjoy a lot of book-to-movie adaptations, but I'm also a bit of a purist, so they have to be done right.

And just to warn you... Jane Austen movies own this list.


Here are some of my favourites:

1.) The BBC version of Pride & Prejudice. This one beats the Keira Knightley version hands-down, no contest.

Who can resist that???

2.) The 1983 Jane Eyre with Timothy Dalton and Zelah Clarke. Of the versions I've seen, this is the one that by far sticks the closest to the actual novel (including with the gypsy scene!) Timothy Dalton plays the brooding Rochester to perfection, and Zelah Clarke pulls off the role of the quiet but determined Jane beautifully.

3.) The 2007 version of Northanger Abbey. I was so impressed that the actor who plays Henry Tilney (JJ Feild) looks almost exactly how I would have pictured his character! And Felicity Jones manages to act a Catherine that is sweet and naive without coming off as annoying.

4.) The 1993 Much Ado About Nothing — Kenneth Branaugh and Emma Thompson are masters of witty banter, and they carry off Shakespeare's lines brilliantly.

5.) The 1995 version of Persuasion — I've seen a few Persuasions but this one is my favourite. The romantic longing between these two and their regret over the past is very believable.

6.) A Walk to Remember — I'm not a super huge fan of the book, although it is my favourite of the Nicholas Sparks books I've read. The movie, while it doesn't follow the book that closely, is really sweet. I think because I saw the movie first before I read the book I don't mind as much that it departs somewhat from the original.

7.) The 1996 version of Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam — I don't think this was the first version of Emma I saw, but it's my favourite. The foreshadowing and tension between Emma and Mr. Knightley is really well done, and Jeremy Northam is just SO amazing as Knightley. Seriously.

Who can resist this either?

8.) The Lord of the Rings — EPIC. Does anything more really need to be said?

9.) Gone with the Wind — Actually, I didn't make it all the way through this book when I tried to read it years ago. It's so huge and daunting! I am hoping to try it again sometime though. And I do love the film — both of the star actors are so perfect for their roles, and their journey is an emotional rollercoaster.

10.) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban — I think this is my favourite so far of all of the Harry Potter films (though Part 1 of the last one was pretty intense!) I really love how they dealt with the time travel, and plus it's one of my favourite HP books too.

Honourable mention to the film adaptations of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South and Wives and Daughters...what can I say, I love period dramas!