If there’s one thing a reader loves more than a good book, it’s a good adaptation of a good book. In this day and age, it seems like books are being turned into movies left and right. But, just because a movie was adapted from the book doesn’t mean it was adapted well. I’m here to give you three of the best and most book accurate movie adaptations.
Starting off strong, my first pick for one of the best book-to-movie adaptations is Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice.” Now, this choice was not an easy one, because the 1995 adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice” is also spectacular. But, in my opinion, the 2005 version captures the essence of the story just a little bit better. The soundtrack is dreamy and magical, the scenery is beautiful and the dialogue is taken almost straight from the story, which is something that I really value in a book-to-movie adaptation. All of these factors are important to fully capture the spirit of a book on the screen, and I believe that the 2005 “Pride and Prejudice” has nailed them all.
The second book I want to highlight is “Bridget Jones’s Diary.” I have a bit of a different perspective on this one, because I did watch the movie before reading the story. Going into my first read of the book, I had low expectations. I didn’t think that the book could be nearly as funny as the movie, but I was very wrong. Told in a series of diary entries, the book reads like a rom-com, and I found it hard to put down. I think that the on-screen version nailed the quirky nature of Bridget Jones and paints a perfect picture of her two love interests, Mark and Daniel. Although the movie is missing a few plot points from the book, like Bridget’s mother being a fugitive, it also adds some spectacular scenes that are fan favorites, like the fight between Mark and Daniel. Overall, I would say the “Bridget Jones’s Diary” movie is a wonderfully adapted version of the hilarious book.
My third and final choice for best book-to-movie adaptations is “The Hunger Games.” It is not often that a series, especially a dystopian series, is able to get a good adaptation for all of its books. Many movie adaptations of series don’t even get picked up for a second movie, and when they do, they tend to stray away from important plot points of the later books. “The Hunger Games” series stays true to the books and does what its peers “Divergent” and “The Maze Runner” could not. The fact that all four movies are very “book accurate” and stick with the important themes of the story is truly what puts it above its competitors. In addition, the way that the creators of “The Hunger Games” movies brought the books to life is amazing. The sets and costume design perfectly showcase exactly what I pictured when I was reading the books. These accomplishments place “The Hunger Games” as one of my top contenders for best book adaptation.
If you haven’t had the chance to see these movies or read their books, I highly recommend that you do so. I am confident that you will agree that they belong among the top picks for best book-to-movie adaptations