I’ve written about adaptations and how they might differ. This time around, it’s all about my taste and opinions. Expect no objectivity whatsoever. It’s just a random lit of some of my favorite adaptations, and I’m only including those I’ve read the book of. (So, clearly, The Godfather and Mean Girls are excellent, but I’ve read neither book [yes, I know, gasp], so they’re not on the list.)
To start with, 10 Things I Hate About You. Yes, it’s a very, very, very loose adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, but that soundtrack? The cast? How it holds up over 25 years later? (Also, what is time? How has it been 25 years?) I’m blurring the definition or how strict an adaptation has to be. I have to. This movie is worth it.
And to keep it on the William Shakespeare theme, I’ll add Much Ado About Nothing by Kenneth Branagh. I also love the Joss Whedon version, but…Joss Whedon. And I don’t want to get into a debate on separating the art from the artist, so I’ll just stick to the 1993 version. Yes, I know that there are many other adaptations and there are plenty I also love, but this one usually pops into my mind. And The Lion King, of course.
I predictably love the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice (I watched it before the BBC’s serial), and my favorite take on Persuasion is the 1995 adaptation. (I also like the 2007 version, but I don’t understand why they changed the letter-writing scene, and I’m not a fan of the shaky cam at the end, even if I understand why it’s used.) And I love how colorful Emma. is, plus the soundtrack. In any case, thank you Jane Austen.
But back to Joe Wright and Keira Knightley for a second—I love the music and aesthetics of Anna Karenina, but I can’t get over the fact that no other actor could’ve been cast as Oblonsky. Don’t get me wrong, I love Matthew Macfadyen, but he’s Darcy and she’s Lizzie (or they could’ve cast someone else as Anna, if Matthew *had* to be Oblonsky). It’s the same casting issue with Nicole Kidman and Alexander Skarsgård, where they’re a couple (Big Little Lies) or she’s his mother (The Northman). Just, there wasn’t anyone else? And no one in the production thought it’d be slightly distracting? If not for that, Anna Karenina would’ve made the cut.
For a few more historical picks, the 1994 and 2019 versions of Little Women are great. I can’t really pick between them.
Then, there’s Stardust. Yes, it’s not as close to the story as other adaptations in this post, but I still like it so much. The cast! The chemistry! The music! The costumes!
And to take a more dramatic turn, Ian McEwan’s Atonement has an amazing adaptation that always gets to me. The score is so good. And the acting and the setting…And the green dress.
There’s also—for a very different genre—Gone Girl. Rosamund. Pike. That is all. (Well, it’s also a movie that’s faithful to the source material and that manages to set the same tone and even if I knew (and know) what’ll happen, it’s still a nerve-wracking watch.
From the various adaptations of Agatha Christie texts, I especially like David Suchet’s Poirot’s Death on the Nile. Yes, it’s a book I love, but Suchet is such a good Poirot, and even with the tweaks to the characters, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable adaptation.
I also really like the 2003 take on Peter Pan. It’s got whimsy and magic and fantasy and the fairy dance…
Talking about magic, Practical Magic is so fun!
And not as fun, but still great, are the movies in The Hunger Games series. Out of the four, my favorite’s Catching Fire, but they’re all good and every so often I’ll binge them again.
And Arrival. Where is Amy Adams’ Oscar?
Last but definitely not least, Brooklyn. Again, it’s a faithful adaptation with a perfect cast, great soundtrack, stunning costumes, and it conveys the same mood and tone that the book does. I’m just hoping that everyone’ll be on board in 15 or so years for Long Island. (Hey, a girl can dream.)
So, these are some of my favorite adaptations, for a variety of very subjective reasons. Which are yours and why?
