This week’s MFRW 52 Week Blog Challenge asks the question what are your favorite movies inspired by books.
Well, of course, I have to start with my beloved Jane Austen books, movies and TV mini-series: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion and Emma. While I love the P&P movie, my favorite is the 5-hour BBC mini-series with Colin Firth as Darcy. In my mind, no one will ever surpass his performance. To me, he is the definitive Darcy.
I recently reviewed the book and movie of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. In short, I thought this was the rare case of the movie being better than the book.
The movie version of Persuasion, with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds, is my favorite film version of that marvelous book. It was Austen’s last published book before she died and the most emotional. Root and Hinds conveyed so much with facial expressions that I was moved to tears. If you haven’t seen it, it’s just lovely.
I also enjoyed the film versions of Emma, with Gwyneth Paltrow in the title role, and Sense and Sensibility, starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslett as the Dashwood sisters. I liked the score of S&S so well, I listen to it while writing my Regency romances.
Another favorite is the movie of The Last of the Mohicans, starring Daniel Day-Lewis. Though it deviated a bit from the book, which I also enjoyed, I loved the film version of the story. I listened to the score while writing my French & Indian War story, Rogue’s Hostage.
Lest you think I read and watch nothing but period dramas, I also enjoyed both book and movie of Me Before You. I found it a delightful, quirky story with an inevitable sad but hopeful ending.
And I can’t forget the Harry Potter books and movies. I read all the books and watched all the movies except the very last one. I recently made a trip to Harry Potter World at Universal Studios, Hollywood, and loved it. I turned into a big kid, as you can see by the picture of me in my Ravenclaw robe, wand in hand. I’m ready for Halloween now.
There are lots more movies based on books that I enjoyed, from Gone With the Wind and The Killer Angels/Gettysburg to The Hunger Games, but I won’t natter on endlessly.
What are your favorite movies based on books?
Linda
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Linda
Agreed, Colin Firth is the definitive Darcy. He did a wonderful job bringing that chracter to life!
You said it, Sherry!
It’s been a long time since I’ve watched The Last of the Mohicans but I’ve never read the book. My husband bought and watched the zombie Pride and Prejudice movie but I didn’t.
The book Last of the Mohicans is somewhat different than the movie, but I liked it anyway. The movie of P&P&Z is better than the book, IMO. The zombies make more sense in the screenplay. They just seem thrown in for the heck of it in the book.
The 1st Harry Potter movie caused me to want to read the books, but it wasn’t until #3 that I became a fan….then was disappointed when they left out the more *interesting* subplot out of #4 and 5.
Read Hunger Games but had no desire to see the movie. I also tried to read Catching Fire, but lost interest halfway.
The third Harry Potter (Prisoner of Azkaban) is my favorite of the movies. I missed the subplots in movies 4-6, but they books had become so long, there was no way to include everything in the movies. Unfortunately, a lot of the humor got left out, leaving the movies darker than the books. (Except for Deathly Hallows which is just grim either way.)
I need to watch all of Jane’s non P&P movies again. It’s been a while, and I’ve forgotten most of them. But…I recently saw P&P and Zombies and loved it. I’m not a zombie girl, but that was really fun. I had no idea there was a book.
I’ll have to watch the movie version of Persuasion. I’m in agreement with Colin Firth too. Nice list, Linda.