Apocalypse Now Sydrome - where the film betters the book

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It rarely happens and is (of course) subjective, but the above example pisses all over Heart of Darkness.

Trainspotting was another and (I may be crucified for this) Breakfast at Tiffanys. Ahh, George Peppard, Mickey Rooney, Moon River, Audrey and happy endings.

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 16:44 (twenty-two years ago)

The Man Who Would Be King is better than the Kipling story.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

just off to the timber yard MikeyG, how tall are you?

― zappi (joni), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 17:04 (twenty-two years ago)

uh?

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 17:17 (twenty-two years ago)

"(I may be crucified for this) Breakfast at Tiffanys"

I have my hammer and nails at the ready. Are you mad? That film is one of most overrated in the history of cinema, even without Rooney's godawful cartoon Chinaman.

"Jaws" is the gold standard of making a cinematic silk purse out of a sow's ear of a book.

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 17:24 (twenty-two years ago)

C'mon! What's the matter with everyone. Blake Edwards knew what an actor was when he saw one. Look at the heights Peppard hit later on!

And the book doesn't sing Moon River to you.

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 17:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Cujo! :)

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 17:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Both "Stand By Me" and "Shawshank Redemption," taken from Stephen King's "The Body" and "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption," are superior to the source material.

And "Breakfast At Tiffanys" is a minor classic, but certainly not great Hepburn work.

― Joseph J. Finn, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 17:40 (twenty-two years ago)

i think it's her best performance, and i've seen most of her films.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 17:54 (twenty-two years ago)

The Godfather, The Lord of the Rings (none of that "lo, and Gimli raised his axe and smote the mighty orc" prose), Psycho...

― Not That Chuck, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 18:35 (twenty-two years ago)

One could make a case for (or against) Fight Club.

My dad has always insisted that Lonesome Dove is the only movie that is better than its book, but I haven't read or seen it.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 18:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Heart of darkness is Superior to Apocalypse Now i reckon, but not by much.

A Room with a View - the movie is definatley superior to the book.

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 18:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Another Coppola vote, but this time for...Rumble Fish! (what, you thought i was gonna say The Virgin Suicides?)

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 18:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Jesus' Son.
Lord of the Rings

though i'd say in the case of Jesus' Son it may be more synergistic. the movie actually brings out this heartrending love story which in the book is subsumed beneath the author's nothing-left-to-lose zen calm. denis johnson's authorial voice is SO shell-shocked and numb at points that you can easily forget that these are real people and not lab rats or inanimate objects ... there's a payoff in the striking clarity of the book but i wouldn't want to do one without the other.

the same, though different, goes for LotR ... NtC OTM.

― vahid (vahid), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 18:58 (twenty-two years ago)

mr seward: i demand satisfaction. chains and switchblades in the dockyard, tomorrow night, be there.

― vahid (vahid), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 18:59 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm disturbed by the implication that "apocalypse now" > "heart of darkness" ... conrad's work was an important extension of the "unreliable narrator" trope. i think "apocalypse now" really abandons any claim to being more than a gloss on "heart of darkness" by abandoning the narrator.

not that "apocalypse now" isn't an amazing movie in it's own right.

― vahid (vahid), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 19:04 (twenty-two years ago)

its. its. ITS.

― vahid (vahid), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 19:04 (twenty-two years ago)

aw heck, i like rumble fish the book as much as anybody. or at least i did. haven't read it in many a moon. but that movie is beyoooootiful.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 19:07 (twenty-two years ago)

I read Dorothy Hughes' "In a Lonely Place" recently and it isn't a patch on the Bogart movie. Enjoyable enough but it's still just pulp with pretensions while the movie is noir art.

The movie of "Mildred Pierce" is beter than James M. Cain's novel too, good though that is.

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 19:38 (twenty-two years ago)

The Swimmer is far superior to the Cheever story - in fact the story reads like a not-great fictionalisation of the film.

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 19:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Smooth Talk with Treat Williams and Laura Dern is a great adaption of a Joyce Carol Oates story. But they are both great. so, i guess this belongs on the "equally as good" thread.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 21:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Nightmare Alley is better than the book. Though the book is a hoot.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 21:42 (twenty-two years ago)

The old black and white 'Pride & Prejudice' with Laurence Olivier was miles better than the boring-assed book by that dead chick.

― writingstatic (writingstatic), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 21:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Thin Red Line

― Leee Majors (Leee), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 22:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Nick Roeg's "Walkabout" is better than the book, in my opinion. But I saw the film first, which may have affected my judgement.

Television's "Daniel Deronda" was better than the book; but anything would be better than that book.

― R bunged V (Jake Proudlock), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 22:56 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah i like rumble fish the book a lot too, but the movie betters it in a lot of ways. mickey rourke is perfect as the motorcycle boy, and i'm glad coppola decided not to use that lame flashback framing device.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Thursday, 22 January 2004 04:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Jaws
Fight Club
American Psycho

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 22 January 2004 05:02 (twenty-two years ago)

"A Room with a View - the movie is definatley superior to the book." (Jed)

My girlfriend watched the movie as an impressionable teenager and moved to Italy for two years. That's what Merchant Ivory can do to you.

A shout for Wuthering Heights. A rare case of the song excelling the book.

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Thursday, 22 January 2004 10:18 (twenty-two years ago)

As long as you jest.

― R bunged V (Jake Proudlock), Thursday, 22 January 2004 11:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I like "Heart of Darkness" more than "Apocalypse Now", even though I really like the latter.

The obvious one that comes to mine is any of the better James Bond films. Actually probably even the worse Bond films are better than the books, which are TERRIBLE!!

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 22 January 2004 13:24 (twenty-two years ago)

ALL Jane Austen to thread. In a film, the dialogue comes alive, the characters are either pleasent or funny (or both) and the plots spring at you. In the books, you get pages and pages of waffle, and not pleasent waffle at that.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Thursday, 22 January 2004 13:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Jane wrote the stories with multiplexes in mind.

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Thursday, 22 January 2004 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

But really nice multiplexes that sold tea and cucumber sandwiches.

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Thursday, 22 January 2004 14:58 (twenty-two years ago)

MASH (altough the Tokyo chapter in the book guts the edited film version)

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Friday, 23 January 2004 16:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I kind of felt that way about The Wonder Boys, though I like Michael Chabon's writing.

― JuliaA (j_bdules), Friday, 23 January 2004 23:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Hang on a second. How does Apocalypse now 'abandon the narrator'? Is Martin Sheen not the narrator all the way through? Are not his inner thoughts running through the film at all times? Am I missing the point of what you said, Vahid?

I liked the film of The Talented Mr. Ripley more than the book. Many critics argued that the books are more subtle about Ripley's homosexuality than the film, but he was gay as Christmas in the book too.

Also The Commitments is one of those few films that actually has more detail in it than the book, and is much better.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 18:38 (twenty-two years ago)

"he was gay as Christmas in the book"

That's exactly what I thought. He was such a fucking whiner too.

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 18:41 (twenty-two years ago)

The obvious one that comes to mine is any of the better James Bond films. Actually probably even the worse Bond films are better than the books, which are TERRIBLE!!

I had to read nearly all of these for a popular studies course! Goddamn they're bad -- not a single redeemable volume.

Interesting (though positive) review of Fleming by John Lanchester at: http://www.lrb.co.uk/v24/n17/lanc01_.html

― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 19:40 (twenty-two years ago)

According to The Nation, Patricia Highsmith had "a fascination with snail-breeding. She had more than 300 live snails, becoming so fond of her little pets that she'd smuggle them--thirty at a time--under her breasts as she traveled between England and France)."

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20031208&c=2&s=bolonik

― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 20:37 (twenty-two years ago)

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 20:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Ehh, 'Fight Club' the film is way better than the book.

― writingstatic (writingstatic), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 22:04 (twenty-two years ago)

most of Hitchcock's films are based on novels or short stories - I haven't read most of them (apart from the story The Birds was based on) but I assume most of them are most likely better.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Thursday, 29 January 2004 02:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Dangerous Liaisons (Glenn Close and John Malkovich) brought new life to my copy of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses."

― yesabibliophile (yesabibliophile), Friday, 30 January 2004 20:04 (twenty-two years ago)

The Shining!

― Kornél Kovács (Kornél Kovács), Monday, 9 February 2004 00:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Kiss Me Deadly - actually I haven't read the book, but how good can a Mickey Spillane be?

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Monday, 9 February 2004 21:35 (twenty-two years ago)

two months pass...

FORREST GUMP.

― child_of_a_pisces (child_of_a_pisces), Thursday, 6 May 2004 21:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I agree about The Talented Mr. Ripley. At least in the movie there were pretty people to look at (even if I didn't like them) and beautifully shot scenery.

But I have to add The Shipping News to the list. I didn't like the movie all that much honestly, but I really disliked the book. Hey Annie--is one complete sentence per paragraph too much to ask?

― SJ Lefty, Friday, 7 May 2004 00:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Bridget Jones's Diary.

The movie rightly focused more on the romantic angle of the story instead of the ultimately boring "Oh, I eat and drink and smoke too much!" stuff. Renée Zellweger was a sympathetic Bridget and Colin Firth's Darcy was way more adorable than the small, bland character in the book. The film even made good use of Hugh Grant, not a mean feat.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Friday, 7 May 2004 07:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Big Fish, the author himself admits to that.
But I really think Heart of Darkness much better than the film. All that condensed prose you would want to read again and again, bacause there is something there about you that you feel you haven't found out yet...whereas I must admit, I liked the film but I've never felt like watching it again.

― misshajim (strand), Friday, 7 May 2004 09:00 (twenty-two years ago)

The Fountainhead because I DETEST Ayn Rand. Also "Bush At War" the tv version is shaping up to be better than the book, now that Rumsfeld might have to resign.

― aimurchie, Friday, 7 May 2004 09:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Trainspotting was another

Trainspotting the film is so not better than the book. You must truly be on smack.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Friday, 7 May 2004 11:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Outside, you holy scumbag. Now.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Friday, 7 May 2004 12:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Big Fish must be a truly appalling book.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 7 May 2004 14:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Jurassic Park. The film is exciting (or was, back then), the book is crap, based on a paper-thin premise.

― SRH (Skrik), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 11:16 (twenty-two years ago)

the movie of the fountainhead really is a strange thing. like reverse-communist propaganda hollywood-style. plus, it just looks really cool.

Did I already mention The Andromeda Strain. God, I love that movie. So beautiful. Or maybe someone else mentioned it.

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 12:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Another shout for "A Room with a View"
The English Patient was not better than the book, but it did very well with the desert setting and certain scenes, particularly the Kip and Hana ones.

― Jocelyn (Jocelyn), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Andromeda Strain is one of my favorite movies! And none of my friends will watch it with me. Too slow, they say. That's what is so great about it.
What about 'The Ten Commandments'? Boring book, great movie!

― bookdwarf (bookdwarf), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

THOU SHALT NOT KILL. However, being a figurehead for the NRA is perfectly OK.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 14:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Wonder Boys. esp. Frances McDormand's Sara Gaskell-- soooo much better than the Sara in the book.

― slow learner (slow learner), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

The Godfather is true to the book, there are only a few scenes with Johnny Fontaine, the Vegas doctor who fixes Michael's jaw and the girl Sonny has sex with at the wedding that are not in the movie. The left out scenes would have worked in the movie, but it was already was nearly three hours long. Puzo co-wrote the screenplay.

The movie definitely has more of an artistic flair than the book, but the bricks and mortar of the novel are intact in the film. I think having Puzo working with Coppola is one reason it came to life on the screen.

The underrated movie based on a Michael Crichton novel is "The Terminal Man" starring George Segal. If I was a hollywood guy, I think it could be remade and make some cash, the premise holds more to our time than thirty years ago.

― earlnash, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 15:02 (twenty-two years ago)

No one's listed Adaptation yet?

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 18:33 (twenty-two years ago)

As in "Adaptation" being better than "The Orchid Thief"? I disagree. I thought they both quite good. The movie is only marginally the story of the book. But I'm quite a Susan Orleans fan, just as I am a Charlie Kaufman fan.

― Rabin the Cat (Rabin the Cat), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 19:31 (twenty-two years ago)

The movie is only marginally the story of the book.

Heh, I've not read Orchid Thief actually - my point was they were two very separate things so it was likely someone would like one and not the other.

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Out of Sight.

The Last of the Mohicans

― David Nolan (David N.), Thursday, 13 May 2004 23:22 (twenty-two years ago)

what about films that are way better known than the books they are based on, eg Planet of the Apes, Psycho, and er, many others.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Friday, 14 May 2004 12:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Gone with the Wind to thread.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Friday, 14 May 2004 13:57 (twenty-two years ago)

There seems to be a whole series of these books, reissued by Bloomsbury (?) with covers that look like the film posters.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 17 May 2004 11:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I've always wondered what is Gone with the wind like, I mean the novel, is it any good?

― misshajim (strand), Monday, 17 May 2004 13:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Miami Blues :-D but seriously I dont think its possible for a movie to be better than the book it's based on. When I read a novel I almost always make a movie in my head, and I use all the top actors for every character in the book and my movie is ALWAYS better than the movie actually made on that book :-D

― Fred (Fred), Monday, 17 May 2004 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

well, yeah, but many people say that duff books make the best films.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 18:42 (twenty-two years ago)

two months pass...

Ask metafilter thread on the same topic.

― Fred (Fred), Saturday, 24 July 2004 11:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Ask Metafilter thread on the same topic.

― Fred (Fred), Saturday, 24 July 2004 11:39 (twenty-one years ago)

oops!

― Fred (Fred), Saturday, 24 July 2004 11:39 (twenty-one years ago)

What about "Blade Runner"? It was a dramatically different work than Philip Dick's book, but what emerges is considerably more gripping.

For that matter, are there ANY film versions of Philip Dick works that are true to their source material? It seems that they love his ideas but hate his plots (which, to be fair, could be both confusing and meandering). While I don't think that they are necessarily better than the stories on which they're based, it makes me wonder at what point we can say a film is better than the book on which it is "based" (see "I, Robot" for a recent example of what I'm talking about).

― Mark Klobas, Saturday, 24 July 2004 18:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I never could slog my way through Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago. Maybe a bad translation, so maybe it doesn't count.

― Donald, Saturday, 31 July 2004 13:08 (twenty-one years ago)

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