Countless time we have heard or read “The book is always better than the Movie”. The glossy details, the richly explained character and their feelings. But it’s not always the book triumphs over the movies, Here are the 10 movies that (in popular opinion) managed to surpass popularity more than the books.
1. To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
Writer: Harper Lee
The Movie: One of Gregory Peck’s finest turns snagged him the Best Actor Oscar in the big screen adaptation of Lee’s novel. A faithful recreation of the book, the big screen retelling brought the tale of injustice in small town America to a worldwide audience. It won three Oscars.
2. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Writer: Boris Pasternak
The Movie: The complexity of the novel during the tumultuous years spanning World War 1 and the Russian Revolution is vividly realized onscreen thanks to the marvelous cast that includes Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Alec Guinness, Tom Courtenay, Rod Steiger and Ralph Richardson.
3. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Writer: Ken Kesey
The Movie: The second film to ever bag every Oscar in the main five categories. Bromden narrates the novel, offering a series of insights into his life growing up. Director Milos Forman didn’t care for this style of narration and dropped it from the film – which alienated Kesey from the project
4. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Writer: Stephen King( originally called “Rita Hayworth And The Shawshank Redemption”)
The Movie: A box office failure that catapulted Morgan Freeman into the stratosphere as the best voiceover artist in Hollywood, the story of a man’s hard slog in prison finally triumphed on home video – and has since been heralded as a cinematic masterpiece.
5. The Godfather (Mario Puzo)
Writer: Mario Puzo
The Movie: Mario Puzo himself assisted on the screenplay for Coppola’s classic. Unsurprisingly, therefore, the film stays faithful. The ending of the film is actually more gloomy than the book. But both film and book complement each other perfectly.
6. Schindler’s List (1993)
Writer: Thomas Keneally
The Movie: An epic historical blockbuster, Steven Spielberg’s film told the tale of Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist who provided jobs for 1,200 Jews sentenced to death. It cleaned up at the Oscars and made a leading man out of Liam Neeson
7. The Shining (1980)
Writer: Stephen King
The Movie: Director Stanley Kubrick shunned King’s own screenplay for his own take. An unfaithful interpretation of the book. Terrifying and jarring – King might’ve been publicly angered at Kubrick’s version, but cinemagoers rejoiced. The novel ends with the hotel’s boiler exploding – Kubrick did away with the meddling specters and maintenance issues, and instead had Jack hunt down his family with an axe.
8. The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)
Writer: J.R.R. Tolkien
The Movie: Peter Jackson’s crowning achievement, the final big-screen outing of the fantasy adventure world which started in Fellowship and The Two Towers came to a close amidst thunderous applause from fans and critics alike. It currently holds the record for biggest Oscar sweep, after winning all 11 awards it was nominated for.
9. The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
Writer: Thomas Harris
The Movie: Anthony Hopkins’ Lecter has only 16 minutes on screen – and in that time managed to gift cinema with one of its most menacing yet compelling villains. And Jodie Foster as Agent Starling was a superb casting call.
10. Bridget Jones Diary (2001)
Writer: Helen Fielding
The Movie : Bridget Jones’s Diary , a beloved book about a heroine both lovable and human, has been made against all odds into a funny and charming movie that understands the charm of the original, and preserved it Renee Zellweger put on 20-some pounds and developed the cutest little would-be double chin, as well as a British accent that sounded reasonable for the role.