We’ve made
recommendations for summer reading in July 2021. But people enjoy seeing movies
in the summer as well. So here are some questions that relate and that you
might want to respond to in the comments on this blog:
First, have you
seen any films lately that you’d like to recommend to others?
Second, are there
some films you consider classics or so great that they make your list of best
films ever?
Third, do you
think that films based on novels or plays are of better quality than those
written as original screenplays?
I can’t answer the
first question fairly because since COVID hit we haven’t been going out to theatres.
I do see a lot of Hallmark movies on TV which are a somewhat pleasant
diversion.
Second, besides
film classics like Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Twelve Angry Men,
Inherit the Wind, Pygmalion, Mrs. Miniver, which I have watched on Turner
Classic TV, there are some memorable more recent films like October Sky
and Hugo which I consider special.
Regarding the
third question, if I read a book prior to seeing the film version, I am often
disappointed by the movie. I believe this is because my imagination envisions
differently than the cinematographers. An example of this would be The
Godfather, a much-acclaimed film. I still prefer the novel.
What are your
thoughts? What films do you consider memorable? Were they movie versions of
books or short stories? Which did you prefer? Let’s compare.
I feel the same as you about reading the book first and being disappointed by the film. The only exception to this so far is Heaven is for Real. The actors portrayed the emotional journey so much better than was written in the book.
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm recommending now to everyone is to download The Chosen app or find it on various streaming channels and binge watch this series based on the life of Christ through the eyes of those who knew him. I love it so much I've seen Seasons 1 & 2 twice already!
Great post Jacquie.
Good luck and God's blessings
PamT
Pamela,
DeleteThanks for commenting and offering suggestions.
Interesting questions ! Gone with the Wind the movie is as much a classic as the novel. In some cases the movie improves on the book. I can’t make a generalization.
DeletePatricia,
DeleteI think the film is actually better than the book in this case.
I feel the same as you on every point. I also watch TCM, and love the classic movies. And books trump movies hands down, because they fire up the imagination more and stick with you longer. But I'm a big movie fan, too. This summer I've been watching all of the Hitchcock movies.
ReplyDeleteSaralyn,
DeleteI do love the Hitchcock classics as well. They are brilliant films.
It is sad to say that I have seen, by far, more movies in the last couple of decades than I have read books. This is even more ironic in one sense since I recently became an author with five books to my name. It was seeing so many bad movies which partially inspired me to write as I felt I could do at least as good... I would agree that books offer more in the way of description, background, and even dialogue at times. Cinema, we must remember, is limited by time and by budget. There is only so much that can be done in 2 or 2.5 hours. If the movie can, by chance, capture the essence of the book, even in abbreviated form, then I consider it successful in recreating it. Otherwise, the movie is a first or second cousin of the book. For this reason, 98% of the time, I have seen the movie, or read the book -- but not both -- to avoid this disappointment.
ReplyDeleteAs for 'classics', that is a tough one. Of course my standouts would be films such as Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Zivago, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Patton, Breaker Morant, Apollo 13...
My biggest problem with movies, at least those touted to be historical or taking place in a historical setting is their rampant revisionism. It is very sad that the vast majority of the population gets their 'history' from movies. To that end, responsible movie makers should stick to history as we know it and stop rewriting it. These movies should reflect reality as closely as possible. Instead, Hollywood and European Cinema try to rewrite history in terms of who was living where and what contributions they made in a certain place and time. Morgan Freeman, as outstanding as he is, does not belong in Sherwood Forest with Robin Hood. On the flip side, John Wayne's portrayal of Ghengis Khan is simply laughable. History has loads of great TRUE stories from all around the world. Of course, now, the Motion Picture Academy has 'diversity' requirements to even be considered for an Oscar (not that I pay the Oscars much heed anymore). A fine movie such as the recent '1917' would now not be considered for a top award or even a nomination.
Perhaps the movies I mentioned above, for the most part, involved war and bloodshed, but I also love the real-life, true stories (as true as Hollywood gets). I mentioned Apollo 13, but I recently saw a movie on Marie Curie called Radioactive which was fantastic. The Lost City of Z (good, but Fawcett did not believe indigenous people built those cities -- more revisionism.) The Theory of Everything (Stephen Hawking), The Man Who Saw Infinity (about Ramanujan).
Dear Unknown,
DeleteYou've provided a wonderful discussion in the comments. I hope others will take the time to read it as I have. I agree with about the poor handling of history in many films. You name a number of fine classic films as well.
Hi Jacqueline! It's hard watching the movie after you've read the book. I can only think of 2 off the top of my head where the movie lives up to the book - "Misery" and "Rebecca." Lots of other movie versions from books just makes me want to cry LOL! Great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Melissa,
DeleteI agree with you about Rebecca. It was a wonderful version of a classic Gothic.
Yesterday, I re-watched "A Time to Kill," with Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey and several other well-known actors. For anyone who hasn't seen the movie, I highly recommend you do.
ReplyDeleteI think it's based on Grisham's first and best novel. Thanks for commenting.
DeleteI've watched "Shane" about 100 times, beginning to end. Of course, I'm older than dirt, but still ...
ReplyDeleteShane is a great classic.
DeleteJacqueline, I agree with you that it’s hard to enjoy the movie after the book, though I find distance helps. At the time the Harry Potter movies came out I felt they didn’t live up to the books, but rewatching them with my daughter I’ve become a fan (although I’d still give the books an edge!)
ReplyDeleteAdam,
DeleteI confess I never could get into the Harry Potter series which has a huge following among adults as well as children. But I did enjoy the films based on them.
On my list of great movies: Enchanted April (saw many times before I read the 1920s book, which is dated); My Cousin Vinnie (just movie?); Priscilla Queen of the Desert (just movie?); Shakespeare in Love (movie based on lots of wonderful Shakespeare); and The King’s Speech (based on book, I think). All heartily recommended!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI agree about Enchanted April which is a truly enchanting film. I've seen The King's Speech several times and love the use of dialogue.