“Read a good book before Hollywood ruins it” is as the line goes suggesting that bookworms do not always like when their favorite books are turned into movies because they do not leave much room for imagination.
Books and novels’ tales are so finely created and perfectly written that it is no doubt has been a center of the film industry since the 80s. If a novel is a famous and beloved classic, chances are you’ll get an on-screen adaptation.
It can go very right, as these incredible pieces prove! These stories have paved the way for great movie adaptations on the big screen as we see some of the best modern-day movie adaptations of classical literary fiction.
Pride and Prejudice 2005:
Guys! Hands down! Pride and Prejudice of 2005 is the BEST adaptation of the ever-famous regency romance. Everything, literally everything starting from set to camera work, acting, and art direction has been done with so much detail.
The actor Kiara Knightley makes the perfect Elizabeth Bennet; the costumes are great and the sets are just pure embodiment of our imagination.
The Great Gatsby 2013:
Leonardo DiCaprio playing Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan is played by Carry Mulligan is just perfect and the direction of Baz Luhrmann is just a cherry on top. An adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Long Island-set novel, where Midwesterner Nick Carraway is lured into the lavish world of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby.
Soon enough, however, Carraway will see through the cracks of Gatsby’s nouveau riche existence, where obsession, madness, and tragedy await. Great acting, set design, and costumes which is a staple to almost every period film.
The Importance of Being Ernest 2002:
Directed by Oliver Parker, based on Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy of manners The Importance of Being Earnest is breezy entertainment with an impressive cast. The tricky thing with Oscar Wilde’s humor is that his jokes are often far too difficult for a layman.
However, the brilliant cast of this adaptation gets the point across using body language, gestures, and facial expressions. This comedy of manners by Oscar Wilde, despite being deeply rooted in Victorian England is still very relevant as the hypocrisy and ludicrousness of middle-class morality continue to live on in our lives. This film is perfect for a Sunday afternoon watch.
Lord of the Rings Trilogy 2001:
We believe that LOTR is the best and the most appropriate movie adaptation of all times. The sets are pure magic and the cast and costumes are just perfect. And it is not only us who think that, turns out The Academy also agrees with this popular sentiment and therefore has awarded the Lord of the Rings trilogy with not one or two but multiple Oscar awards.
Tolkien’s work has gone down in history as some of the best fantasy novels of all time. They are transformative to the fantasy genre but almost unadaptable until modern technology allowed for huge leaps forward in terms of cinematic storytelling.
The director, Peter Jackson took this extensive trilogy of books and managed to create three brilliant films that only get better as you go along. From the casting and performances to the incredible visual effects, the Oscar-winning series is still at the forefront of the genre.
Les Miserables 2012:
So many novels have been adapted into musicals which then inspire movies. This is an example of this, with a couple of different films interpreting both the novel and the musical and various ways. The most modern version of this is amazing.
When it comes to period classic films and especially musicals, no one does it better than Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. We have seen their brilliance in the ever-acclaimed movies such as Jane, The Greatest Showman, and many more. Released in 2012, the adaptation of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo features these two eminent actors.
A mesmeric and sometimes compelling film, it features a performance of dignity and intelligence from Hugh Jackman. With her short but clever portrayal of Fantine, Anne Hathaway too breaks the shackles of time and space and immortalizes her character. This musical is filled with passionate sincerity and is definitely a must-watch.
