The Book: Mario Puzo’s fabled crime saga is actually a fairly pulpy affair, well-written throughout but with a narrower focus than the all-conquering movie adaptation. As a stand-alone novel, it’s a fairly bog-standard slice of crime fiction.
The Film: Routinely topping various “Greatest Film Of All Time” lists, Francis Ford Coppola takes Puzo’s theme and runs with it, using the story of a New York crime family as a metaphor for the collapse of the American Dream. A far darker tale than the novel, The Godfather is a rare example of a film that improves upon its source material.
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Comments
Hadouken76
Aug 24th 2010, 11:07
Does the Bourne trilogy count? Even though the films were nothing like the books.
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durden
Aug 24th 2010, 12:34
Ok...i pretty much agree with everything here except Animal Farm.You can't put that on you "Worst...anything" list.Seriously,bad move there...
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SCQ47
Aug 24th 2010, 15:29
No credit to Psycho or Rear Window? I'm starting to think Total Film hates Hitchcock since it rarely acknowledges the greatest director of all time.
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Lindz28
Aug 24th 2010, 15:52
Its such a shame when you have a beloved book and the film ends up being a bit naff. My examples being the film that should have been called Northern Lights and Memoirs of a Geisha. I've seen worse films but neither are a patch on the books. I'd have like to seen Gone Baby Gone on here as a best adap.
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Flaygor
Aug 24th 2010, 18:28
It's Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redmption... no "and". Christ i'm sad.
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Flaygor
Aug 24th 2010, 18:29
No "the" even....
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johnian
Aug 24th 2010, 19:00
Jaws is a considerable improvement on its airport doorstop parent book. The icing on the cake, when first seeing the film after reading the book, was the changed fate of Matt Hooper.
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Ichi1
Aug 24th 2010, 19:39
Best: The Sweet Hereafter. A brilliant book that truly seemed unfilmable. But the movie turned out to be just as brilliant, powerful, and heart breaking as the novel. Worst: American Psycho. The movie comes off as a Disney version of the book. I really have trouble understanding why the film is held in such high regard.
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Leightwinst
Aug 24th 2010, 20:02
Where's The Mist? I say that about every list, mind.....
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namedropper
Aug 24th 2010, 21:03
I kinda liked Perfect Catch. It's harmless and quiet sweet in its own way and no worse than the Colin Firth version...I'll get me coat.
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SCRDYCAT
Aug 24th 2010, 21:56
Really? LA Confidential didn't make the list? Read the book by James Ellroy - then watch the movie. It's probably the best adaptation of a book you're likely to find. Oh - and it won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay as well.
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daskoyne
Aug 24th 2010, 23:49
I'd have to vote for 'Let the right one in' in the best category. As much as I enjoyed the book it was an in your face, near to the knuckle battering ram that had me squirming uncomfortably at moments. I really didn't know what to expect from the movie, but I was wonderfully surprised at the subtle, tender and at times beautiful piece of cinema.
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Faers
Aug 25th 2010, 1:22
Silence of the Lambs, anyone? It could've been soon easy to get this one wrong. A few off-hand that I can think of (and like) are Jackie Brown (personally, my favourite Tarantino flick and the best Elmore Leonard Adaptation), Total Recall (which I thought may have at least got a mention in the Blade Runner segment) and The Hunt For Red October. A flick that divides opinion, but I love it - and the book. I would mention some bad ones, but throw a stick in HMV and you're bound to hit one.
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Faers
Aug 25th 2010, 1:31
I mean... Silence of the Lambs, anyone? It could've been SO easy to get this one wrong.
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Giles83
Aug 25th 2010, 5:24
I would like to add: Best: First Blood Jaws The Fog The Exorcist Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Worst: The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe (2005) The Lost World: Jurassic Park The Cat in the Hat The DaVinci Code
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KerrAvon
Aug 25th 2010, 20:56
Watership Down great book, great film especially when Hazel leaves with the Black Rabbit, makes me cry every time
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DrunkGuppy
Aug 26th 2010, 1:28
although i haven't read the book, Dreamcatcher must be due a mention for being so spectacularly awful.
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Shiftybea
Aug 26th 2010, 17:33
@Giles83- The Fog wasn't a book first, it was an original Carpenter script :)
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gregbreen1
Jun 13th 2011, 18:15
I'm glad you included the word "unnecessary" in the description of the US remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo...After the release of the trailer is looks so unnecessary...Usually I love Fincher but this is to parphrase a great man "the most pointless film since how to learn French was translated into French"
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