Let’s Talk Bookish: Book-to-Film Adaptations

Hey, everyone, happy Friday! I hope you’re all doing well. I am done with summer already. The heat is exhausting. It was in the 100s this past week, making it viably impossible to go outside after noon. It doesn’t start cooling down until the middle of the night.

Anyways, I have another LTB post today, one that goes together with the last post I did, which was my thoughts on Heartstopper. I thought this discussion was an appropriate one, seeing as I recently finished the film adaptation.

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits where we discuss various topics and share our opinions. Today’s topic is Book-to-Film Adaptations (suggested by Aria).

What are your favorite book to film adaptations?

There are so many book-to-film adaptations that I love. So, for the sake of time, I’ll only name a few:

Heartstopper: Of course I had to add this in! Heartstopper is my new favorite TV show. It was so well done and even with the changes that were made, stayed true to the core of what Heartstopper is about: being yourself and finding those who will accept you.
The Mysterious Benedict Society: TMBS also stayed really true to the storyline. The only major change they did was age Constance up, which made sense. I loved seeing the characters come to live; they were accurate to what was described in the book, which was nice.
The Princess Bride: Well, if it isn’t one of my favorite movies ever. The Princess Bride is definetely not the best made movie out there, but it’s so fun and entertaining to watch, with all the iconic lines and fight scenes.

What are your least favorite ones?

I haven’t seen too many book-to-film adaptations that I thought weren’t done well, but there are a few. Well, really only one in particular. Yes, I am looking at you, Percy Jackson. I saw the first book as a movie and was very unimpressed. The characters were unnecessarily aged up, there was too much romance, and they drastically changed the plot. If Logan Lerman had been six years younger when he played Percy, I could’ve imagined him as the demigod. But he was way too old. And so was Alexandra Daddorio, who played Annabeth; she was even older than Lerman.

Do you think that books translate better to movies or shows?

I think it depends on the book. Books with more complicated plots would probably do better as a TV show so that all the details could be added into separate episodes and not a five-hour long movie. But if you can get fit everything into an appropriate time frame, movies are great for adaptations. I don’t prefer one over the other, both have their merits. TV shows last longer, so I get to spend more time watching my beloved characters on screen. Movies have that feel-good vibe to them when you finish them (unless there’s a cliffhanger), and they’re perfect when you feel like staying in.

Would you rather see a standalone or a book series adapted?

Either. I have a variety of books that I would like to see adapted to the screen. Book series are always fun to see adapted, especially if they take place over a long period of time, like Percy Jackson. You get to watch the actors grow up as the characters do.

What do you think is important for a successful book to film adaptation?

Staying true to the plot is a vital thing when it comes to successful book-to-film adaptations. It’s an adaptation, not a new movie that’s based on the book. Some tweaks of the plot may be necessary, like aging up a very young character. However, if changes are made just for the sake of it, why make them at all?

Another thing that goes along with sticking to the plot is actor ages. I know it’s hard to find young actors, especially for big title roles, but don’t age them up too much. When main characters are aged up too much, romance starts to play a role a lot of the time, which usually is not the main focus point. I find it really annoying when this happens, especially in characters who are supposed to be in middle school.

Above all, I think the most important thing is maintaining the feeling the book gives you and translating it to the movie/TV show. To use PJO as an example, Percy is your typical middle school ADHD boy. He means well but he doesn’t quite have it together. The movie didn’t capture this feeling. Instead, they had a good looking, put together, 18 year old. I don’t have anything against Logan Lerman, he just wasn’t the right actor for Percy.

Conclusion

Book-to-film adaptations have a lot to live up to–staying true to the story, pleasing the readers of the book, and overall being a good film. I’m always excited for book adaptations, especially if they’re ones I’ve read. My most anticipated book-to-film adaptation is, as you probably know, Percy Jackson.