Comments on eclectic / eccentric: No Movies Here: Books that are Unfilmable

I have been having trouble leaving comments for aw...

2010-07-13T15:36:07.088-05:00

I have been having trouble leaving comments for awhile. Don't have the energy to retype my very insightful opinion :)

I would say anything by Anita Brookner. They tried...

2010-07-13T09:25:29.487-05:00

I would say anything by Anita Brookner. They tried with her Booker Prize-winning Hotel du Lac but I think the result was less than good.

Confederacy of Dunces would definitely make a good...

2010-07-11T19:09:42.757-05:00

Confederacy of Dunces would definitely make a good movie. Will Ferrell was supposed to play Ignatius but negotiations fell through. Words can't express how disappointed I am but I am hopeful that the movie may eventually be made.

Jill said it: The Catcher in the Rye shouldn't...

2010-07-11T18:01:11.822-05:00

Jill said it: The Catcher in the Rye shouldn't be made into a movie because it is boring.

The Lovely Bones was made into a movie but I haven't yet seen the movie to know if they adapted it onto the screen well or not.

I thought Eat Pray Love would be a hard one to adapt to screen but they have done it so now I am just waiting to see if that is good as well. But the author said on Oprah that the movie was more than she could have hoped for, so that is a good sign when the author likes the adaptation.

Jill - Definitely! Stephanie - I neither read no...

2010-07-11T10:31:09.164-05:00

Jill - Definitely!

Stephanie - I neither read nor watched The Lovely Bones, so I can't comment on that one. :) KotS is soon-to-be-read.

Kathy - Sounds like my problem with a few of those books up there. I just can't recall enough detail to make a judgment.

Bethany - I agree with CitR, but I haven't read Ulysses yet; although from what I hear it really wouldn't be possible to film it.

Greg - Good call! Wallace would definitely be unfilmable!

Sandy - I hadn't thought about the dialogue- versus plot-driven idea!

Jenners - I certainly hope you can!

maphead - Good point! Those adaptations which have been "in production" for decades are probably good bets for unfilmable.

Kathy - The list of bad adaptations should come next for sure!

This makes me think of examples of books that have...

2010-07-11T09:37:21.717-05:00

This makes me think of examples of books that have already been made into movies, like:

1. Under the Tuscan Sun. The book is unbelievably different from the movie . . . mainly because the movie has a plot.

2. The Accidental Tourist. OK, so it has been years (maybe even decades) since I read and watched this one, but from what I can remember, the book is so internal that I was amazed that someone made a movie of it.

3. Starship Troopers. Giant alien killer bugs are the entire movie. They are barely mentioned in the book. And yes, I am embarrassed to admit I've seen the movie, so stop sniggering. Also, this one doesn't really belong on a "books that are unfilmable" list, but from the amount that the book was changed in adaptation, you would have thought it did.

Come to think of it, years ago I heard a rumor tha...

2010-07-10T20:59:32.567-05:00

Come to think of it, years ago I heard a rumor that they were casting actors for a screen adaption of Confederacy of Dunces. Since to my knowledge this movie was never made, it certainly strengthens the argument that it's truly a novel which cannot be adapted for the silver screen.

Gosh ... I'm not familiar enough with any of t...

2010-07-10T20:44:49.272-05:00

Gosh ... I'm not familiar enough with any of the books to have a good opinion. I love the question though. It makes me wonder if I can come up with any of my own.

Well hell. I haven't read any of those books ...

2010-07-10T13:57:37.515-05:00

Well hell. I haven't read any of those books so I don't have an educated opinion! I guess if a book is highly dialogue driven and not plot driven, it would be tough to film. But my mind goes blank on examples. I'm going to think about it though.

Anything by David Foster Wallace is unfilmable - t...

2010-07-10T10:38:19.207-05:00

Anything by David Foster Wallace is unfilmable - though John Krasinski gave it a good go with Brief Interviews With Hideous Men, it just didn't quite work out for him. I've heard that Infinite Jest has been in the works for years, and if that ever happened, I'd cry. A lot.

Good lord I hope no one tries to make a film of Ul...

2010-07-10T10:14:35.261-05:00

Good lord I hope no one tries to make a film of Ulysses!

Also - Catcher in the Rye must never filmed.

The only books on that list I've read are Catc...

2010-07-10T10:01:06.000-05:00

The only books on that list I've read are Catcher in the Rye and The Confederacy of Dunces and it's been so long since I read them I can't remember if they'd make a good movie or not.

I confess to never having read any of the books on...

2010-07-10T10:00:31.036-05:00

I confess to never having read any of the books on the list except Catcher in the Rye. I've always thought The Lovely Bones was unfilmable, and after seeing it actually done, thanks to Peter Jackson, I haven't really changed by opinion. :-) Speaking of Murakami (and Kafka), I'd also add Kafka on the Shore to the list.

I agree with Catcher in the Rye...because it would...

2010-07-10T09:44:59.713-05:00

I agree with Catcher in the Rye...because it would be BORING!