You hear it all the time: “The book was better than the film.” Interestingly, it’s often not just the audience that feels this way, but the book authors too!
Click start to play today’s Word Search, where you can find popular adaptations that did well in the box office.
When American director Stanley Kubrick’s psychological horror film The Shining was released in 1980, the author of the novel, Stephen King reportedly called the production “a big, beautiful Cadillac with no engine inside it.” He also though lead actor Jack Nicholson completely wrong for the part. No matter for Kubrick – the film went on to do extremely well, and even today, is considered to be a cult classic. But the fact remains, that although it set out to be an adaptation, King’s book and Kubrick’s film turned out to be two very distinct creations.
Here are three other famous adaptations that irked their authors:
1. Mary Poppins
Although the 1964 Disney musical starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke was a box office hit, the book’s author, P. L. Travers, famously hated the movie. According to a report in UK-based newspaper The Telegraph, she did not appreciate the movie’s animated sequences, or the glamourisation of Mary Poppins herself, since the film turned her into an archetypical pretty heroine. Travers also notoriously objected to the film being a musical, but her suggestion was largely ignored. She was so upset by the whole debacle, she apparently wept through the entire screening of the premiere. There’s even a movie about Travers’ and Walt Disney’s contentious relationship, called Saving Mr. Banks.
2. A Clockwork Orange
Though British author Anthony Burgess was initially happy with Kubrick’s rendition of the dystopian crime film, it didn’t last. He expressed his dissatisfaction with Kubrick’s decision to remove the final chapter of the book from the film’s plot (American editions didn’t include it because they didn’t believe audiences would be convinced about the ultra-violent protagonist’s redemption).
3. Breakfast at Tiffany’s
American author Truman Capote strongly believed that only one actress could pay justice to the role of the iconic protagonist Holly Golightly: Marilyn Monroe. When Audrey Hepburn got the role instead, Capote spent every possible opportunity sharing why he hated the adaptation. He even called it “the most miscast” film.
Which is your favourite book adaptation? Play today’s Word Search and let us know at games@gulfnews.com.
