I LOVE Alfonso Cuarón’s sci-fi action movie Children of Men. I’ve watched maybe six times and every time, the ending always almost brings me to tears. So when I learned it was adapted from P.D. James’ book of the same name, it was a no-brainer deciding what my next book would be.
After finishing the book, it wasn’t difficult to reach to the conclusion that I enjoyed the movie better.
While James’ book gives a more in-depth look at how human infertility and humanity’s slow death march towards extinction affects the sexual dynamic between men and women and almost demented ways humans try to cope with a world without children or a race of dead men walking, I feel the book dedicates WAY too much time describing the failing of human civilization and the Regrets and guilt of Theo Faron. It’s not even until after 2/3 through the book where it feels like the plot and story are properly paced and stuff of consequence actually begin to happen.
The film’s adaptation by, comparison, feels consistent in its pacing and the world building and woe-is-mes of Theo feel more compact a take up less of the audience’s time.
What books do you feel were worse than its film adaptation and why?
The Mist… but you have to understand it’s 100% for the ending only. Won’t spoil it but even King loved the movie ending far better than his own… was a lot darker and left me going, oh ok here’s the part where they… WHOA WAIT WHAT THE F… wow. Damn. Made me love the movie and hate the book ending.
The Mist (Movie) is terrible except for the ending. The only reason to watch it is to make someone else cringe at the ending, which is glorious.
Hence - “for the ending only”. Take that and put it in the book and it’s complete.
Agreed and other than The Dark Half (which was a good movie but a better book IMO) I think this about a lot of Stephen King’s books vs movie adaptation.
Also, not Stephen King and I know I’ll get flack for this one - The Martian.
The Martian was great but the movie was slightly better
Yeah the ending of the movie is 10/10. But I do feel that movie gets too much recognition solely because of its ending. The rest of it feels like straight to TV trash
Frank darabont really is a fantastic director/screenwriter. I mean he has shawshank, the green mile and the mist in his pocket. What stinks is the mist was his last film. I mean i don’t think he is retired because he did some tv but ma u be he is? I’ll have to google. Regardless i would like to think having what some people call the top rated ever movie could continue to get work so it much be by choice.