Paddington and 4 Other Adaptations That Are Better Than the Original Source
In this case, it's better to watch a movie.
The art of film adaptation is not an easy task: when creating an independent work based on a novel, it can be extremely difficult to convey the author's idea while preserving the director's originality.
Here are five films based on literary works that will appeal to both fans of the original sources and viewers unfamiliar with them.
1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 2005
Arthur once had a home planet – before Earth was doomed to be destroyed to make way for a high-speed hyperspace highway. His friend Ford turns out to be an alien who has been writing an article about the planet for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Leaving Earth, the friends unexpectedly find themselves on the spaceship Heart of Gold and get involved in a series of adventures.
Garth Jennings' film is an adaptation of the science fiction novel of the same name by Douglas Adams. The beauty of the film is that it captures the spirit of the original, both in terms of comedy and irony, and in the choice of actors.
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 2011
Journalist Mikael suffers two misfortunes at once: the court finds him guilty of libel, and wealthy businessman Henrik Vanger hires him to investigate a forty-year-old case.
The businessman has been searching all these years for his niece Harriet, who has disappeared without a trace, and the killer continues to tease Henrik, sending him flowers and clues. Lisbeth, a talented antisocial hacker, becomes Mikael's assistant in this difficult case.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first novel in Stieg Larsson's bestselling Millennium trilogy. David Fincher was able to capture the book's oppressive yet melancholy atmosphere.
3. Paddington, 2014
Sometime in the mid-20th century, a researcher in Peru discovered a family of intelligent bears who loved jam. Years later, one of the bears had to travel to the UK to find the scientist because his family had fallen on hard times.
The bear finally made it to Paddington Station, where he met the Browns. So the bear found a new home, and later faced dangerous adventures – a ruthless taxidermist declared a hunt for Paddington.
The book's main character was created by author Michael Bond in the 1950s and is considered one of the most famous characters in children's literature.
In his movie, Paul King decided to reflect the charm of the gentleman bear that young fans of the books about him are so accustomed to, and at the same time place him in modern circumstances.
4. The Silence of the Lambs, 1991
A psychopath nicknamed Buffalo Bill is killing and skinning women. Desperate, the FBI turns to the killer and cannibal, the terrifying ex-psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter, who is in a psychiatric hospital for evaluation.
FBI Academy cadet Clarice Starling must talk to the madman and find out who is hiding behind the nickname Buffalo Bill.
Thomas Harris published The Silence of the Lambs in 1988 – this is the second book in the series about Hannibal Lecter and the first adaptation of a novel from the series. Anthony Hopkins revealed the facets of his character's perverted personality so convincingly that he won an Oscar for Best Actor.
5. The Hours, 2002
The Hours, a novel by Michael Cunningham and a movie by Stephen Daldry, takes place simultaneously in three time periods. In 1923, author Virginia Woolf is working on Mrs Dalloway, struggling with depression.
In 1951, housewife Laura is bored in her perfect home. In 2001, Clarissa, an editor, cares for her ex-lover who is dying of AIDS.
As expected, the film's strong cast attracted attention early in its production. Upon release, the film grossed $108 million on a budget of only $25 million, and the leading actresses and crew received a number of awards, including an Oscar for Nicole Kidman, who was unrecognizable in the role of Woolf.