I’ve waited a long time for this day. The Hunger Games is finally in theaters. The women in my book club and our husbands have had our tickets for days, and tonight we’ll see the movie. My granddaughter read The Hunger Games for her high school English class. So my daughter read it too, then eagerly brought it to our book club. Honestly, I didn’t expect to like it, but it drew me in from the very beginning, and I loved it! So did every woman in our club. We span in age from early 30s to 70s, but we were in complete agreement on this one. So much so that we read the other two books in the trilogy. I’m on my third reading of the series—something I seldom do. Once we learned the book was being made into a movie, which of course was a no-brainer, there were times we’d spend our book club meetings casting the movie. Our personal favorite was Robert Downey, Jr. as Haymitch, but somehow, the producer didn’t get the memo. We’ll see how Woody Harrelson does. Judging by looks, Jennifer Lawrence will make a perfect Katniss. I love that Suzanne Collins, the author, has had such major input into the casting and making of the movie. My number one hope is that it stays true to the novel. With her influence I’m sure it will.
The first time I read To Kill a Mockingbird, it was 1969, and I was a junior in high school. As I read that amazing novel, so rich in character development, I remember thinking, “If they ever make this into a movie, Gregory Peck has to play Atticus Finch.” It’s as if the character was written with Peck as the model. Imagine my surprise to learn that a movie had already been made . . . starring Gregory Peck. The movie was very true to the book, which is as it should be. Other movies that have stayed true to the books they were made from are the phenomenal Lord of the Rings trilogy, the classic Lonesome Dove miniseries, and most recently, Kathryn Stockett’s The Help.
Often, reading a book will entice me to see the movie, but there have been instances where the movie has enticed me to read the book. One True Thing by Anna Quindlen, is one example. I love the movie—starring the quintessential Meryl Streep, how could I not? So I went in search of the novel. The same was true of Fried Green Tomatoes, one of my all-time favorites; as well as The Godfather by Mario Puzo, way back when . . . Saw the movie, had to read the book.
When it comes to books and movies I’m really bugged when screen adaptors mess with the ending of the book they’re adapting their movie from. To me it’s a form of perversion. If they want a different story, let them write it, but leave the author’s intent intact. Just my personal opinion.
Is there a movie that sent you in search of a novel? Have you been disappointed with a movie that didn’t stay true to the book? Any Hunger Games fans out there??
Sharon K. Souza is the author of Lying on Sunday and Every Good and Perfect Gift. Look for her newest release, Unraveled, coming in April. Visit her website for more information www.sharonksouza.com
About Ariel Lawhon
Ariel Lawhon is the co-founder of She Reads, novelist, blogger, storyteller, and life-long reader. She lives in Texas with her husband and four young sons (aka The Wild Rumpus). Ariel believes that Story is the shortest distance to the human heart.
Loved the books and went to the midnight showing with my kids’ babysitters, and we all loved it! One book I read that I hated the movie was Eragon. Might have been a good movie, but not when it was supposed to be Eragon. The new movie about Abe Lincoln being a vampire hunter made me laugh in astonishment (you should see that preview in the Hunger Games), but it makes me want to read that book.
I saw the preview for ‘I Am Number Four’ and I had to read the book. I wasnt disappointed with either. And I just finished the Harry Potter movie series and now I want to read the books. Ive already started the books. I.saw the One for The Money preview and now im in love with series. I even went out and bought the books up until fourteen. I’d already read The Help before the movie came out and I didnt like movie. The Notebook , I loved both. The Funny Bones was better as a book and si was Something Borrowed. I can think of any more but those are some of mt favorites. Im still waiting for someone to make Sarah Addison Allen’s novels into Lifetime movies. They’re the .only ones who can do them justice.
Thank you for your comments, Erica and Tedra, and thanks for the book/movie suggestions. I’m just home from seeing Hunger Games. It was fabulous. Can’t wait to see it again.
I also love Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (the book), and it was one I read after seeing the movie. I have read the book over and over and over, and because I saw the movie first, when I imagine the characters in my mind as I read, I see Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker, Kathy Bates and the wonderful Jessica Tandy. The last time I watched the movie, I was a bit disappointed as it’s not nearly as good as the version in my head from all the reads of the book! (Of course, the movie is rarely as good as any book.) One thing that frustrated me about that movie is the way the producers chose to intentionally lead people to think that Ninny might be Idgie (all grown up and old), when in the book it is absolutely clear that she is not. That has always bugged me. What do you think?
My daughter read all the Harry Potter books. After each book she watched the movie. Naturally being a mom and always around doing mom things in the kitchen which opens up to our living room, I got to see the movies too along with her. By the time she got to the last one, I was dying to see how it all turned out. Since then I have gone back and read the books.
My philosophy is to try and read books first before seeing movies, but on occasion I have seen the movie first and then gone back. The Percy Jackson Series was like this. (I work in a library for elementary students, which explains the kids books) My daughter has devoured the Hunger Games books and has seen the movie. I will probably be reading the book first as soon as it comes back from her friend she lent it out to.
Oh and by the way, the movie version of Misery by Stephen King was dead on. When I saw Kathy Bates on the screen is was as if I were seeing the character come to life. She was absolutely perfect.