As a bookworm, I love picking up literary films—only to be disappointed in most cases. The following five film adaptations, however, do not only nail it, they even improve the literary models and create moving and memorable films.
Round 1: The film did it better
Speak by Lauri Halse Anderson (published 1990)
“‘Speak up for yourself–we want to know what you have to say.’ From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party.” (Goodreads)
vs.
The American film Speak was produced in 2004. Starring a very young Krist
en Stewart and having only a tiny budget as well as only three weeks for shooting, the producers created a touching and authentic high school drama. In contrast to the book, the producers took some liberties with the ending, which felt natural and needed. It gives Melinda’s story a well-needed closing that I terribly missed after reading the book. The film ends like a thunderbolt, whereas the book seems merely to run out of paper. So I really appreciate the added ending scenes.
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy (first published 1895)
“Jude Fawley’s hopes of a university education are lost when he is trapped into marrying the earthy Arabella, who later abandons him. Moving to the town of Christminster where he finds work as a stonemason, Jude meets and falls in love with his cousin Sue Bridehead, a sensitive, freethinking ‘New Woman’. ” (Goodreads)
vs.
Jude* is a 1996 British period drama film directed by Michael Winterbottom. Starring Kate Winslet and Christopher Ecclestone, the film features two very strong and persuasive actors who are able to carry the intended bleakness of the film authentically. With a running time of 122 min, the script is forced to be tighter as the book, which helps to reduce the repetitiveness under which Jude the Obscure suffers. All in all, it is a dark and touching film, focusing on the most important aspects of Hardy’s novel.
*The German title of Jude is Herzen in Aufruhr which loosely translated to Hearts in Uproar. Many viewers thus were disappointed as they expected a cheesy love story. But hey, it’s Thomas Hardy; the master of sadness.
The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff (first published in 2000)
“What do you do when the person you love has to change? It starts with a question, a simple favour asked by a wife of her husband while both are painting in their studio, setting off a transformation neither can anticipate. Uniting fact and fiction into an original romantic vision, The Danish Girl eloquently portrays the unique intimacy that defines every marriage and the remarkable story of Lili Elbe, a pioneer in transgender history, and the woman torn between loyalty to her marriage and her own ambitions and desires.” (Goodreads)
vs.
The Danish Girl is a 2015 romantic drama film directed by Tom Hooper and 
starring Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander (interestingly, both are about 20 years younger than their real-life counterparts). The story about one of the first women to undergo transgender operation is touching as it is, but Eddie Redmayne portrays Lili with such a fragility and yet strength that it really touches your heart.
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (first published 1838)
Dickens offers his most popular tale, of the orphan who is reared in a workhouse and runs away to London-a novel of social protest, a morality tale, and a detective story. (Goodreads). Oliver Twist is a classic, but one I didn’t enjoy much. The story seems to drag on and on and on. Furthermore, Oliver (although I have a heart for all the orphans out there) is just not likable. In the end, I somehow forced myself to finish the book and when I think about it now, I cannot remember much. As sad as it is.
vs.
In 2007, the BBC created a British television adaptation of Oliver Twist, consisting of 
five episodes. Even though the adaptation makes several major alterations to the plot, including both alterations of events as well as familial relationships, it creates an atmospheric and gripping tale that gives the viewer an insight into the difficult living conditions of the past. It may not be 100 % true adaptation of Oliver Twist, but that does not have to be negative.
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (first published 1996)
Fight Club’s estranged (unreliable) narrator leaves his lackluster job when he comes under the thrall of Tyler Durden, an enigmatic young man who holds secret after-hours boxing matches in the basement of bars. (Goodreads)
vs.
Fightclub (1999) is directed by David Fincher and features a hell of a cast; especially 
Bratt Pitt‘s and Edward Norton‘s performances in Fight Club are just epic. The film is not only shocking but also shockingly good. It is one of the most controversial and talked-about films of the 1990s. What makes the film better than the book is the simple fact that the film casts a spell over the viewer who only emerges from the strange and brutal and yet relatable world after the film is over. Words are strong but images are stronger as they simply burn into your mind—and that the main advantage of this film. You won’t forget it.
Coming next: Round 2 – It’s a draw!
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