During the dog days of summer there’s nothing more relaxing and chill than staying inside a cool room and watching a movie or reading a good book—or watching a movie based on a good book! Many of the great films that have been made are based on a novel, short story, or a popular children’s book. Some movies try to stay true to the book while many others take creative liberty in reimagining it. Book-to-film adaptations can often be a source of endless debates and arguments with some people decrying “That’s not what happens in the book” and others excitedly sharing their thought of “I didn’t read it that way, but the film version makes sense.” Whatever we might think about a movie’s interpretation of a book, we can all probably agree that movies bring a novel to life because they’re in many ways the manifestation of the imaginative world of literature.

We asked library staff to share a movie based on a book that they enjoy and recommend, and here are their picks!

 

AnnMarie ~ The Perks of Being a Wallflower

It’s pretty rare for an author of a bestselling novel to get any say in the adaptation or direction of any films made based on it. You wonder whom the novelist would have cast, or how they would have depicted something on screen. Sometimes this makes a film better, but most of the time…it doesn’t.

Thankfully, in the case of The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, we get that insight, because the screenplay was written by…Stephen Chbosky! And the film was directed by…drumroll…Stephen Chbosky! And what you get is a lovely film that captures the timelessness of first love and teen friendship, as well as the novel’s many lessons about trauma and empathy.

But there is a lot that the movie leaves out. So I’d recommend watching the movie first. Let it whet your appetite for the unforgettable characters Charlie, Sam and Patrick, and then dive into the novel where they will be explored much more deeply in Charlie’s consciousness.

(You can download the audiobook on Libby, or the film soundtrack on hoopla!)

Susan ~ Anatomy of a Murder

A classic courtroom movie starring Jimmy Sewart based on the book by Robert Traver. Michael Asimow, UCLA law professor and co-author of Reel Justice: The Courtroom Goes to the Movies (2006), says that the film adaptation of the book is “probably the finest pure trial movie ever made.”

Karla ~ Mickey 17

I really enjoyed Bong Joon Ho’s film Mickey 17 based on Edward Ashton’s Mickey7 book. I actually watched the movie first and found out that it was based on Ashton’s book a week after having watched the movie. I’m currently listening to the Mickey7 audiobook on hoopla and think that it’s actually pretty similar to the movie so far; it’s read by John Pirhalla whose voice sounds a lot like Pattinson’s character voice in the movie. I really enjoyed Mickey’s character in the movie and listening to the book I’ve come to think that Robert Pattinson did an amazing job at playing Mickey. He plays a character known as an Expendable—whose role in his colony ship is to be a disposable employee who assists with risky missions and dies and gets reprinted or regenerated with all his memories intact on a regular basis. The trouble begins not with his first or second or third death but actually with the fact that when Mickey7 was assumed dead, a new clone, Mickey8, was created. This is an issue because duplicates are considered unethical, unsustainable, and a grave offense punishable by death since they are known to bring chaos, confusion, and loss of control.

I’d usually suggest reading or listening to the book first, but in this case, I liked the worldbuilding in the movie and think that the book’s main concepts made sense to me because I watched the movie first. Although, I have to say my opinion is a little biased in that I don’t usually read apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic science fiction books; I usually stick to dystopian YA novels. I’m also biased in that I am a fan of thrillers/action/horror/dark films in general, Bong Joon Ho’s other films, and Robert Pattinson’s other works. With that, I leave you with a couple options; start with the audiobook, film soundtrack, print book, or movie, the choice is yours!

Rachel ~ Rebecca

If you enjoy Hitchcock’s revolutionary directing coupled with the slick plotting, and dialogue of screenwriter Joan Harrison and novelist Daphne Du Maurier, then Rebecca is sure to satisfy. In this gothic nail biter, a woman from a poor family falls in love with a wealthy widower only to learn after their marriage that his late wife, the enigmatic Rebecca, still dominates the household. This is a rare example (in my humble opinion) where a film, and its source material are simply different beasts. For the most part, one is not overtly superior to the other. The mystery at the heart of the book is indelibly seductive, and Du Maurier’s characters are so well drawn you can practically reach out and touch them. Hitchcock, as always, is Hitchcock. He uses the medium of film to capture not just the events of the story, but the feeling of the prose as well.

Chelsie ~ I Want My Hat Back

Available to watch at library branches through our Alexander Street Database at any of our open locations, the National Theater’s production of I Want My Hat Back, is a fun musical adaptation of Jon Klassen’s dryly hilarious picture book of the same name! Follow Bear as he looks for his hat, meeting a cast of other animal characters along the way! Will Bear find his hat? Will the thieving rabbit get his comeuppance? Find out and take a minute to browse through some of the National Theater’s other adaptations, including Treasure Island, and Peter Pan!

Sol ~ Mothers’ Instinct

My pick is the novel titled Mothers’ Instinct by Barbara Abel which has also been made into a film directed by Benoît Delhomme. We don’t seem to have the film in our physical collection, but we do have the e-book and audiobook on hoopla!

The film is just as good as the book, if not better! The movie does a fantastic job of capturing a psychological thriller essence throughout its filming styles and truly involves the audience in the mind-bending questions of what’s real and what’s not. There are themes of overcoming mental health, loss, gender roles, revenge, but all portrayed in a very detailed manner that leaves you spiraling at the edge of your seat. Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain played perfect roles in this film! If you enjoy works that leave you feeling unsettled, this is a great pick to read and a great film to watch.

Isabella ~ The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

I’ll admit I adore both the film and book series as a whole. Catching Fire, based on the book of the same name by Suzanne Collins, is my absolute favorite as it captures the tonal shift and build-up to the revolution beginning in the story. I feel as though the storytelling in the movie is just as good as the book and does it right. It may be a slow-paced movie for some but I feel it’s a great bridge in telling the overarching story of The Hunger Games series! A great book to read and a great movie to watch!

Young ~ The Remains of the Day

People will often go watch a movie based on a good book, but sometimes a good movie will bring people to the book. This was the case with The Remains of the Day. I watched the movie first, not knowing it was based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. It’s set in post-WW2 England though the story itself mostly takes place during the Second World War as it is a recollection of one man’s past. Stevens is an English butler—and the narrator of the story—who has dedicated his life to his job serving Lord Darlington, who is now deceased. His new employer, the American Mr. Farraday, suggests that he take a vacation and lends him his car. While driving through the English countryside and meeting with the former housekeeper of Darlington Hall, Miss Kenton, Stevens reminisces about his time working at the manor house. He begins to ponder Lord Darlington’s reputation as a naïve Nazi sympathizer and his repressed feelings for Miss Kenton, but most importantly, he comes to a realization that in dedicating much of his life to his profession and to a man on the wrong side of history he has denied his own feelings and desires. It’s a story of regret and missed opportunities, self-knowledge and self-deception. At the end of the movie, Stevens decides to make the best of what remains of the day.

If you like slow-moving domestic drama that explores human emotions and the concepts of loyalty, duty, and ethics—and especially if you enjoyed the book—then I recommend checking out this movie.