10 January 2009

Excellent Novels That Were Made Into Excellent Films


The title sums this post up pretty well. I'll just say that the criteria is that a) I read the book b) I saw the film c) I thought both were exceptional. I'll also add that films were NOT eliminated because they weren't "faithful" to the book. A movie is not obligated to be a cinematic reproduction of a book. However sometimes a film will suffer because it does not capture the spirit of the novel. Such was the case for me when W.P. Kinsella's superb novel, Shoeless Joe was made into something called Field of Dreams. Most of my contemporaries loved the movie but I know of two people besides myself who did not. All three of us had read the book and agreed that the film altered the book's theme.

However I find certain types of comparisons fruitless as in "the book was soooo much better." Comparing a book and a movie is akin to comparing a song and painting. I also do not include novelizations of films, principally because I've never read one and never intend to.

In most cases I read the novel before seeing the film as with the most recent film on this list, Revolutionary Road. In some cases, as with The Godfather, I loved the film so much I just had to read the novel that inspired it.

Please note this list is confined to novels, thus books such as All the President's Men or Wiseguys (which inspired Goodfellas) are not included. The list is offered in no particular order.

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) On the jacket of my cover of this book by Eric Maria Remarque are the words "The Greatest War Novel of All Time." No argument here. The subsequent film directed by Lewis Milestone is similarly among the finest films about war of all time. Both the novel and film are powerful stories of men and war and serve as great anti-war messages.

The Godfather (1972) The film, one of the greatest of all time, is so beloved and acclaimed that it greatly overshadows Mario Puzo's excellent novel. Any fan of the Godfather films should read it. Most of the story from Godfathers I and II are here with some of the back story and detail that even six hours worth of cinema cannot capture.

The Shining (1980) Reportedly author Stephen King was not pleased with director Stanley Kubrick's rendering of his novel. Gimme a break, Stephen. This is the best film based on any of his novels or short stories perhaps in large part because it is perhaps his best book. King's dissatisfaction led to the making of made-for-cable film that inevitably bombed. The original film starring Jack Nicholson is a horror classic.

Jaws (1975) Once again we have a movie that made many forgot an original highly popular novel. A then-young Steven Spielberg practically created the Summer blockbuster with the film. Peter Benchley's novel was a true page-turner but one with surprising depth to its characters and their individual stories.

To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) What a chore to bring Harper Lee's masterpiece to film. Yet thanks in large part to Gregory Peck's brilliant portrayal of Atticus Finch, the film is worthy in its own right. The two make great companion pieces for many a high school English teacher.

No Country For Old Men (2007) The novel that was the basis for the best film of the past few years was written by Cormac McCarthy. The Coen brothers pleased McCarthy fans by their faithful adaptation of the book. Other McCarthy books have been made into films with much less success. Meanwhile a film based on his Pulitzer prize winning, The Road is due in theaters soon and Ridley Scott is reportedly working on a cinematic version of Blood Meridian. Both are great books and i hope the films measure up.

Revolutionary Road (2008) I read Richard Yates novel several years ago not imagining that it could be, led alone would be, made into a watchable film. But director Sam Mendes did the trick. No less a personage than Kurt Vonnegut called the novel "the Great Gatsby for my generation." I just saw the film today and it captured Yates' message beautifully.

Little Big Man (1970) Thomas Berger wrote a wonderfully entertaining epic and director Arthur Penn filmed a wonderfully entertaining epic. Penn had the good sense or good fortune to cast Dustin Hoffman in the lead role and surrounded him with a terrific supporting cast. If you enjoyed the film, read the book and its sequel.

The Graduate (1967) Dustin Hoffman stars again this time in Mike Nichols' smash hit based on the largely forgotten novel of the same name by Charles Webb. One of the screenwriters was Buck Henry, one of the wittiest man on the planet. Both movie and film gave voice to some of the cultural upheaval that marked the 1960's.

The Exorcist (1973) Here's a trick questions: which is scarier, the film the Exorcist or the novel? The answer of course is both are equally scary. Both are also equally great and important works of art. The novelist was William Peter Blatty and the director William Friedkin. Wonderfully talented gentlemen who never managed anything better -- how could they?

93 comments:

Anonymous said...

Recently I discovered your blog...


woooooh! I Return of vacations and I realize that there is much to read, starting with the posts about your trip to Paris.


I better start, right?

Thanks for writing ...
I hope you a good good 2009

Anonymous said...

Interesting blog.

Just one comment I seriously disagree with...

Best Stephen King adapted film... not the Shining but The Shawshank Redemption.

Anonymous said...

what about fight club. brilliant book made into even better movie

Anonymous said...

LA Confidential was another.

the godfather, while a great story, was only an ok novel i believe.

lord of the rings is too obvious - though i dont get into the books at all.

Ian James said...

I'd also add LA Confidential to that list.

Anonymous said...

I agreee w/Anonymous above re. The Shawshank Redemption. If I had to pick what I thought was the best movie ever made, it would be a serious contender.

Anonymous said...

Hey there,

Just a word or two...

The Shining -I completely agree. Kubrick took this book and made it his own. I do not think any authors of books he made into films liked the result.
The Godfather -Watch Robert Evans' film "The Kid Stays in The Picture". You will learn that Puzo originally proposed "The Godfather" as a film script. Evans had him to write the novel to promote it as such to then drum up interest for the movie. He used the same ploy with "Love Story" as well. My point being that "The Godfather" was written to be a movie...even as a book.

Anonymous said...

yes Fight club ofcourse. and also The Asphalt Jungle.

Anonymous said...

Well this list is certainly a wonderful choice of films. My addition would have to be the almost impossible to film yet filmed "Under The Volcano" directed by John Huston and starring in a magnificent performance Albert Finney

Anonymous said...

What about Gone Baby Gone?

Richie said...

Choke.

Also No Country For Old Men was a TERRIBLE film that spent several weeks getting to the point. I don't understand why it's so good. If someone can explain that to me, go right ahead.

Anonymous said...

No Country for Old Men the novel actually came out a few years ago, not over a decade ago. It was McCarthy's latest book before The Road.

Anonymous said...

Good list.

I'd also give a heads up to LA Confidential.

Anonymous said...

Silence of the Lambs.

Anonymous said...

A Clockwork Orange and Deliverance were both great books and even better as movies.

Anonymous said...

Excellent list. I was impressed to see The Godfather on there. After seeing the film I immediately went out and read the novel because I wanted to get into Michael Corleone's head. For me that aspect of the book was a dissapointment. Frankly Pacino makes Michael far more interesting than he was as a book character. I do however think the novel has one of the finest last sentences I've read in ages.

Also, I agree with the Shawshank crowd. The Shining's good, but Shawshank's better.

Anonymous said...

I disagree about the Godfather. I think the book is a cheap pulp novel with no main character, no plot direction and uninteresting sidestories (who cares about Johnny Fontane's private life?).

Coppola did a good job giving the story some much needed direction, trimming, and made a wise choice in making Michael Corleone the central character.

Anonymous said...

What about Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now? Probably my favorite literary combo... and you mentioned the movie doesn't have to be "faithful"!

Anonymous said...

The textbook example of how to adapt an excellent novel is Tom Jones.

Anonymous said...

Actually, The Shawshank Redemption (as well as Apt Pupil and Stand By Me) were adapted from Stephen King novellas. Good list, Riku. My addition to the list would be Jurassic Park, the late Michael Crichton's best written novel.

Anonymous said...

Great list, although Godfather and Jaws would be better served on a list of movies who are much better than their original sources.
Get Shorty and Jackie Brown are also excellent movies based on Elmore Leonard novels, (Jackie Brown was based on Rum Punch)

Anonymous said...

You missed two James Jones novels:

From Here To Eternity
and
The Thin Red Line

Both excellent books and films

Also:

The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler

Robert Altman's version is an absolute classic.

Anonymous said...

What about Requiem for a Dream?

Anonymous said...

i rarely if ever leave comments, but i just wanted to address what you began your post about: the altered theme of Shoeless Joe when it transcended to the screen.

i met Kinsella and asked him about the supposed altered theme from the book to the film. he thought the film captured his theme perfectly.

i was surprised by this, as i have read the book countless times and never thought the film lived up to it. either way, it just goes to show how different everyone's perception can be.

thanks for your post - a great read! :-)

Anonymous said...

very good blog:

I think A Clockwork Orange deserves to be here,
as Do androids dream of electric sheep from Philip K Dick wich was turned into Blade Runner by Ridley Scott (great novel and great film - the directors cut)
The Thin Red Line should also be mentioned (very good war book from James Joyce.....and a very different film)
and one film long lost :
The Chessplayer based on the novel from Stefan Zweig.... exellent book and film
also Marina from Haneke based on a very good book.....

DJP said...

So... Stephen King is wrong about whether Kubrick interpreted Stephen King's story correctly? Interesting.

My immediate thought as to your title: The Green Mile.

And actually, I'd say "Stand By Me" is better than the novella, oddly enough.

Anonymous said...

Must add The Maltese Falcon - great mystery/detective book and one of the best films ever made.

Alice said...

actually i believe ridley scott has dropped out of blood meridian and todd field (of little childre fame) has taken up the helm.

i have my doubts about it ever getting made.

Anonymous said...

2001?

Hornacek said...

If you didn't read the book first before seeing The Shining, it's a GREAT film. But if you read the book first, it's a HUGE disappointment. Nicholson is all wrong (Jack is supposed to GO crazy, not be crazy from the get-go), and Duvall must have had blackmail material not to be fired after a week - she plays Wendy as a complete doormat. It misses many of the themes and plot points of the book (hello, the boiler? It blows up at the end - everyone on the movie forgot about that).

The mini-series (which had so-so ratings, it did not "bomb") was MUCH better if you're a fan of the book. Yes, it didn't have Nicholson or Kubrick, but it was faithful to the book - if you're going to make a movie out of a great book, why bother if you're just going to throw away everything that made the book great?

Anonymous said...

I agree with the poster who said Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now.

But I must say I thought that The Reader is such a circumstance. Unlike most novel/film combos, where one invariably seems better than the other, having read the book betters the film experience, and watching the film then beautifully illustrates the book. They complement each other. I loved both.

Carrie and The Silence of the Lambs are amazingly good films, but I think they improve upon their source material. I found both novels very enjoyable, but I wouldn't say excellent.

Anonymous said...

Wot no 'arry potta :P

Anonymous said...

I really like your list, but I agree with what everyone is saying about Silence of the Lambs and Fight Club. What about Gone With the Wind? Both an incredible movie and book. Or The Wizard of Oz?

Isabel said...

Great post, but for your consideration, "Misery"?

Anonymous said...

Atonement

Anonymous said...

Jurassic Park, man. Amazing novel, great movie. Michael Crichton was a brilliant author, master of the techno-thriller. Also, Eaters of the Dead by Crichton became the 13th Warrior, a great novel and a good movie. Here's hoping, when Prey becomes a movie, that they don't screw it up.

Anonymous said...

How about "Night of the Hunter" and Gary Sinise's "Of Mice and Men".

Ministry Addict said...

I agree with Night of the Hunter. Creepiest version of "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" ever filmed.
swimthedeepend.wordpress.com

academic_drifter said...

Why leave out "Howard's End" from your list? It's E. M. Forster's best novel as well as the best of the Merchant/Ivory adaptations.

Anonymous said...

Interesting thoughts, I was very glad to see "All Quiet on The Western Front" as one of your top ones. Wonderful book and so many people today wouldn't watch the movie because it's in b/w. How about "The Grapes of Wrath." I recently read the book again and wonder if it won't become relevant again soon based on our economy!

fizzbinn said...

Just a quick note on your comment about movie novelizations. I agree these books do not belong on your list. Granted, most of these books are quick knock offs to capitlize on a film's release.
Sometimes, just sometimes, they can be a good read.
When these books expand on a film's characters, plot and back stories, they are usually taken from early versions of shooting scripts.
Great books? No.
But they can be entertaining and infomative reads. Escape From New York by the late Mike McQuay is the best example that comes readily to mind.

Video Beagle said...

Does Princess Bride not qualify because of 1, 2, or 3?

Anonymous said...

Upon reading the title of the post, I immediately thought One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Easily one of my favorite novels. The book and film are separate entities for sure - Kesey supposedly had to be removed from the set, he was so unhappy with the film. And admittedly, if watch the film right after reading the book, it seems a little underwhelming in comparison - the book is that great. But consumed separately, these are two wonderful masterpieces.

riftinsanity said...

Another excellent adaptation; Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" turned into the excellent "Blade Runner."

Anonymous said...

"the shawshank redemption". best stephen king adaptation. check the IMDB board if you don't believe me.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to nominate The Onion Field and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

I also need to disagree with Hornicek about The Shining. Ironically, the book ends like a "B" movie (the hotel blows up - how Hollywood is that?) and Kubric's movie ends like a good novel, leaving some abiguity and allowing the hotel to continue on with its evil ways.

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised "Psycho" isn't on the list. The movie is better than the book, in my opinion, but the two have some great differences so both can be enjoyed on their own. I'm also surprised Gone With the Wind isn't included...

Anonymous said...

A Lesson Before Dying, beautiful book and TV movie.

Anonymous said...

If we're talking bests and excellentswhere is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and it's respective adaptation by Alfred Hitchcock?

Anonymous said...

William Peter Blatty's sequel to The Exorcist, Legion, is also a fantastic book, almost up to the standard of the original. Shame his adaptation of the novel was interfered with by the studio.

Anonymous said...

Great list; I would like to add The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, adapted for film by Philip Kaufmann.

Beautiful novel, beautiful film.

Anonymous said...

Obviously the 'topic' isn't as carefree as some of the other movies mentioned, but I thought Schindler's List was both an excellent movie and novel combo. I say novel since they were inspired by actual events and is therefore described by many as "facticious".

Anonymous said...

I'd have to add Nightwatch/Daywatch.
These russian movies inspired me to start reading the three, soon to be four, books. The books are better of course, more deep and metaphoracal, but the movies made me want to read them, and I am now addicted.

Hornacek said...

Sorry Anonymous, the book of The Shining is perfect - the book ends with the hotel blowing up because that's how it HAD to end - Jack stopped shutting off the boiler every day, how else was it supposed to end? "Logical" does not equal "'B' movie". And it's a book - who cares if it's "Hollywood" or not?

The movie ends like a bad movie - ignoring characterization and logic set-up early on - I can almost imagine the producers talking with Kubrick:
Producers: "The hotel HAS to blow up - we establish in the first 30 minutes that Jack has to turn off the boiler every day or the hotel will explode. When Jack goes crazy, he stops turning the boiler off. It's only logical.
Kubrick: Forget about logic. Now excuse me while I go do 60 takes of this one scene.

And the hotel only becomes "active" because of Danny (he's described as a battery in the book that powers the hotel) - once he's gone, the hotel is dormant again.

To sum up once again, if you never read the book, the movie is probably great. But if you read it first, then it's a terrific book turned into a visually stunning, yet completely disappointing adaptation.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

What about Goonies?

Anonymous said...

i could only take about 30 minutes of Revolutionary Road. But the Great Gatsby is overrated too....

Anonymous said...

whoops, I was thinking of Reservation Road..but the Great Gatsby still stinks on ice...I don't think Kurt Vonnegut meant that as a compliment.

Anonymous said...

Here's my top five not included in the list:

1. Trainspotting
2. Fight Club
3. American Psycho
4. A Clockwork Orange
5. Silence of the Lambs

Shawshank wasn't a novel so it can't be considered.

Anonymous said...

I was so happy to see Little Big Man here. I loved the film for 20 years before I found a copy of the novel. The novel is stunning. I actually kissed the back cover when I closed the book. The sequel is also worth reading.

Anonymous said...

One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
Field of Dreams
2001: A Space Odyssey
M*A*S*H
Shane
Frankenstein
The Caine Mutiny
Elmer Gantry

Anonymous said...

The English Patient should have been on your list. The film wasn't quite a match for the book, but it was still excellent.

Shanerology said...

I'd agree with the English Patient after having just recently finished the film. I breezed through the book back when I was dating my current ex-girlfriend; I was infatuated with her and the book, believing that we shared a passion like that of the characters in the story.

We didn't.

I want to make a correction to a few of the comments left by King fans: Shawshank was not a novel in itself, but a short story entitled Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. The movie is much better than the sadly short story, in fact elongating it and adding a depth that King didn't.

Also, the Shining was good, as a film, but I think the judgement is all wrong. Shawshank may be a better film but that doesn't mean it was a better story. As a novel, The Shining wins, hands down. As a film, it's arguable.

I'd go with The Shining, but then again, I'm a HUGE Jack Nicholson fan.


I'm just glad you didn't add The Notebook to this list. Don't get me wrong, I love Ryan Gosling as an actor, but I loathe Nicholas Sparks as an author.

Shanerology said...

Let's not also forget One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. It was an interesting read seeing things from Chief's perspective.

Another Jack classic. The man knows how to pick a script.

Anonymous said...

The Princess Bride was brilliantly conceived by Rob Reiner and I avoided the book for a long time because the movie was, and still is, my favorite. When I finally broke down, I kicked myself for putting it off so long.

Anonymous said...

What about Hemingway's "Torrents of Spring," beautifully adapted to the big screen as "Jenna's Anal Angels"?

Anonymous said...

The Maltese Falcon should be near the top of this list.

Richie said...

Twilight?

But seriously, others come to mind: Stardust, for example. Though the movie doesn't closely follow the book it comes close, and it is a great movie and a kick ass book. I think His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass could've been better but it was decent too.

Anonymous said...

While "2001" was cited in many of the comments, the book was, in fact, written, concurrently, with the movie, hence making the notion of considering it an "adaptation" rather questionable.

Anonymous said...

Just a slight correction to Shanerology: the title of the Stephen King novella is Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. Many people include 'the' but it's not there. Excellent novella, better movie.

Anonymous said...

Kubrick's version of The Shining was indeed a masterpiece, but it was so different from the novel that King's version was arguably necessary, and for my money a pretty good film in its own right.

Anonymous said...

additions...

Any of the Bond movies with Sean Connery in them, to pick just one I'd go with Dr. No. Ian Flemming was amazing and all the books were better than the movies, but the early movies still rocked.

Angel Heart/Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg. Great book, great movie... nuff said.

Forest Gump. Some don't like the book but I thought it was pretty good.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Charlie and chocolate Factory (original movie with Gene Wilder)

I don't think I'll get much agreement on this one, but I quite liked both the book and movie for The Talented Mr. Ripley.


I also thoroughly agree with the above posts on Cuckoos Nest and Fight Club.

Anonymous said...

What about 'There Will Be Blood?'

Pam said...

I thought Atonement was a wonderful novel and the movie was incredible! And I agree - I thought the Talented Mr. Ripley was a good read and wonderful film.

Rick Bman said...

I would say that in the cases of both The Godfather and No Country for Old Men, the movie was better. I actually wrote a post not to long ago about why the movie No Country for Old Men is better than the book. http://stopthepota.blogspot.com/2009/01/eh-movie-was-better-part-1-no-country.html

I thought it was a good book but a great movie. I am reading The Road now and finding it a much more engaging read the No Country for Old Men.

Very good article though. I'll take a look around the rest of your blog.

Anonymous said...

For Stephen King, "The Dead Zone" has been my favorite book that has been made into a very good movie. Cronenberg did a fantastic job, and Christopher Walken was perfect as Johnny.

Patti

Anonymous said...

Another two excellent novels that were made into excellent films you should have included were "The Hunt For Red October" by Tom Clancy and "Solaris" by Stanislaw Lem (the excellent film is the 1972 Russian one, not the disappointing Steven Soderbergh 2002 remake). I would list "2001: A Space Odyssey" as well, but I don't think that counts as a novel made into a film since Kubrick and Clarke were working on the film and the novel simultaneously.

Anonymous said...

somebody forgot Lord of the Rings especially the extended editions

Daniel said...

Actually, No Contry For Old Men was published in 2005, much less than a decade before the film came out. Your list could also include Mystic River and Out of Sight.

Anonymous said...

What about 'Jarhead', another novel Mendes managed to capture the right feeling and message of?

Also, I sort of missed 'Fight Club' on this list, although I guess it gets all the praise it needs anyway.

And a part of me would've wanted to see 'American Psycho' on the list. Sure, the only thing "excellent" about the film is Christian Bale's acting, and the only thing "excellent" about the novel are the thoughtful parts (read the chapter entitled, if I'm not mistaken, 'The End of the 80s', to see what I mean. It sort of works as a short story if you haven't read the entire book already).

'Lord of the Flies' was pretty decent, too.

Anyway, great list! Keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

would also add aswell Fight Club.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas! That is brilliant!! love both book and film!!!

Anonymous said...

Last Picture Show, anyone?

Anonymous said...

No Country For Old Men was written in 2005 even though it takes place in 1980. It had not been on shelves for over a decade.

Anonymous said...

And some more suggestions...

High Fidelity - even Nick Hornby loved it (he said it was like watching John Cusack read his book on screen). It has to be one of the most faithful adaptations I've ever seen.
A Clockwork Orange - numerous mentions already in the comments, but I agree. Kubrick, as with The Shining, knows how to adapt.
Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas - the supposedly unfilmable book was done brilliantly by Terry Gilliam, although many claim it's unwatchable. Maybe I only dig the film cos I dig the book? Hmmm.
Lord Of The Rings - Some things in the films are even better than in the book and vice-versa. Peter Jackson's reverence for Tolkien's hefty tomes is obvious and part of the film trilogies greatness.


That'll do for now. I'm hoping to put Watchmen on my list when the film opens in March.

Anonymous said...

Pretty good list, of course I'd make a couple of changes - The Graduate and The Shining wouldn't appear on my list, and I'd move Little Big Man to the top of the list, but otherwise - spot on.

Great blog Riku.

Anonymous said...

This is obviously not a well known fact but MASH was based on a novel by Richard Hooker. What's particularly instructive is to read the book, then to watch the movie, and then move on to the TV sitcom. While all three have slightly different sensiblities, they're all pretty interesting experiences.

I enjoyed watching and reading Tom Jones, Christmas Carol (several versions), Little Women (the Winona Ryder version), Sense and Sensibility, Three Musketeers (and its sequel, both by Richard Lester), The Last Tycoon, The Milagro Beanfield War, Get Shorty, The Maltese Falcon (well, any of the Dashiell Hammett books and movies based on them), The Big Sleep (or any of the Raymond Chandler books and movies based on them), and my secret weakness -- Beau Geste, the one with Gary Cooper and Robert Preston. (Any movie with the French Foreign Legion in it can't be all bad, I think.) I would say that in all of these cases, the books and their movie versions are equally enjoyable.

Decent movie versions of books is a surprisingly longer list than what is popularly believed. I think a much shorter list would be movies that are better than the book they're based on.

Anonymous said...

I was directed to your blog by IMDB and have enjoyed your writings. This list was great... everytime I watch a movie that I have enjoyed I check the credits to see it is based on a book... if so I read it. Almost always the book is better than the movie. What's better than my imagination,huh? The one movie on your list I agree with the most is the Exorcist. It scared me as a youth when I saw the movie and as an adult when I read the book.

Anonymous said...

The best book/movie combo that I read/watched was by Stephen King, but it wasn't the Shining. It was Shawshank Redemption like a lot of other folks have said. Originally a short story in the same collection that spawned Stand By Me. I can see why people love Kubrick's Shining, but in the book the main character doesn't start out crazy and that's why I don't think it deserves a nod over Shawshank and I'm sure that's part of King's issue with it as well. LA Confidential is a good mention as another poster stated. Mystic River might deserve a nod as well.

Anonymous said...

How about Atonement? a wonderful book, with a bit of a bad ending but the film was fabulous! It should definitely be on the list.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Martin said...

While I'm not crazy in love with Shawshank Redemption as the rest of the world seems to be (I like it, I just wouldn't put it on my "best movies evar" list), I will point out one thing I really respected about it: it fixed a massive plot flaw at the climax of the original novella. (Hint: it involves the pinup in the main character's cell.)

pannedreview said...

Ordinary People--great book by Judith Guest, great movie by Robert Redford


The Shining is overrated. Even King hated the movie version.

Anonymous said...

How about Stephen King's novella "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" aka The Shawshank Redemption?