Welshrogue

A colleague of mine mentioned that he had just watched the movie Hostage after reading the book it had been based upon. That was enough for my to run my own comparisons on books that I have read that have also been movies that I have read.

Where Eagles Dare – written by Alistair MacLean and starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood.

The book opens on a plane bound for Germany and from there is a tale of rescue, resourcefulness, and betrayal. A very well written story, with great characters and scenarios. Set during World War 2, it offers an alternative look at the war.

The movie follows the book very closely, almost scene for scene. It is a well acted, classic movie that keeps up the pace of the book.

No major changes from book to movie.

To Kill a Mockingbird – written by Harper Lee and starring Gregory Peck.

The classic tale of standing up for what you believe in, as told from a child’s point of view.

The movie is a perfect compliment to the book, exactly how I imagined it to be.

A Time To Kill – written by John Grisham and starring Matthew McConaughey and Samuel L. Jackson.

A very powerful and sometimes shocking story, it packs a punch and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the final verdict.

The movie surprised me by remaining very true to the book and also casting perfectly, from Matthew McConaughey to Donald Sutherland to Oliver Platt. Shows how casting the right actors makes the perfect movie.

Sahara – written by Clive Cussler and starring Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz.

The book and movie differ quite a bit but it doesn’t stop the movie from being an enjoyable adventure, as long as you don’t want to be the same as the book. Still enjoyed both a lot.

Raise the Titanic – written by Clive Cussler and starring Richard Jordan and Jason Robards

No-body seems to like the movie, from Richard Jordan not looking right for Dirk Pitt to changes in the plot, the book is much better than the movie although the movie as it stands is not terrible, just not as good as it could have been.

The Bone Collector – written by Jeffery Deaver and starring Angelina Jolie and Denzil Washington.

Creepy whodunit movie and book, with a few minor changes from the book but fairly true to the original plot. Not enough time to develop the main character in the movie though.

Word of Honor – written by Nelson DeMille and starring Don Johnson.

A tense military court room drama that in print is amazing to experience. A book that is difficult to put down once you start. The movie, albeit a “tv movie” is good, but lacks the intensity of the book.

The Generals Daughter – written by Nelson DeMille and starring John Travolta

Again, another Nelson DeMille story that reads better than on the big screen. John Travolta, while acting in his normal John Travolta style, does become Paul Brennen.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 3rd, 2005 at 9:42 am and is filed under Books, Movies, Stuff. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.