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SALT LAKE CITY -- It happens.
Occasionally, despite the thousands of contrary examples, a movie is actually better than the book upon which it was based, and not necessarily because the movie was great.
In fact, sometimes the movie is simply less awful. But the phenomenon is so rare, that even the “less awful” examples deserve a shout-out from time to time.
So to celebrate those key moments when Hollywood actually got it right, and to help viewers forget some of 2011’s dreadful attempts to bring literature to celluloid, like "Atlas Shrugged," here is a list of five movies that were actually better than the book.
5. "The Legend of Bagger Vance"
“The Legend of Bagger Vance” was by no means a great movie. But when compared to the eye numbing novel it was based on, “Bagger Vance” the film looks more like “Citizen Cane” than the 43 percent splat it ended up as on Rottentomatoes.com.
In fact, every creative writing student should have to read “Bagger Vance” as an example of why “show don’t tell” is such an important part of storytelling.
While the film itself is mediocre, Robert Redford deserves major credit for converting the overly preachy and altogether ridiculous story into a cohesive and occasionally poignant message movie. If you're someone who absolutely hates the movie and is unwilling to give Redford that credit, just find a copy of the novel and read the last couple chapters.
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4. "Big Fish"
Unlike “Bagger Vance,” “Big Fish” is actually an interesting read. It doesn’t move in a traditional what-happened-next format, but it does have something to say, and it delivers its message in an interesting way. Perhaps that’s why it made such a great transition to the big screen.
Without the shackles of a strict timeline, screenwriter John August had a tremendous amount of freedom in taking the heart of “Big Fish” and turning it into something an audience would remember.
With a very talented cast behind it, and the usually interesting Tim Burton directing, “Big Fish” the film edges out “Big Fish” the book, though both are worth your time on a lazy afternoon.
This is a close one. In fact, if you could somehow get John Powell’s score to sweep through the book the way it moves through the film, the book may just take back the title as a superior experience.
But without Powell, viewers are simply left with differences they either like or don’t like.
For example, Hiccup’s love interest Astrid doesn’t make the book at all. And Toothless, the feared yet lovable night fury in the film, is actually a common garden dragon in the book. In fact, the entire premise of Vikings warring with dragons was invented for the popcorn bunch.
But such comparisons are just a matter of who-likes-what until Hiccup and Toothless become friends to Powell’s “Forbidden Friendship.” Once the music plays, the debate is over — the film wins.
It’s risky to include “The Shawshank Redemption” because many consider “Different Seasons,” Stephen King’s collection to which “Shawshank” belongs, to be his greatest work.
However, in this list, “Shawshank” is more of a place holder for the many great King novels that have made incredible films. Movies such as “Stand By Me,” “The Shining,” and “The Green Mile” are now classic films that are arguably better than the original stories.
However, “Shawshank” also makes the list for another reason. If one asks the average cinema geek what his or her favorite films are, “Shawshank” is inevitably in the Top 10.
It’s true, most book worms love “Different Seasons,” but the printed version never resonated with the masses in the way the film did. In the end, there’s just something about the movie.
1. "O’ Brother Where Art Thou"
There’s no debating that “The Odyssey” is a classic. In fact, the very idea that anyone anywhere is listing the Cohen Brother film as superior to the original Greek poem, would probably drive a few English and humanities professors insane. But it seems like no one likes the same movies they do anyway.
“O’ Brother Where Art thou” has to be the most creative take on “The Odyssey” available, and even if it isn’t, it’s definitely the most entertaining. A slow moving film that drifts on its sharp writing, “O’ Brother” walks a fine line between musical, comedy, and historical drama.
The framing of every shot, the subtle moving of the camera as characters progress in thought or emotion, the way the sound moves through a group of people, the process they used to make spring look like fall, or the fact that the Cohens discovered that George Clooney makes a much better village idiot than he does Dapper Dan – all genius.
While there are the nay-sayers who hate “O’ Brother Where Art Thou,” even they have to admit they’d rather watch it on a rainy day than try and muscle down some of Homer’s Greek poetry — English and humanities professors excluded of course. Perhaps, had Homer’s Ulysses sung “Man of Constant Sorrow” into a can, the outcome would have been different. But as it stands, “O’ Brother Where Art Thou” is the better "Odyssey" experience.
