Top Ten Book-to-Film Adaptations of All Time - Lizzie Chan

With film adaptations being constantly criticized for ruining the original book these days, one must have wondered the possibility of having even a decent adaptation throughout the years. No? Well, Lizzie Chan, a geeky girl who spends her time reading through dusty books and watching movies has definitely pondered this before! With that in mind, she intends to unearth some of the greatest book-to-film adaptations for this week's column.

Despite all the negative criticism we hear regarding most film adaptations, there are plenty from the lot that has definitely left a sumptuous impression in the adaptation history. Want to know more about these top-notch motion pictures? Here is a look at the ten best book-to-film adaptations of all time.

10. Into The Wild

Referencing to its original content which was published in 1996, this movie snagged the tenth spot on the list due to director Sean Penn's decision on eradicating the author's personal comparisons between one of his characters and himself from the narrative completely. With that out of the way, the film was able to comprehend the character's true feelings and emotions as he embarked on a trip into the wilderness of Alaska.

9. Kite Runner

Marc Forster did justice to Khaled Hosseini's novel as he managed to capture the author's exceptional blend of poetry and pragmatism on screen. Forster brought Hosseini's extraordinary story to life by utilizing stunning sceneries, unique cinematography and using the actors' expression to convey the dialogue. 

8. Dune (Mini Series) 

Adapting Frank Herbert's work of art must have been difficult as his best-selling sci-fi novel did not only acquainted the world with some memorable characters but also employed a brilliant political perspective to make the story contemporary. Despite all that, John Harrison managed to deliver the adaptation well through the script and acting but what made it outstanding was the distinguishing soundtrack by Brian Tyler.

7. A Clockwork Orange

The decision of choosing Stanley Kubrick as the director of this film adaptation was definitely a smart move as he contrived in bringing Anthony Burgess's controversial dystopian thriller to life with bare, inanimate compositions and spectral camera angles. (Well, maybe a little too eerie if you ask me!)

6. Shawshank Redemption

Published in 1982, this film adaptation's original novel was written by none other than Stephen King himself. Frank Darabont adapted this heartfelt story about an endless friendship between two convicts so well that even Stephen King himself was impressed! He said "The story had heart; the movie has more." How cool is that?!

5. Jurassic Park

This legendary film adaptation about dinosaurs, animal nature and man's avarice based on Michael Crichton's novel is definitely no stranger to many adaptation lists. It brought every child's dream to life with its unique special effects that still look as marvelous as ever after seventeen years since it was released!

4. A Time to Kill

A Time to Kill was inevitably John Grisham's most notable book that was brought to life on the silver screen. Chronicling around a cruel attack on a young black girl, this film adaptation was a success due to its plot and Samuel L. Jackson's heartbreaking act as the father of the girl who was plotting for revenge.

3. Lord of The Rings

Let's see. A whole new world filled with elves, dwarves, dragons, wizards and even a unique language to complement them with is definitely a must-read book, even more if it's written by J.R.R Tolkien himself! The film adaptation to this novel obtained the third spot on this list thanks to the amazing narrative, cinematography and a stunning musical score by Howard Shore.

2. Silence of the Lambs

This particular film adaptation was based on a novel with the same name by Thomas Harris. Aside from the fact that this story has a fantastic plot, Anthony Hopkins brought one of the greatest villians to life with his outstanding performance as Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter. Silence of the Lambs is also amongst the few films that has managed to win 5 Oscars - Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Screenplay.

1. Fight Club

Edward Norton and Brad Pitt's performance in this mind-blowing comedic thriller definitely brought the film to the number one spot! Adapted from Chuck Palahniuk's first novel, Norton and Pitt managed to bring out the angst and brotherhood of the plot - the elements that made the novel as famous as it is today.

So there you have it - the top ten book-to-film adaptations of all time. I sincerely hope that this article will be able to soothe those of you who are still skeptical about film adaptations. After all, the next adaptation you feast your eyes on might just knock the number one spot out of this list.