Top 5 Page to Screen Adaptations

William Peter Blatty's "The Exorcist" scared readers silly, but the movie adaptation, went a step further, it scared some viewers right out of the theatre.The horror movie that all our horror movies should be measured against, this film has it all; mood, music, setting, great actors and just enough special effects to make it terrifying, but not silly.I am not ashamed to say, at 49, I still cannot watch this movie alone or in the dark.  But, oh what fun it is to be scared by something this good.For those that have never seen it, rent it tonight!This Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper Lee, published in 1960, won the hearts and minds of readers and movie goers alike."To Kill a Mockingbird" is said to be about the author's own youth in a small southern town plagued with racial strife after the rape of a white woman who accuses a black man of the crime.Heartwarming and endearing, the movie lived up to the book's intimate feeling.  After watching, we all wanted "Atticus Finch" to be our father.A wonderful movie.Mario Puzo's classic gangster novel was turned into an academy award winning phenomenon and acting tour-de-force using some of the best actors in the world; Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall and many others, with expert direction by Francis Ford Coppola.This is the gangster movie by which all other gangster movies are measured.  Even for those who aren't into the gangster genre, this is a "must-see".View the list »
Arguably, one of the best movies ever made, as well as, one of the best books ever written.  Margaret Mitchell's 1936 pulitzer prize winning novel details the exploits of Scarlett O'Hara, a young southern belle, who will do what she has to keep her family home and find true love.A true classic and "must-see" for all old movie afficianados.

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Film adaptations are a common occurrence in Hollywood and each day another studio announces it's new page to screen phenomenon.

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Recently, a few of the films based on novels that have made it to the theatres have included "The Hobbit", "Twilight", "Les Miserables" and "The Hunger Games", just to name a few.

Anne Rice, iconic author of over 30 novels, recently announced pre-production on her novel; "Christ the Lord - Out of Egypt".

This practice, however, is nothing new. Film makers have often sought out novels for their automatic name recognition, established fans and a genuine lack of fresh ideas.

In keeping with this theme, we have created a list of the "Top 5 Page to Screen Adaptations". We decided to keep the list to 5 because without setting a limit, this list could have go on forever.

The list does not include comic book to film adaptations or graphic novel adaptations again due to length issues.

Once again, these are only the opinion of the "Tampa Bay Book Examiner". As always, we welcome your own lists and comments.

Without further ado, here's our list of the "Top 5 Page to Screen Adaptations":

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  • Arguably, one of the best movies ever made, as well as, one of the best books ever written.  Margaret Mitchell's 1936 pulitzer prize winning novel details the exploits of Scarlett O'Hara, a young southern belle, who will do what she has to keep her family home and find true love.A true classic and "must-see" for all old movie afficianados.
  • Mario Puzo's classic gangster novel was turned into an academy award winning phenomenon and acting tour-de-force using some of the best actors in the world; Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall and many others, with expert direction by Francis Ford Coppola.This is the gangster movie by which all other gangster movies are measured.  Even for those who aren't into the gangster genre, this is a "must-see".
  • This Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper Lee, published in 1960, won the hearts and minds of readers and movie goers alike."To Kill a Mockingbird" is said to be about the author's own youth in a small southern town plagued with racial strife after the rape of a white woman who accuses a black man of the crime.Heartwarming and endearing, the movie lived up to the book's intimate feeling.  After watching, we all wanted "Atticus Finch" to be our father.A wonderful movie.
  • William Peter Blatty's "The Exorcist" scared readers silly, but the movie adaptation, went a step further, it scared some viewers right out of the theatre.The horror movie that all our horror movies should be measured against, this film has it all; mood, music, setting, great actors and just enough special effects to make it terrifying, but not silly.I am not ashamed to say, at 49, I still cannot watch this movie alone or in the dark.  But, oh what fun it is to be scared by something this good.For those that have never seen it, rent it tonight!
  • A film adaptation the way an author envisions their book is not a common occurence.  However, this movie got a resounding thumbs up from author, Anne Rice, who at first, had issues with the casting of Tom Cruise as her beloved character, Lestat, but quickly changed her mind upon seeing the finished product.This movie proves that the characters the readers fall in love with as they read the novel, can be brought to life by using the right people for the project.  A wonderful mix of great acting and wonderful directing, this movie got it all right.Unfortunately overlooked by the critics and movie-goers alike, it is none-the-less a definate triumph for vampire lovers, as well as, movie lovers everywhere.
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, Tampa Bay Books Examiner

Nola Cancel is a 47-year-old writer, born and bred in New York City, and now living in Largo, Fl. She has written for many different publications, including the St. Pete Times and Woman's World Magazine. Having shared the past 30 years with the same man, her best friend and husband, Michael,...

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