Features: Top 3 - Movies That Are Better than Their Books

Source: tysonadams

As the name Big Screen Philosophers already implies, our blog is focused on TV and movies. However, today is national Book Lovers Day, so we thought of a way to sneak some books into our posts. That’s how the idea for this Top 3 was born – a Top 3 of movies that are better than the books that they are based on. Hold on, you might say, shouldn’t it be the other way around with Book Lovers Day and all? Maybe, but then where would be the challenge in that, since almost every book is better than its adapted counterpart? Finding cases in which it is different was – especially for a hardcore bookworm such as myself - extremely difficult and I almost feel like betraying a good friend by making such claims. But here’s what I found.

Top 3 Movies That Are Better than Their Books

3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Based on: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (2003)

Okay, I really feel like a heretic for adding a book of the Harry Potter series to this list, but regardless of how much I love J.K. Rowling, The Order of the Phoenix was very long and very angsty. Its movie counterpart gave a condensed version of the events and didn’t take us quite so deep into Harry’s cranky mind. Thank God for that.

© Rowling | Source: goodreads

© Warner Bros. | Source: harrypotter.wikia

2. The Prestige (2006)

Based on: The Prestige by Christopher Priest (1995)

The brothers Jonathan and Christopher Nolan took up an intricate, mysterious and often confusing novel and turned it into a fascinating and especially beautifully filmed adaptation that will keep you under its spell from start to finish.

© Priest | Source: goodreads

© Warner Bros. | Source: moviepilot

1. The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

Based on: The Hobbit or There and Back Again by J. R. R. Tolkien (1937)

It’s amazing just to think about how Peter Jackson made a 542 minutes long adventure-packed, epic trilogy out of a (children’s!) book with no more than 293 pages.  There is more action, more character development and the back stories are far more detailed and tie in perfectly with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Need I say more?

© Tolkien | Source: goodreads

© Warner Bros. | Source: filmofilia

So these are the three movie/book pairings I could come up with. How about you? Which movies would you add to the list?