Books to Movies

I love reading and I love watching movies, and I don't mind when movie makers take some liberties with books. I'm not talking new characters, or changing the ending...although I did think that the movie version of The Tin Drum had a better ending than the book.

I see the characters in my head when I'm reading, and I can't always prevent the movie actors from co-opting my own mental images. Sometimes, though, the movie actors are better, or even, who I had in mind when I read the book. Did you think Alan Rickman was the perfect choice to play Snape in the Harry Potter films? I did. Maybe that's because author J.K. Rowling had him in mind when she created the character. He got the part after Tim Roth turned it down to be in the instantly forgettable Planet of the Apes remake.



Our Book and Movie Group at the Brunswick Community Library chooses a different title every month. First, they meet to discuss a book, then a week later, they watch the movie adaptation of the book. Sometimes the films are recent, sometimes they are classics. The group members take turns bringing snacks, which are often inspired by what they are reading and watching. You are welcome to join the group, and to attend either, or both sessions.  Check out our website to see the schedule and book/movie title list.

In the meantime, you might be interested to hear about two movies coming out soon which are based on best-selling books. One is The Lincoln Lawyer, with Matthew McConaughey and Marisa Tomei; and another is Water for Elephants, with a non-sparkly Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon.