The worst book-to-movie adaptations

Sub-par movie releases throughout the years

By: Natalie Abreu

Posted: 10/1/08

Remember the good 'ole days when, instead of reading a book for class, one could just go on sparknotes.com, read the Cliffs Notes or even watch the film version? Well here are some awful and completely inaccurate representations of commonly read books and guilty reading pleasures too.

"Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992)

Keanu Reeves. As Jonathan Harker. With a British accent. Enough said.

"The Scarlet Letter" (1995)

Where does one even begin with this mess of a film? The only connection between the novel and the film are the main characters' names, the Puritanical Salem, Mass. setting and Hester Prynne (Demi Moore) wearing the scarlet letter on her chest. This film focuses on the concept of forbidden passions and love way too much and doesn't adhere at all to the text of Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel. Also added are ridiculous subplots such as Indian/Puritan relations, Chillingworth getting a little too violent on the revenge-seeking, slaves and a witch trial. Not to mention love child Pearl isn't even included as a vital character. Demi Moore was reported saying it was okay to have a happy ending because not many people have read the book. Oh really? Maybe if someone working on the film had actually read the book, it wouldn't have been nominated for six Razzie Awards. Surely Hawthorne is rolling over in his grave for this travesty.

"Starship Troopers" (1997)

The original 1960 novel by Robert A. Heinlein dealt with controversial political and social themes. It won the 1960 Hugo Award for such efforts reflecting the Cold War society with a skeptical eye. However, the only thing the 1997 version of the film seems to keep an eye on is how to kill the most bugs in the most grotesque way possible. The film version has been both adored and panned for its obvious campiness, but lacks the depth of the novel. The novel deals with serious topics that that the film version totally glosses over instead going for sappy, melodramatic acting, cheap jokes and even cheaper special effects. Even though it seems like a campy satire of the gung-ho spirit of soldiers at war, it does it without a shred of dignity to the novel's good name.

"The Da Vinci Code" (2006)

Remember the days when Dan Brown's 2003 novel about a theory that Jesus had a child was at the top of the debated topic list? Not to mention the top of The New York Times bestseller list for two years? Now it seems the only thing the "The Da Vinci Code" is noted for its silver screen adaptation. Director Ron Howard and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman are Oscar winners and the cast was outstanding. It included Alfred Molina, Paul Bettany, Jean Reno and Ian McKellen, who steals every scene he's in. But the main characters of Professor Robert Langdon and Sophie were miscast with Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou to enable zero on screen chemistry between them that was so palpable in the novel. This one missed the target and it might make Dan Brown fans cringe to hear that "Angels and Demons" is soon to be the next casuality.

"Running With Scissors" (2006)

Based on the 2002 memoir by Augusten Burroughs, the film version takes Burroughs' relatively dark and sad history of growing up with a dysfunctional family and tries to make it whimsical, fun and way too over-the-top in acting styles. Audiences don't even get to see Augusten's adolescence because the actor playing Augusten looks like he's in his early 20's rather than his early teens. The book goes into some dark territory that doesn't make it as dramatic, especially with an obviously older actor playing the main role. The tone of the film is almost as schizophrenic as its characters going from whimsical to a tugging-at-the-heart-string's drama to satire. Fans of the book say that Burroughs' wit can never be captured in real dialogue and this film captures not wit but something else: pretentiousness.

"Eragon" (2006)

With all the fantasy films based on novels coming out these days, you'd think filmmakers would bring their "A" game, or at least read a book fully enough to incorporate more than a few chapters into a film before going totally haywire with the plot. Such is the case with "Eragon," based on the 2003 fantasy novel about a boy who can save the world from an evil king with his dragon. The film cheesed up the fantasy factor with horrible dialogue for great actors such as Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich and Djimon Hounsou. But it says a lot when the best acting comes from Rachael Weisz, who voices a talking dragon. If films like these are trying to become the next Harry Potter, filmmakers should at least do their homework.

"The Seeker: The Dark is Rising" (2007)

The book "The Dark Is Rising" by Susan Cooper was written in the 1970s and was one of the first popular fantasy book series circling around the concepts of good vs. evil. Being a precursor to other fantasy novels, you'd think filmmakers would give the material a little respect. That's not the case at all. The story completely deviates from the book, which was similar to a King Arthur tale, but now ends up as an altogether mess of bad dialogue, acting and special effects that include big action sequences not even hinted upon in the book. This film flew under the radar when it was released and for good reason too.

"Love in the Time of Cholera" (2007)

Based on the 1985 Spanish language novel by the Colombian Nobel Prize winning author Gael García Márquez, the portrayal of the story gets lost in translation from book to film. The film tries to cover such a broad scope of the character's lives that they fail to develop into people we really care about throughout the years.