Movie versus Book

[KappaKittyCat]

The only case in which I liked movie better than book was Beaches, and that barely counts because the movie was so incredibly different from the book. Only the basic premise was the same. The movie is a part of my childhood, whereas I didn't read the book until I was much older. And I love Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey's Cece and Hillary, whereas I didn't really like the Cece and Bertie in the book.

Other than that, the closest I can get is appreciating the movie as a movie in its own right. These are in cases where it's really not fair to compare the movie to the book. For example:

Gone With the Wind: The movie is a great movie. When you compare it to the book it sucks (the movie skips two whole children!), but it is an Acadamy Award-winning movie for a reason. It is beautifully made and fabulously directed. The plot is a good plot in and of itself. It's just not Margaret Mitchell's plot.

Wizard of Oz: Ditto. The book is excellent for its innovation and fabulous political parallels. The movie is beautiful. 'Nuff said.

Mary Poppins: Walt Disney's interpretation of the book is fabulous. The integration of animation and live action was revolutionary for its time.

Schindler's List: The book is a work of historiography. It is thoroughly researched and painstakingly put together. The movie is a work of historical fiction. It is, in my opinion, the capstone of all Stephen Spielburg's work.

And so on... you get the idea.