Book to film adaptation. Can "IT" work?

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TanyaS

painterly painter!
Nov 18, 2014
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Just wanted to add that I enjoyed the 1990 TV mini-series, it has the time to flesh out the story better. There is just so much of It that was jettisoned because of time restraints in the film, such a shame. I also prefer the device of jumping back and forth between the two eras of the 1950s and the 1980s used in the mini series and novel, for me it just works better. Just saying. Anyway, when I saw the film of It here two weeks ago, the cinema was pretty full. I felt like a real oldie, mostly there were teenagers with buckets of popcorn and loud, slurpy cokes. Maybe I need to see it again, there was a lot to take in, some of the special effects so very clever.
 
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Robert Gray

Well-Known Member
There has been one movie in history that was better than the book in my opinion. And that movie (again in my opinion) is Jaws.

I agree that is one of the films that certainly exceeded its material, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it is the only one. ;) The first season (perhaps even the first 2-3) of Dexter are without a doubt WORLDS better than the awful books upon which they are based. Game of Thrones is so much better than the books upon which it is based that it isn't even funny. Of course, those are series rather than films. There are a few films I could mention (other than Jaws) that likewise are better than the source material, but I'd rather hear a few other people chime in before I go all long-winded as I'm want to do.
 

Arkay Lynchpin

Preserve wildlife; pickle a squirrel.
Dec 4, 2015
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Melbourne, Australia
Having re-read the book and then watched the the movie thrice (about as many times as the novel was read), I can only say that the scriptwriters, directors and cast did a superb job.
How do you get a two-four day novel, with all the character, imagery, scope and predatory darkness into a feature length movie? Not an easy ask.

The child characters worked well, and well together. Sophia Lillis could well be the next Katherine Hepburn, Cate Blanchett, Jodie Foster or Sandra Bullock.
 

grin willard

"Keep the change, you filthy animal!"
Feb 21, 2017
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I agree that is one of the films that certainly exceeded its material, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it is the only one. ;) The first season (perhaps even the first 2-3) of Dexter are without a doubt WORLDS better than the awful books upon which they are based. Game of Thrones is so much better than the books upon which it is based that it isn't even funny. Of course, those are series rather than films. There are a few films I could mention (other than Jaws) that likewise are better than the source material, but I'd rather hear a few other people chime in before I go all long-winded as I'm want to do.

Every film Hitchcock did was based on a book & they all exceeded their material.

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