So recently I finally got to sit down and watch ‘Ready Player One’
Sidenote: If you haven’t seen it yet, it is a fantastic nostalgia/geek flick! SEE IT!

One criticism I’ve heard over and over and… pretty much the only criticism from people in my circles, is that the book was better than the film.

Well of course it was. Why is that a strike against the movie?

I hear this argument a lot!

Lord of the Rings was amazing!
Well… the books were so much better!
Jurassic Park is a classic!
Yeah, but the book was better.
The NeverEnding Story is a timeless classic!
Yeah, but it was nothing like the book, which was so much better.

Full disclosure, I’m guilty of this myself. The original Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid rendered Disney’s The Little Mermaid virtually unwatchable in m eyes. However, this is an argument for another time.

However lately Hollywood has seemingly completely given up on original scripts and relies more on established novels with an audience to make motion pictures about, this has become a far more prevalent argument. One that is actually becoming a little jarring.

Of course, in most cases, the book is going to be better than the movie. A book gives its readers a lot more than a movie ever could. In a book, you’re allowed to know what a character is thinking and you don’t need visual cues to try to figure it out. Additionally, the image you create in your mind of what the reader describes is 99.999% of the time better than anything a filmmaker can put on the screen. In a book, you’re allowed to build the author’s reality as you see fit, based on the criteria the writer gives you. In a movie, it’s all right there in front of you and there is little room for imagination or change.

All things considered, when a movie is made about a book, it’s already got an uphill battle to fight because there’s always going to be a huge section of the fandom that will come out and make this argument or worse… will have their expectations messed with and flat out hate the movie on those merits.

Finally, a book can typically go on for as long as the writer wants. The writer is typically given broad discretion to include as much or as little as they want. Movies are contending with audiences, typically with limited attention spans. They are limited to typically between 90 minutes to 2 hours. It is incredibly rare that a movie would come out and be widely accepted as better than the book.

As such, at this point, I tend to dismiss the argument that the book was better. I’ve taken to the mindset that the movie and the book are telling two different stories with similar characters. If I didn’t in many cases, it would ruin any chance of getting full enjoyment out of the movie.

So when you go to see a movie that’s based on a beloved novel that you absolutely could not put down… put that novel aside, wipe your slate of expectations clean, and let the movie stand on its own merits. If it’s good, enjoy it. Don’t let your love of the book ruin what was otherwise a good movie.

So that’s all for now. Thanks for checking in! Let me know what you think down in the comments!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim