Why Stay True to the Book?

Adaptation: From Novel to Film

1. "the filmmaker is an independent artist, 'not a translator for an established author, but a new author in his own right.'... the filmmaker has to refashion the spirit of the story with his or her own vision and tools."

2. "Sometimes filmmakers make changes to highlight new themes, emphasize different traits in a character, or even try to solve problems they perceive in the original work."

When critiquing a visual adaptation of a novel it is important that the viewer understands that a book and a movie are two different forms of expression. This means that the movie will not always stay true to the book, and sometimes that is for the better. As you delve into a book of choice you are analyzing it based off of your own experiences. In other words, the same book can be seen in many, many different ways. A screenwriter must take this into consideration when they decide to take on the very tricky task of writing a film adaptation.

Many people get upset when they see a movie that does not identically resemble the book, I know this because I am at fault as well, but once you take a step back and try to understand the director's point of view you might appreciate the film for a different reason. Yes, film adaptations are usually a hit or miss but they can be appreciated because the director has full creative freedom. The problem with creating a film adaptation based off a personal analysis is that the audience expects the movie to stay true to the book, thus creating expectations and causing the viewer to not appreciate anything but an identical movie (which rarely occurs).


This puts directors and screenwriters under an extensive amount of pressure because even when they have a different view of the novel they need to focus on what the viewer wants. Film adaptations are an art form based off a group of people's perceptions of the book, sometimes this is a good thing, but when too many perspectives come to life, the story line may change dramatically. Many times they try to mix their own analysis with what they think the viewer wants and it turns out to be a huge fail. Therefore, I believe that the creators of film adaptations must commit to one end of the spectrum.

A movie is more likely to succeed when it correctly resembles the book because the book already captured its audience. This means that the director knows that there are people out there who already like the characters, plot, and storyline. Keeping the movie the same as the book allows for the director to know that the audience is already there and if the film is created well, the audience will enjoy the movie just as much as the book.

Contrastingly, the viewer must take into consideration the different tools used in different mediums to express a narrative. The storytelling techniques used in a movie are different than the storytelling techniques used in a piece of written literature. Although, viewers may be disappointed when a movie does not reflect the book exactly, they must understand the changes are a form of art as much as the book was a form of art.

With that, it is important to understand that a film adaptation is a form of art which people are going to judge however they feel fit.