I know most say the book is better than the book, but I only read non-fiction, and most of that are biographies..
And the one fictional book I read will never be made into a movie (Catcher in the Rye)
Forrest Gump
shareI liked the film Onegin, taken from Pushkin's story Eugene Onegin.
shareThe Life of Brian (1979)
Jaws
shareWhile many complain that some movies are worse than the book they're based on, or don't do the story justice, there are a few cases where the movie was better, but they aren't as common.
The first that comes to mind for me is "Practical Magic." Mom and I loved the movie, but I had the great misfortune of reading the book, and it sucked by comparison. I'm probably in the minority here, but "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" actually seemed better than the book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." There are more examples, but that's all I can think of at the moment.
'Children of Men'. The movie, a sort of near future dystopian story of a time when all humans have become sterile, featuring Clive Owen, Michael Caine, Julianne Moore and (in a small role) Charlie Hunnam, is suspenseful, fast paced, well told and highly entertaining. The book by P.D. James is none of those things. I abandoned it after a few dense, tedious chapters.
shareThe go to answers are Jaws and The Godfather.
Personally, I think "Misery" was a better film than the novel.