Wednesday, May 30, 2018

The Book to Screen Debate, part 2 by Toi Thomas

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Did you know that the book to screen debate has made it into the classroom?

Did you know that there are tons of bloggers and vloggers whose major content is simply comparing films to the books they are based on?

What does this say about the current state of cinema? Well, I think it says a lot.

First off, things are starting to come full-circle. There are now books being written that are based on movies, and yes, these books are putting a spin on things… but that’s a post for another day.

Are you having déjà vu?

No. 😜

I know I said the same thing last time about movies I thought were better than their books, but you’ll just have to wait. I’m saving all the juicy stuff til the end.

So, now back to this comparison phenomenon. So many people are consumed with getting down to the nitty-gritty of why books and their associated films are so different. I have two theories to present.

1) I think a lot of people are like me in the fact that my love of books and my love of movies is neck and neck for the total domination of my mental capacity. I love a good book and I love a good movie. When I see a movie based on a book, part of my mind feels like this has to be one of the singular greatest experiences I will have in my life. Yet, that is seldom the case.

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In recent years, I’ve experienced a lot less disappointment in film adaptations of books after taking into consideration the points I mention in part one of the series. I don’t look at these film adaptations as being associated with the books the way I used to and it’s helped me to enjoy many movies I fear I wouldn’t have been able to.  

Still, I sometimes find myself playing the comparison game. I’m trying to find clarity in the fog that is creative license. The fact of the matter is that movie makers have a certain amount of creative license to follow the author's guidelines (their book) or not to follow them, in order to produce something that will speak to the masses. Believe it or not, sometimes I’m glad Hollywood does this.

There are so many bestselling science fiction futuristic stories that are so compelling and riveting, yet they all tend to portray a future where only one race or ethnicity is depicted. This isn’t such a big deal in dystopian futuristic stories, but the utopia-type stories just don’t seem to make sense. When Hollywood takes it upon themselves to add cultural diversity to the film versions of these stories, I praise them for their foresight.  Hollywood is aware that the global viewing population may not buy into a futuristic film with a cast of all one color or ethnicity.

Still, there have been times when Hollywood has attempted to diversify a cast to exaggerated extremes, and the story gets lost behind unspoken political messages.

2) I think people simply like to compare things. People like to weigh the pros and cons, and they love to make lists. Reading is great entertainment. Watching TV or film is great entertainment. But in this instant digital age of reality stars, commentary and comparison are also great forms of entertainment. It used to be that only hard-core fans delved into the making of a movie or read interviews with bestselling authors, but that is no longer the case. In this day and age, free information is entertainment just waiting to happen, and if people can discuss or argue over a movie vs a book, they will. More money for the author (if they negotiated a good contract) and more money for the filmmakers.

I’ll be back on June 13th to talk more about The Book to Screen Debate. Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:

Amazon | Goodreads The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

#book2screen, bookvsmovie,
COMMENTS

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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Toi Thomas shares more on the books vs movies debate. Stop by and say hi!!
 
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Ruth de Jauregui

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Books VS movies? I usually like the book better. But in cases where the movie came first, I usually like the movie better. I guess I like whatever came first -- usually. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies. Except --- The Lord of the Rings could've been a six movie series!!

Great post Toi! Thank you.
 
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Chris Weigand

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Interesting article.
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Thank you.

Chris Weigand via Google+

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
A little more about the book to movie comparisons with Toi.
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Rebecca Tran

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Toi Thomas continues the book vs movie debate on Our Author Gang. Join the debate today.
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Grace Au

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Awesome article, Toi. I have a friend who has taken a Hallmark movie and turned it into a book...actually, she's done several.
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Grace I'm interested to find out how your friend dealt with copyright? Did she ask permission to write a book about the movie?
 
She was in touch with Hallmark. If you go to Hallmark's website and look, you have to nose deep, though, there is a section about how to submit to them. My romances are too racy for them.

Lorraine Carey via Google+

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
It's a hard call. Great post here!
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Thank you.
 
+Toi Thomas You are most welcome.

Toi Thomas via Google+

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today, I continue the Book to Screen Debate and explain why the comparison itself is a form of entertainment.
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Erika M Szabo

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
The film adaptation is always different than the book, some slightly, and others where the story is almost unrecognizable. I loved the Moonlight series when it came out and I wanted to read the book that it was based on. Well, the book was totally different and I didn't like it. "There are now books being written that are based on movies, and yes, these books are putting a spin on things" I'm looking forward to that post :)
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Yeah, I have two examples I'm excited to share.
 
+Toi Thomas Looking forward to it :)

Nikki McDonagh via Google+

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
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Nikki McDonagh

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great post Toi. So difficult to get an adaptation right.
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I agree. Some are done well, while others make no sense.

Mary Anne Yarde

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
This is such an interesting series, Toi. I am looking forward to reading The Book To Screen Debate!!
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Thank you.

Joe Bonadonna

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
I like this series, Toi, as movies are the main lover of my life.
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+Joe Bonadonna Thanks
 
+Toi Thomas -- you're very welcome! 

Joe Bonadonna via Google+

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today on Our Author Gang, Toi Thomas continues her talk about books as a source of cinematic inspiration.
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