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Hollywood has a bit of trouble coming up with original ideas nowadays, so moviegoers are starting to see more and more movies based on popular book series such as “The Hunger Games,” “Harry Potter” and “Twilight.”
However, before there were these huge mainstream hits, there were other popular films that viewers didn’t even realize were based in literature. Here are ten movies that you may not realize were based on books.
10. “The Shining” (1980)
Photo by Matt Needles on Flickr.com
Who knew that this horror thriller was actually based on a novel by Stephen King? The Jack Nicholson-starring film was a hit when it came out in the 1980’s, and the spooks still hold up when you watch it today. The movie is consistently rated as one of the scariest movies of all time, and the book keeps the reader ready to jump out of their seat the whole time.
9. “Minority Report” (2002)
Photo by Rob Styles on Flickr.com
This Tom Cruise movie isn’t based on a book, but a short story by Philip K. Dick. Although the short story varied on some of the major plot points, Steven Spielberg did use it as a basis for this thriller’s plot.
The science fiction aspects of the movie drew viewers in, as did the mystery and suspense throughout. Although Dick’s short story, which was written in 1956 and shared the same title as the film, differed on many points, the general feel and intensity of the story was the same.
8. “Forrest Gump” (1994)
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Who knew that America’s favorite historical dramedy was actually based on a Winston Groom novel? Groom’s novel, which was released in 1986, only sold 30,000 copies before the film was released, and portrayed Forrest as a much rougher, and less lovable, character.
Die-hard fans of the movie would be interested to learn that Grooms originally envisioned Forrest as being played by John Goodman, not Tom Hanks, the man who is known so well for the role now.
7. “Field of Dreams” (1989)
Photo by NJ Baseball on Flickr.com
Based on W. P. Kinsella’s novel “Shoeless Joe,” this classic magical baseball film made every viewer’s heart melt. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and the book is just as beautiful.
6. “Blade Runner” (1982)
Photo by Philip Wiegartner on Flickr.com
This Harrison Ford film was based on the Philip K. Dick novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” The book was highly successful, and also spawned radio, audio, theater, and comic book adaptations.
The movie also did fairly well, although at first it was met with mixed reviews. Now, though, it is considered one of the top science fiction films ever made, and both the book and the movie should be on every sci fi lover’s read/watch list.
5. “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964)
Photo by James Vaughan on Flickr.com
Many would be surprised to find out that one of the most beloved comedy films of all time is actually based on a thriller. Peter George’s “Red Alert” is much more of a Cold War intense story than the movie is.
Although they retained some of the same basic plot elements, the movie took an entirely different approach thematically to the subject material, and it turned out very well.
4. “Girl, Interrupted” (1999)
Photo by mmiriamm on Flickr.com
This film, starring Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Brittany Murphy and Whoopi Goldberg, is actually based on a memoir of the same title from Susanna Kaysen. Kaysen spent time at McLean Hospital undergoing treatment for depression, an experience which inspired her to write her memoir.
The book was a best seller, and the movie did just as well, earning a Golden Globe Award and garnering a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for Jolie.
3. “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (1982)
Photo by Paxton Holley on Flickr.com
This iconic high school film was based on a book by the film’s screenwriter, Cameron Crowe, who wrote the book while undercover at Clairemont High School in San Diego.
Crowe, who was working for Rolling Stone magazine at the time, was inspired by his experience and used it to inspire the film, which did a great job of encapsulating the high school experience.
2. “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” (2005)
Photo by canburak on Flickr.com
This Robert Downey, Jr. and Val Kilmer-starring film took a humorous and sarcastic look at the literary thriller on which it was based, Brett Halliday’s “Bodies Are Where You Find Them.”
Although the film isn’t very well known and was only released in limited numbers of theaters, it was well received by critics, earning an 84 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
1. “The Thing” (1982)
Photo by Alex Eyley on Flickr.com
This classic horror flick, which got a modern prequel/reboot in 2011 starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton, was actually based on a novella, which had already been adapted into a 1951 film called “The Thing from Another World.”
The novella, John W. Campbell, Jr.’s “Who Goes There?,” was loosely adapted for the 1951 film, but the 1982 version followed it much more accurately. The novella doesn’t quite hold up to the thrills of the film, but it does a nice job of scaring the reader.
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