How would you react if the movie of your book was MUCH DIFFERENT than your book?

[underthecity]

In the Book Club forum, I posted about how different the Forrest Gump movie was compared to the book. About the only thing that was the same was the concept. And the movie was a hit. Without the movie, the book was probably doomed to obscurity. (Judging by the copyright page, I believe the book was self-published at first.)

Stephen King is reported to have disliked Kubrick's version of The Shining, since the director left out the basic themes that were present in the book. Meanwhile, the movie became a horror classic. Of course, without King's novel, there would never have been a film like it.

Other movies made from novels are similar in theme, setting, and characters but the plots and situations have been altered. MASH comes to mind.

In other cases, movie adaptations have been made that almost mirror the books. The Jason Bourne movies are an example. The Harry Potter movies are almost identical to the books except they left out subplots and parts of the story to condense them into the two-hour timeframe. The characters and themes were left intact.

Which brings me to my question.

Let's say your book is made into a big-budget movie, by which I don't mean Vanity Productions or some other company that ends up not producing anything at all. We can even say the movie has Big Stars in it and was directed by A Big Name Director. We can also go further to say that the movie was a Big Hit and further propelled sales of your book a millionfold.

But the film they made was somewhat different than your book. It was not like Harry Potter or Jason Bourne. They kept your characters and basic story, but many alterations were made for the sake of film. The MC is diametrically opposite than what you conceived. The basic themes are gone. The plot goes differently. Even the ending has been changed into a "Hollywood ending" suitable for the big screen.

What is your reaction as author?

 

[Greenify13]

I must say that if this would happen to me, I would be angered. But then I become angry easy. For things to go drastically wrong is 'a slap on the face'. However, to be realistic I would have to realize that book could become more of a 'hit' after the movie, (unless the movie is a sham).
Everyone who writes has an idea of what everything looks and goes like. And every reader has their own opinions.
As a reader and person who watches connected movies: I have to admit I don't think I have ever seen a movie that best suited its book-halve. And sometimes its the opposite, there are movies that make up for something missing in the book...

 

[Susan Gable]

Curse under my breath all the way to the bank.

Susan G.

 

[Albedo]

Insist there not be a 'novelisation of the movie'.

 

[Deccydiva]

Curse under my breath all the way to the bank.

Susan G.

I agree totally!

 

[Fenika]

Since I write fantasy, it's almost guaranteed hollywood will muck it up

So count me with those cursing all the way to the bank.

 

[underthecity]

Kind of my reaction too, although I would forever be critiquing the movie as I watched it endlessly on Blu-Ray.

 

[Puma]

A movie company made a television mini-series from one of my Dad's books (and did a good job of sticking to the story). But, they left out a few foreshadowing touches that were very nice in the book - and everyone who had read the book before the mini came out noticed and complained - and these were small touches, nothing major.

It can be a shock to see what types of actors and actresses are picked to portray the characters in the book and what types of sets are used when you have a pre-formed opinion of what they should look like. The whole experience was one of contrasts.

And on the laughing all the way to the bank - this was my only experience with a movie contract and there was only one payment for the movie rights - no royalties. But that could be because it was a television mini-series rather than a box office item. Puma

 

[Fenika]

Kind of my reaction too, although I would forever be critiquing the movie as I watched it endlessly on Blu-Ray.

No no no, get the one with the directors comments so you can scream and yell at the tv while they say things that are against your vision

 

[Albedo]

No no no, get the one with the directors comments so you can scream and yell at the tv while they say things that are against your vision

Better yet, get yourself ON the commentary, so viewers at home can hear you trading barbs/yelling incoherently at the director.

 

[jvc]

I'm with the 'curse under my breath all the way to the bank' crowd, although I'd probably be skipping and singing between the curses.

 

[WriteKnight]

I think most authors are savvy to these issues by this point in time. Depending on the deal, you may or may not be able to excercise some leverage in the script - not likely at all with a first time deal.

Cursing to the bank is probably the best you can do. If you don't want your work dramatized by someone else, and you can't get the deal to do the script - and you're worried they'll muck it up - don't sell it.

For what it's worth, one of my screenplay options was on a script created from an unpublished novel I wrote. The script followed the novel more or less perfectly, the only changes being to condense the story-line and combine a few plot points. IN the re-write process after the option, it slowly, painfully, VERY PAINFULLY became clear, that they optioned the script because they were more interested in the secondary storyline than the primary one. Imagine you had written a story about BATMAN and robin, facing THE JOKER. They love it, they option it, and start asking for little 'changes' here and there. By the time you are done, the story is ROBIN MEETS Batman, and they run into the clown-faced bad guy...

And it's a DAMN GOOD script. What I learned from that experience, is that any given story has a thousand other stories within it... that could just as easily hold the screen - provided they are written well. So I got over the ego blow of them not wanting the original storyline/theme, and began to enjoy the challenge of keeping the plot, and emellishing other aspects of the story.

Now, if someone ELSE was doing this to one of my stories..... I guess I would just have to hope for the best.

 

[GirlWithPoisonPen]

Curse under my breath all the way to the bank.

Susan G.

Word.

I'd also try and get the option to write the screen play. That way when it wins an Oscar, I'd get to go up on stage and accept as shiny gold man and thank the Academy. HA!

 

[semilargeintestine]

Whatever you do, don't let them get Charlie Kaufman to write it. Odds are, it will be a great film, but they're even greater that he'll completely change it around.

BTW, this is a joke about Adaptation. Kaufman is one of my favorite screenwriters.

 

[underthecity]

I'd also try and get the option to write the screen play. That way when it wins an Oscar, I'd get to go up on stage and accept as shiny gold man and thank the Academy. HA!

It's funny that you say that. Acclaimed screenwriter Ring Lardner Jr. wrote the screenplay for MASH based on the novel. Robert Altman took the screenplay and used it as primarily a springboard for his film. He took out subplots and character backgrounds and motivations and many of the episodes that Lardner had written. Most of the dialogue was changed as the actors were encouraged to improvise the lines.

As a result, MASH was a huge hit (coming out at the same time as Vietnam war was going on, so the movie was seen as "anti-war").

Ring Lardner Jr. hated hated hated the movie, and told Altman, "You've ruined my movie."

Then that year Lardner was on stage at the Academy Awards accepting the Oscar for Best Screenplay.

 

[Clair Dickson]

I'm in the cursing on the way to the bank thing. I can forgive a lot when the money is there. Besides, it'll drive up sales for my book, which people will realize is just SO much better to the movie.

 

[Darzian]

I hate it when this happens. In Harry Potter, the Dumbledore in the movies is WAY different from that in the books. It drove me mad.

As a writer, I'm still on the fence.

 

[Don Allen]

In most cases an author gives up the rights to the production company and has little say over the movie outcome, as noted sometimes it works, Godfather, a great example, exorcist another, then Frank McCourts first book, I can't remember the name I remember his second "tis' and I read the freaking thing twice, funny as hell, great perspective, Shit movie, go figure.

 

[tehuti88]

Even though I think my beloved stories that I'd love to have made into movies already have Hollywood endings--if they were drastically changed I'd be pretty p*ssed off. I don't care HOW big the production is or who's in it or behind it or what. I do not want people messing with my story. It's MY story. If they want to change it a lot, then I'd rather it not be a movie at all. I would not give my permission.

I'm not in this for the money, obviously. (Or the publication, if there would be such drastic changes, though publication on my terms would be nice.) I'm in this solely to tell MY story.

 

[Diana W.]

The worst one to me was Watchers by Dean Koontz. I love the book. I think it's his best work. So imagine my joy when while reading the book I found there was a movie based on the book. I ordered it through Amazon.
Imagine my frustration when I saw what had been done to the story! Every detail was changed except the most basic element. The MC had been changed from an ex marine to a high school kid! The love of his life in the book had become his mother in the movie! Now I know about poetic licence. I know some things are always changed maybe because it would take too long to show some things, so some elements are dropped or the order is changed. But I can find no reason at all to make such huge changes to the characters. Even a vet who saved the dog and became a good friend of the characters was changed. In the movie he betrayed them. I hate this movie more than any other film I have ever seen! I gave up on it after just 20 minutes and threw the tape in the bin. (Yes this was several years back before dvds!)
If that was my reaction to what had been done to someone elses story I'd hate to think what my reaction would be if something like that had been done to something I'd written!

 

[Don Allen]

Jesus, i should be whipped for forgetting, "Angelas Ashes"

 

[KikiteNeko]

That would be okay with me.

If any of my books went to film, I might ask to have a say in casting, but other than that I would be happy to sit back, relax, and see how the producer/screenplay writer/actors interpret my story. My job with that story would be over, and it would be time for me to enjoy what comes of it.

As long as it says "Based on the novel written by..." we're cool.

 

[KikiteNeko]

It's also worth mentioning that there was a remake of The Shining, which I believe King really liked.

 

[Polenth]

I see movie deals as a way to finance writing. I don't expect the movie to be good. It'd be an unexpected surprise if it turns out to be a decent adaptation.

If it does turn out to be good, I hope they make nifty toys for it too. Because action figures of my story characters would be fun.

 

[KikiteNeko]

There was a movie for Tis??? Or just Angela's Ashes?

In most cases an author gives up the rights to the production company and has little say over the movie outcome, as noted sometimes it works, Godfather, a great example, exorcist another, then Frank McCourts first book, I can't remember the name I remember his second "tis' and I read the freaking thing twice, funny as hell, great perspective, Shit movie, go figure.