Thursday Movie Picks: Worst Book to Movie Adaptations

No you are not losing your mind, it really isn’t Thursday.. I’m just very late. This week was weird and I just didn’t have the time to write up the post. Worst book to movie adaptations have been on my mind all week though so I figured I’ll post a bit later. It’s the first time I’m so late to post my Thursday Movie Picks but I didn’t want to make it my first ever skip in years either. Anyway, here are my picks for worst book to movie adaptations. And as always, I’ve added my little twist and made it a theme within a theme.

3. THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES (2013)

This Cassandra Clare novel has been also adapted to a series which is much much worse than the movie. BUT I’m actually here to defend this. How you may ask? Screen Rant published a list in February called 15 of The Worst Book to Movie Adaptations ranked by Rotten Tomatoes and looking at that list I had a few disagreements. The 2013 Mortal Instruments movie being one of them. So instead of picking three worst book to movie adaptations I’m actually defending three that the critics have hated. I’ve also read the books so I know what I’m talking about (kinda).

The Mortal Instruments as a book is not good. It’s Clare’s first novel (if I’m not mistaken) and it’s very messy. She improves as a writer over the years and there are better books coming that fit into the Shadowhunter world. City of Bones though is very bad so the movie actually isn’t that awful if you think about it. Sure it’s a little shaky and there are bad casting choices here (the show actually had a few far better choices) but it’s not the worst adaptation. 13% score lands it on spot number 3 but considering the source material… I think it’s not THAT bad. Plus Robert Sheenan makes everything better!

2. THE GREAT GATSBY (2013)

I mean… it’s not the best movie but hey, it did something different, right? For me The Great Gatsby novel was very dull but you have to know that I don’t like classics. I tend to pick them up in English and the language style is just so foreign that it makes me into an even slower reader than I am. No idea why I don’t read the translated versions as I think I’d get along better with the classics in Estonian.

I digress. The 2013 movie adaptation.. I mean it’s visually more interesting to me than the book ever was. Those who loved the book think otherwise which is why it has 48% score and is number 17 on the list. They point out that the film sacrifices substance for style but that’s exactly what I liked about it. So ironically what others hate I like… and I’m fine with it. I haven’t seen other adaptations so I can’t compare but also, here’s a kicker. The book will be going into the public domain in 2021, which means that more adaptations are undoubtedly on the way. You’ve been warned.

1. A WALK TO REMEMBER (2002)

Last but not least it’s one of my favourite YA movies. Sure, it’s not perfect but also it’s not as bad as people think it is. In the Screen Rant list it had 27% which placed it on 8th place out of 20. So not the worst but still the fact that it’s even in the list makes me question the critics. And of course I’ve read the book after seeing the movie as I was a huge fan. The book is a little less impactful and if I’m not mistaken takes place in a different time. So it’s not as current as I remember.

As far as adaptations go A Walk to Remember does a good job making the source material more appealing. The book is loosely based on Nicholas Sparks’ life. His sister also died of cancer and married somebody despite knowing she didn’t have much time. She wasn’t a teen though. I think the movie does well to honor that part of the story and both Mandy Moore and Shane West are great in it. I don’t understand the hate to be honest… which is why it’s in this list. I’ll forever defend this movie!

THIS SERIES IS CREATED BY WANDERING THROUGH THE SHELVES