I have a question.  What is a book made into a movie where the details and story are almost completely accurate to the book.  Obviously there are bunches where the movies completely suck, and the stories are completely modified.

An awesome movie is "The Sweet Hereafter" which is almost entirely the same as the book, few details were ignored.

I just brought up "Fight Club" in another topic, but I feel that it was a really amazing adaptation, although a couple of things were changed. I feel the changes were so small didn't effect the main story at all. The ending was different though and I like them both seperately for different reasons.

The movie they made of Jane Austen's "Persuasion" in the mid-90's is very close to the book.

The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum just came out on DVD and was well done.

This is a good question considering that lately so many movies have been  based on such serious fiction such as The Kite Runner, Love in the Time of Cholera, Atonement and No Country for Old Men.

Anyway the one that comes to mind as most faithful is Fear and Loathing in Las Vages, a 1972 book by Hunter S. Thompson and in 1998 starring Johhny Depp. Ultimately it's an anti-dope message, I think.

An American Haunting. I read the book first then saw the movie the only thing in the movie that was an embelishment was the parts in the present day. Its a true story actually and the movie is based on a novelization of one of the peoples journals. The house it all happened in isnt even standing today.

Spoiler alert

*

*

*

*

*

*

I remember when the movie came out someone here was all upset about the scene where the father raped the daughter. That was actually in the book and it was based on the journal of her husband who was her school teacher at the time

Girl, Interrupted was a good adaptation I think.  I agree on Fight Club too, the book has some details that were left out, but nothing central to the story or message.

I can't believe they made Love in the Time of Cholera into a movie.  There is no way that book can translate well onto the screen.

Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell...obviously a little was cut out, but it stayed very close to the book, i thought.

I thought  the film adaptation of  Cornelia Funke's "The Thief Lord"  was very good and followed closely to the book. 

On the opposite side, I just watched "Blood and Chocolate" on DVD and the only resemblence to the book were the names of the characters and that they were werewolves.   The setting was different, the main character's ages were different, all of the situations and events in the movie were different including the ending, which was totally different from the book. 

To Kill A Mockingbird and Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe - Loved both ot them and they are very close to the books.

The Painted Veil, based on the Somerset Maugham book.  A few things changed, but not  very much.  Great book - great movie.

The books were better, but the ones that come to mind are:

Jurassic Park

Jaws

The Firm

Pelican Brief

Someone on another thread just recommended The Namesake as a good book translated into a movie.

i agree with Gone with the Wind (by the way, i finally read the sequel to the book, Scarlett & was very pleased with it. Saw a new book out called Rhett Butler's people which is out new & is of course, about Rhett Butler. Has anyone read it ? is it any good?

I watched The Outsider a few months ago.  It stuck very close to the book.  I think the author, Penelope Williamson, may have helped write the screen-play.

I hear that the new film, Atonement (just now in theaters), is very close to the book.

I read Into the Wild the day before going to see the movie. I was very happy to see they adapted the story very well to the big screen. Reading the book definitely enhanced the movie experience, there was a lot going on mentally that did not make it onto the screen. The actor that played Christopher McCandless (the main character) was awesome, he lost 30lbs towards the end of the movie to play the role. He looked like a genuine malnoursihed man close to death - he deserves an Oscar!

The "books into movies" I absolutely love are: PRIMARY COLORS  (Travolta was great!)  POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE (Shirley Maclaine and Meryl Streep made a great team!)  I also think the adoptation from book to movie of THE PERFECT STORM was  very good.

I know it's more of a YA book and movie, but "Holes" the movie was practically taken word-for-word from the book Holes, written by Louis Sachar.

I didn't watch "A Perfect Storm" because I loved the book so much - I would have been yelling at the screen if they had changed it!  Now, I'll go get it, since you said it is so close - course then I'll probably sit an blubber like a baby.

No Country for Old Men was very close.  My 2007 pick for best screen adaptation of a book come awards time.  The Coen brothers transposed a couple of chapters and ended the movie like the book and left off some closing information.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is just abot word for word