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From Page to Screen

There’s truth to the theory that if a book is good enough it will make it to the big screen.  In recent cinema trends almost every film opens with “Based on the novel by…” Of course, to avid readers, it is never recommended to attend these movies without first reading the book.  As respectable as movies are as an art form, they frequently have to “trim down” the novel for time purposes, often leaving out key elements.  The beauty of reading is the ability to visualize the setting through your own imagination.  When books are transferred to film, you are seeing the story through the eyes of the filmmaker. 

Nonetheless, many great films have started as great novels.  Some authors, such as Nicholas Sparks, John Grisham, James Patterson, Stephen King and Elmore Leonard have written many novels that have later become major motion pictures.  If you are one that believes in the theory that the great books will become movies, then it would only make sense to explore those who write the books.

Nicholas Sparks currently has eleven books on the shelves, including three that have been transformed into major motion pictures.  His first novel, The Notebook (1996), is actually his most recent movie (2004), while his first movie, Message in a Bottle (1999), came out in theaters only a year after the book was released (1998).  Sparks wrote A Walk to Remember in 1999 and it made it to theaters in 2002, but was set in modern times unlike the novel that was set in the late 1950’s.  It is rumored that The Rescue (2000) will be making a film debut.  His most recent novel is At First Sight, a follow-up to True Believer, both released in 2005. 

John Grisham has written nearly 20 novels, and to date, eight of them have become tremendously successful films.  These films are The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Chamber, A Time to Kill, The Rainmaker, Runaway Jury and Christmas with the Kranks (the book was titled Skipping Christmas).  Movie studios have been known to spend large amounts of money on film rights before his books are even published.  While most of his books are legal thrillers, A Painted House, Skipping Christmas, and Bleachers all deviate from the genre that made him a best seller.  His most recent book was The Broker, which was released in 2005. 

James Patterson has written over thirty novels ranging from children’s books to thrillers and even love stories.  He’s had two books transfer to the big screen, Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls, and three others become TV movies, ­Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas, Miracle on the 17th Green and Child of Darkness, Child of Light.  New Line Cinema has recently begun writing the script for santaKid.  Mary, Mary, the latest edition to his Alex Cross series, hit shelves this past November.

Elmore Leonard, born in 1925 and famous for writing American Literature, has made book to film leaps with Stick, Jackie Brown, Out of Sight, The Big Bounce, Get Shorty, Be Cool, and many more.  Killshot, his 1989 novel, is currently being shot in Cape Girardeau, Mississippi, starring Diane Lane and Johnny Knoxville, among others.  He’s a crime writer known for wry dialogue and box office sales. 

Stephen King, one of the most famous writers of present day, has written countless novels and over thirty of them have been made into movies.  Many of his books such as The Shining, Pet Cemetery, Secret Window, Misery, Dolores Claiborne, and Children of the Corn have gone on to become chilling horror classics.  However, films such as The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me and The Green Mile are far less scary, yet compelling films based on his novels.  King wrote six books sunder the pseudonym Richard Bachman and a short story under the name John Swithen.  His incredible talent as a writer has made him into a pop culture icon. 

Two other writers to check out are Michael Cunningham and Annie Proulx.  Of the eight novels Cunningham has written, two have ventured to the big screen:  The Hours and A Home at the End of the World.  Proulx wrote both The Shipping News and Brokeback Mountain.