The Perils of Turning a Book into a Screenplay
Posted by: Denelle
I think all of us have experienced some level of disappointment when a book that we love is turned into a movie and it ends up being almost unrecognizable. One of the best book to film translations I've ever seen is the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice. But that's probably because it's six hours long and very nearly a word for word translation. One of the worst I've seen was The DaVinci Code. Very little was changed from the book but the story just didn't translate into film that well. The excitement/anxiety that comes from reading the story simply couldn't be captured on film. And the things that had to be left out in order to meet time restrictions were sincerely missed.
But have you ever imagined what an author must feel like when something they've poured hours or even years of their lives into is completely changed/re-interpreted?
Author Jodi Picoult recently wrote an article describing the process.
That sounds about right. Hollywood is nothing if not fake.
But Picoult goes on to give some pointers for those that are determined to try and make a go of having their works translated to the silver-screen. Things to keep in mind (and she goes into great detail):
NO ONE READS IN HOLLYWOOD.
THE WHEELS OF HOLLYWOOD GRIND SLOWLY.
IT'S NOT A GET-RICH-QUICK SCHEME.
THE AUTHOR IS THE LEAST IMPORTANT PERSON INVOLVED.
STEREOTYPES ABOUND.
But despite all of the negatives and the struggles that surround turning a book into a movie Picoult agrees that there are amazing rewards for an author to see their work coming to life!
I don't mind seeing my favorite books turned into movies. Often the translation is close enough to still be enjoyable and you can see why they left certain things out. And if the film version is awful then all is not lost. There is still the original book, in all of it's glory, that you can go back to time and time again.
I think all of us have experienced some level of disappointment when a book that we love is turned into a movie and it ends up being almost unrecognizable. One of the best book to film translations I've ever seen is the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice. But that's probably because it's six hours long and very nearly a word for word translation. One of the worst I've seen was The DaVinci Code. Very little was changed from the book but the story just didn't translate into film that well. The excitement/anxiety that comes from reading the story simply couldn't be captured on film. And the things that had to be left out in order to meet time restrictions were sincerely missed.
But have you ever imagined what an author must feel like when something they've poured hours or even years of their lives into is completely changed/re-interpreted?
Author Jodi Picoult recently wrote an article describing the process.
I've figured out the difference between Hollywood and New York publishing. In publishing, they say, "I hate it, I hate it" until finally someone grudgingly agrees to represent you. In Hollywood, they say, "I love it, I love it" when, in fact, they have no intention of pursuing your work.
That sounds about right. Hollywood is nothing if not fake.
But Picoult goes on to give some pointers for those that are determined to try and make a go of having their works translated to the silver-screen. Things to keep in mind (and she goes into great detail):
NO ONE READS IN HOLLYWOOD.
THE WHEELS OF HOLLYWOOD GRIND SLOWLY.
IT'S NOT A GET-RICH-QUICK SCHEME.
THE AUTHOR IS THE LEAST IMPORTANT PERSON INVOLVED.
STEREOTYPES ABOUND.
But despite all of the negatives and the struggles that surround turning a book into a movie Picoult agrees that there are amazing rewards for an author to see their work coming to life!
When the filming began, I was invited to Toronto to watch. The first scene was one that had come verbatim from my novel: A teenage boy lies down on the fresh grave of his dead girlfriend and kisses the earth. It was an emotional scene to write, but I was unprepared for how stirring it would be to see it brought to life. I crouched behind a tombstone as the director called "Action!" and sobbed, amazed to see what I'd pictured in my own mind unfolding before me.
But here's the real reason you sell the film rights to your novel: You find an audience that would never have known you. When Plain Truth aired on Lifetime, seven million people watched. The only authors who sell seven million books are
Dan Brown and J.K. Rowling. If even one-tenth of those TV viewers pick up the book your movie is based on, it's an instant bestseller.
I don't mind seeing my favorite books turned into movies. Often the translation is close enough to still be enjoyable and you can see why they left certain things out. And if the film version is awful then all is not lost. There is still the original book, in all of it's glory, that you can go back to time and time again.
