Outstanding book-to-screen adaptations
A good (or great) book-to-film adaptation doesn't necessarily have to be entirely faithful to the source material. In some cases, superfluous portions that don't lend well to a cinematic adaptation get omitted to enhance or alter the material without losing the essence.
The Godfather
Anyone who has read Mario Puzo's The Godfather would know that if Francis Coppola took everything from the book, it might have run into some serious censorship problems — the most superior example of a book-to-film adaptation.
The Shawshank Redemption
Based on Stephen King's novella, an exceptional work of fiction in its own right, the film adaptation directed by Frank Darabont ("The Green Mile", "The Mist") is undoubtedly one of the most moving works of cinema.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
This adaptation — a favourite among introverts and anyone who loves a heartwarming, therapeutic story — had the advantage of the novel's creator involved as the director and screenplay writer.
Are You There, God? It's Me Margaret
Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig ('The Edge of Seventeen'), the film adaptation of Judy Blume's 1970 novel evokes all the feelings one gets while watching the feel-good cinema of John Hughes, a favourite of the director.
The Color Purple
The film with which Steven Spielberg proved himself to be a versatile filmmaker — a poignant screen adaptation, by Menno Meyjes, of Alice Walker's hard-hitting book about an African-American woman growing through multiple trauma-inducing circumstances.
The Bridges of Madison County
Who knew an actor often associated with tough-guy roles could make a highly romantic film that makes us weep buckets? Bolstered by the electrifying chemistry of Eastwood and Meryl Streep, it's a superlative example of emotion-driven storytelling.
Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan took the mammoth 'American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer', penned by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, and turned it into a uniquely epic, time-hopping cinematic experience.
The Shining
Stephen King famously despised Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of his big horror novel. However, there is much to appreciate in the film when treated as a separate work despite the plot alterations that the filmmaker made.