Some of the books that we read in childhood are so exciting, thrilling and well written that they stay with us for the rest of our lives. The same can also be said about the films we watch as children
When looking for inspiration for a film books are always a good place to look. Many successful films and film franchises have stemmed from works of literary - The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter are but two of many examples
The process of adapting a book in to a film is a tricky one while some directors pull this off flawlessly other fail dismally
In this list I will examine 7 films that have been adapted from beloved children’s book and assess into which of these categories they fall
7. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, David Kelly, Helena Bonham Carter, Noah Taylor, Missi Pyle, James Fox, Deep Roy, Christopher Lee, Adam Godley, Franziska Troegner, AnnaSophia Robb, Julia Winter, Jordan Fry, Philip Wiegratz
Year: 2005
In the case of this novel by author Roald Dahl there are two film versions available for analysis the first from 1971 starring Gene Wilder and the other by Tim Burton from 2005. I have chosen the latter as I feel there is more material present for comparison with the original children’s classic book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The story was inspired by the rivalry between the two confectionary companies Cadbury’s and Rowntree, but is set in a world based purely on imagination where events occur that only a child could dream of. For those unfamiliar with this children’s classic Charlie lives with his impoverished family in their rundown shack. Life is pretty uneventful until Charlie happens to find one of Willy Wonka’s golden tickets which will give him and a guardian access to the factory for a one off special tour. The four other children who attend the tour are all spoilt and don’t fully appreciate the magic of the factory. As the tour progresses an unfortunate ‘accident’ befalls each of the spoilt children until only Charlie and Grandpa Joe are left
Tim Burton’s adaptation of the novel sticks very well to the original novel and at the same time manages to incorporate Burton’s unique style. There are only two variations from the book; one comes in the form of the omission of Charlie and Grandpa Joe giving in to temptation when they decide to sample some of Willy Wonka’s experimental lemonade which has near fatal consequences, and two – the addition of a back story to the Willy Wonka character. On the one hand it gives an explanation as to why Willy Wonka is such an oddball with an obsession with chocolate and sweets, while on the other hand it does not really add anything to the film except to give Christopher Lee a cameo part as a terrifying dentist. Tim Burton also manages to get across the underlying moral element to the work that humility and not gluttony is what is necessary in order to succeed
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Cast: Liesel Matthews, Eleanor Bron, Liam Cunningham, Rusty Schwimmer, Arthur Malet, Vanessa Lee Chester, Errol Sitahal, Heather DeLoach, Taylor Fry, Darcie Bradford, Rachael Bella, Alexandra Rea-Baum, Camilla Belle, Lauren Blumenfeld, Kelsey Mulrooney
Year: 1995
A Little Princess is a classic work of children’s literature by author Frances Hodgson-Burnett it is also the title of one of the worst book to film adaptations ever. Sara Crewe is the only daughter of Captain Crewe a man who is in the diamond business and lives in India. It is decided that rather than remaining in India for her education Sara should attend the same boarding school that her mother attended in London. Sara is a quiet, thoughtful child who is rich but not conceited and instantly becomes a favourite among the other girls in the school. All is well until Captain Crewe’s business dries up and he dies of brain fever. The head of the school, Miss Minchin, tells Sara that she cannot remain as a pupil but will join Becky as a maid at the school now that she is a penniless orphan. During her trials Sara befriends the monkey of the Indian manservant – Ram Dass – who lives in a neighbouring house. In the end Sara is rescued by Ram Dass’ master Mr. Carrisford who turns out to be the business partner of Sara’s father and has been in search of her all this time
Frances Hodgson-Burnett’s book is a comment on Victorian England and the life within the English boarding school system contained within the frame of a beautifully crafted children’s classic. The film version however takes the character names but changes the plot almost beyond recognition. The list of deviations is too long to list in full so I shall give only a few examples – the book is set in Victorian London but the film is set in New York during World War II, in the book Sara’s father dies but in the film he only has amnesia and manages to remember who she is just at the right time, in the book Becky is a cockney but in the film she is black, and finally in the book Ram Dass gradually fills Sara’s attic room with food, fresh sheets etc but in the film he manages to do it all in one night. These adaptations do not add any real value to the film but in fact detract from the magic created throughout and cheapen the story entirely
Director: Brian Henson
Cast: Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, David Rudman, Don Austen, Jessica Fox, Robert Tygner, Steven Mackintosh, Meredith Braun, Robin Weaver, Raymond Coulthard, Russell Martin, Theo Sanders
Year: 1992
Perhaps the most unique adaptation from a book to film comes in the form of The Muppet Christmas Carol. Based on Charles Dickens’ original novella A Christmas Carol, Jim Henson Studios took the main plot but decided to re-enact it using everyone’s favourite Muppet characters in the lead roles. The original novel was set in the Victorian era combining a nostalgic desire for Christmas and Christmas traditions with a comment on the emergence of Capitalism – Scrooge wants his staff to work long hours for very little pay in an office where the coal is heavily rationed. It is only after a visitation from three spirits (the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future) that Ebenezer Scrooge learns the error of his miserly ways and embraces the true meaning of Christmas
It goes without saying that this film adaptation is not nearly as dry and serious as the original novella, and that there are a few glaringly obvious changes e.g. Bob Crachit was not a green singing frog in the original. However, despite being acted out almost entirely with puppets The Muppet Christmas Carol manages to stick to the book fairly truthfully and get across the serious messages expressed by Dickens. Although The Muppet Christmas Carol is predominately comedic in nature it manages to be serious at key moments like when Scrooge is undergoing his epiphanies about his life. The Muppet Christmas Carol also works on two levels so that adults and children are both entertained and learn that nothing good can come from miserliness
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