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36 Adaptations That Played Fast and Loose With Their Source Material

By:: Brian C. Miller; Cracked Writers

March 05, 2022

36 Adaptations That Played Fast and Loose With Their Source Material

You know what common idiom probably needs to die off? “The book is always better?”

Book nerds have long held this over movie fans-- How could a crowd-pleasing light and picture show possibly be better than the ancient art of the written word in any possible circumstance? Clearly they're ignoring the fact that Jaws, Jurassic Park, The Godfather, Psycho and countless other classic films leave their original source material in the dust. The point is: adaptations can rise above their original source material, and frequently do.

…But not always. Nope. Sometimes the sentiment still holds true, and adaptations make baffling, unexplainable decisions as they throw away the original source material. Some one with way more time on their hands will have to tally up the points and see which ultimately wins out-- But now here's a big ol' list some of the most noticeable changes that occur over the course of adaptation… For better or worse.

36 V for Vendetta

OOUGH... At the climax of V for Vendetta, V wounds one guy in the London Underground. In the movie, V goes on a slow motion knife rampage and kills 15 guys. CRACKED.COM — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

35 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry ORDER Potter CRACKED.COM OF THE PHOENIX IN THE BOOK, HARRY AND CHO DRIFT APART AFTER FIGHTING OVER CHO'S FRIEND WHO BETRAYED DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY, HARRY'S REBEL GROUP. IN THE MOVIE. HARRY DUMPS CHO BECAUSE SHE BETRAYED D.A. HERSELF... ...AFTER BEING FORCED TO DRINK VERITASERUM, A.K.A. FREAKING TRUTH SERUM! — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

34 Game of Thrones

CRACKED.COM IN THE TV SERIES, GAME OF THRONES GAME OF THRONES CATELYN STARK DIÉS, AND STAYS DEAD. GEORGE R.R. MARTIN IN THE NOVEL, A STORM A STORM OF SWORDS, SHE IS OF SWORDS BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE AS A REVENGE ZOMBIE! — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

33 The Hobbit

In Tolkien's The Hobbit, Radagast is a briefly mentioned character who isn't on Bilbo and Gandalf's quest. GRACKED.COM In The Hobbit films, he helps Gandalf, and he's depicted as a bumbling hermit wizard who has bird poop on his head. — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

32 Captain America: Civil War

MARVEL CIVIL WAR In the movies, Peter Parker can count on Tony Stark as his stern but jovial mentor. Не may consider himself lucky... ...because in the STRAD THREE Civil War comics, Iron Man beats the absolute SPIDER-CRAP out of the wall crawler! GRACKED.COM — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

31 It

In 2017's It, The Losers' Club defeats Pennywise by banding together and overcoming their fears. - That similar premise is also in the original book, however The Losers' Club gets a bit of help from It's adversary, Maturin... a godlike space turtle. CRACKED.COM — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

30 The Wizard of Oz

CRACKED.COM In The Wizard of Oz, the magical land of Oz was shown to exist only within Dorothy's dream. The original book treated it as if it was real. In later books, Dorothy even took her aunt and uncle to Oz. — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

29 Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes The 1991 film tells the story of Ruth and Idgie as lifelong best-piends while the book clearly describes the pair as being in love. CRACKED.COM — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

28 The Never Ending Story

CRACKED.COM THE NEVERENDING STORY It's all good, bro In the movie, the death of Artax is traumatic with Atreyu screaming and crying while trying to save his friend. In the novel, Artax dies the same way but has the ability to talk and calmly reassures Atreyu not to worry. Atreyu doesn't even seem too bothered by it! — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

27 Aladdin

Disney's Aladdin has a hero you can root for, unlike the original. In the most popular English translation of the original Arabian Nights story, Aladdin is lazy, selfish, and ruins his parents' lives. Не doesn't want to learn a trade, so his tired, old mother is forced to work to provide for both of them (his father died over grief at what a disappointment Aladdin was). CRACKED.COM — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

26 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

In Roald Dahl's book, Charlie and Grampa Joe don't steal Fizzy Lifting Drinks and go flying. WILLY WONKA Es THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY In the book, Charlie is rewarded for simply being the last child on the tour. In the 1971 movie, he wins the chocolate factory because of choices he makes, rather than winning through inaction, which is a far more interesting story arc. CRACKED.COM — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

25 The Princess Bride

In the book, Princess Buttercup is rather stupid, has nothing CRACKED.COM going for her other than her beauty, and she dumps Westley outside the Fire Swamp to save herself. Fortunately, when adapting his book for the screen, William Goldman gives her some personality, and during the Fire Swamp showdown, she sacrifices her freedom in order to save Westley from Humperdinck. THE PRINCESS BRIDE — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

24 American Gods

In the novel American Gods, after Laura's funeral, Audrey gives Shadow some more details about Robbie and Laura's affair and then leaves. CRACKED.COM In the show, she's high on drugs and offers Shadow a blowjob on Laura's grave to get back at her and Robbie. — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

23 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

36 Adaptations That Played Fast and Loose With Their Source Material — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

22 Midnight Express

During his stint in a Turkish prison, the real Billy Hayes became lovers with a Midswight fellow prisoner. Egpresz In the gay-washed 1978 film version, Billy dismisses a potential lover with a shake of his head. CRACKED.COM — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

21 Troy

In Troy (2004) Odysseus tries to recruit Achilles while he was sparring with his cousin. CRACKED.COM In The Achilleid, Ulysses recruits him while he was crossdressing as a girl. — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

20 American Crime Story: The People vs O.J. Simpson

TOUGH-AS-NAILS PROSECUTOR MARCIA CLARK NEVER SHOWED EMOTION IN THE CRACKED.COM COURTOOM. YET, AMERICAN CRIME STORY: THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON HAD CLARK (PORTRAYED BY SARAH PAULSON) BREAKING DOWN IN COURT AFTER BEING SHOWN A TOPLESS PHOTO OF HERSELF. THE INCIDENT NEVER HAPPENED. — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

19 The Fault in Our Stars

GRACKED COM THE FAULTIN 1 OUR STARS INTIANA 45 In the book, Augustus Waters has another girlfriend, Caroline Mathers, who dies from brain cancer before he meets Hazel. In the film, it is heavily implied that Hazel is his first girlfriend. — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

18 Stardust

STARDUST was a fine book, but the ending was more than a bit of a downer. The book ends bleakly, with Tristran dying and Yvaine returning to the sky alone. The movie has a much more heartwarming ending, seeing the couple ascend into the sky to live as stars forever. CRACKED COM — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

17 The Mask

In the comic book version of The Mask, Stanley Ipkiss is a sadistic murderer. CAN NOW. YOU JWMY, SPELL DEADMEATUR Ahh, SHUT UP,YOU'LL THE WORRY KiD. For example, he visits an elementary school teacher who embarrassed him as a kid and stomps her face in, in front of her students. CRACKED.COM — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

16 Orange is the New Black

Netflix's Orange is the New Black is much deeper than the memoir it's based on. ORANGE MY YEAR IS THE IN A WOMEN'S NEW PRISON BLACK The show used Piper as an entry point into the prison system, and created its own world from there. Which was a good move, because pretty much nothing happened in prison to the real-life Piper (whom the book is all about). The most interesting things that happened to her were an argument about iceberg lettuce, and having to get rid of a screwdriver she took by mistake. CRACKED.COM — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

15 There Will Be Blood

There Will Be Blood is superior to the book it's based on, Oil! OIL! DANIEL DAY-LEWIS DEL UPTON SINCLAIR There Will Be Blood simply because it spares us an audience surrogate character who condescendingly explains all the symbolism. CRACKED.COM — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

14 Big Hero 6

The Big Hero 6 movie got rid of Baymax's weird original backstory. In the comics, Hiro's dead father's brain engrams were programmed into Baymax, so Baymax has his personality. Because of that, Baymax feels very close to Hiro's mother, but both he and Hiro decided it's in her best interest that she doesn't know Baymax's AI was built from her dead husband's memories. CRACKED.COM — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

13 Stuart Little

Adaptations of works by legendary authors have a high bar to clear, but 1999's Stuart Little is by all accounts a well-done kids' movie SUMMER MEMORIES The book begins with a human giving birth to a mouse, sends that mouse through a series of disjointed adventures that includes teaching an elementary school class the virtues of dictatorship, then ends on an unsatisfying cliffhanger. CRACKED.COM — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

12 A Dance With Dragons

In A Dance with Dragons Stannis Baratheon refuses to sacrifice an unbeliever by fire. even when told that doing so will placate the god who has sent a storm against his army. I will have no burnings. Pray harder! is his reply. On HBO's Game of Thrones, he not only permits the sacrifice, but sends his own daughter and heir to the stake. CRACKED COM — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

11 A Walk To Remember

GRACKED.COM HOLY BIBLE In the original 'A Walk to Remember' novel, Jamie gives Landon her deceased mother's Bible. In the film, it was inexplicably changed to a book of quotes. Don't worry, it's not a Bible. Jamie even specifically pointed that out in the film. — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

10 Jurassic Park

JURASSIC PARK The film's ending shows the characters riding into the sunset. In the book, the whole island was napalmed by the military, killing almost everyone. Ista Nublar CRACKED.COM — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

9 Stand By Me

STAND BY ME In the film, Gordie has a dream where he pictures Denny's funeral. In the novella, The Body, Gordie has a nightmare where Teddy and Vern are zombies and drown Chris. CRACKED.COM — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

8 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

36 Adaptations That Played Fast and Loose With Their Source Material — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

7 Boys Don't Cry

BOYS On December 31, 1993, three people were DOn'T murdered in Nebraska: CRY X BRANDON LISA PHILLIP TEENA LAMBERT DEVINE In Kimberly Peirce's movie, Devine ceases to exist-while Brandon's girlfriend is placed at the scene. Peirce defended her fictionalized version of the story as trying to find the underlying emotional truth. X CRACKED.COM — Source: 24 Adaptations That Ignored The Source Material

6 The Natural

36 Adaptations That Played Fast and Loose With Their Source Material — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

5 Howl's Moving Castle

CRACKED.COM Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is a good book... Diana Wynne Jones Howl's Moving Castle Now . Major Motion Picture! but it is incomparable to Miyazaki's take on the story, which benefits from shifting the focus from moral lessons to the relationship between Howl and Sophie. — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

4 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

In the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Chief Bromden is a legitimate danger to society. Не believes that society is controlled by an inhuman machine called The Combine, and that everybody is secretly a robot. In the movie, he's one of the most soulful characters in cinematic history. Instead of being a threat to the world, he's just a man beaten down by the system. His escape CRACKED.COM is a cause for celebration, not fear. — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

3 The Rules of Attraction

CRACKED.COM In the Bret Easton Ellis novel THE RULES OF ATTRACTION the relationship between Paul and Sean is explicit - according to Paul, they have lots of sex. TURBATNG OT A СНИ In the movie, their relationship is entirely in Paul's mind, just like Sean's relationship with Lauren is entirely in his mind. By keeping all of the relationships imaginary, the film does a better job highlighting the absurdity of the melodrama the characters think they're going through. — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

2 Garfield

CAN YOU DO ANY FFFFFFFF JOHN IMPRESSIONS, ODIE? WAYNE? I I I JIM DAViS 12-6 Garfield comics are just jokes and/or slice of life stories THE CARTOON FEATURED GARFICAD Home Sweet MORE IMAGINATIVE SwindLer STORIES, NEW RECURRING CHARACTERS AND EXPANDED JOKES FROM THE COMICS CRACKED.COM — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

1 Once Were Warriors

In Alan Duff's novel about a Maori family living in poverty, the focus is on the entire Heke family and their trials, lacking a definitive lead character. ONCE WERE WARRiORS The film was written with focus on Beth, the family matriarch, her struggle with her abusive husband, and her identity. By centering the story on her, the film was able to be more focused, with a more definitive, less ambiguous ending. CRACKED COM — Source: 30 Adaptations That Crushed The Source Material

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