The long winter months are here! You know what that means: long dark evenings (afternoons, TBH), cold(er) weather, and lots of time on your hands.
It’s the perfect time for a movie marathon!
Since I’m a teacher, I almost never JUST watch a movie. No, most of the movies I watch are connected to literature, in some way. Of course, some are better than others.
So snuggle up, grab the popcorn, and cue up the DVD player.
Here are my top 10 children’s and classic books that were made into movies.
1. Pride and Prejudice: This Jane Austen classic about love and manners in 18th century England has been adapted several times for both TV and the big screen. My fav? The 2005 version with Keira Knightly. I know that some will take issue with this, given the heavenly nature of Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy in the BBC miniseries. But Knightly really spoke to me as Elizabeth Bennet.
2. To Kill a Mockingbird: Scout confronts neighborhood lore and ingrained racism in her Southern town in the middle of the 20th century. Gregory Peck is dashing as the conflicted, yet moral, Atticus Finch.
3. The Princess Bride: A movie based on books marathon WITHOUT this movie? Inconceivable! The beautiful, quirky romp combines romance, revenge, pirates, true love, and really large rodents perfectly.
4. Matilda: I love this book (and movie) because of how Matilda uses just the powers of her mind to get back at all of the awful adults in her life and find a loving, supportive home with Ms. Honey. Also, Ms. Honey gives me teacher goals for life.
5. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: Biblical allegory in a fantasy land accessed through an old clothes closet? Count me in! The costumes are lush, the sets are on point, and the CGI is gorgeous. C.S. Lewis’s plot has been beautifully brought to life.
6. Mary Poppins: Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews will dance into your hearts with snappy tunes and sage advice. A spoonful of sugar does, in fact, help the medicine go down. For a nice dovetail, check out Saving Mr. Banks for the backstory about the making of the movie.
7. The Wizard of Oz: Dorothy finds herself, and Technicolor, in the original 1939 film. While the book series continues after Dorothy, this book is the most famous.
8. Little Women: I read this book at least once a year. The March family feels like my own family. I love the mid-1990s adaptation since it sticks so closely to the book, with the exception of the slightly crunched-for-time ending.
9. The Harry Potter series: While the movies are slightly different than the epic books that comprise this series, they are no less filled with magic, wonder, and adventure. The later movies get pretty dark, so beware of very young or impressionable viewers.
10. Anne of Green Gables: Anne was one of my best friends growing up. I, too, yearned to know more, do more, and be more, while still fitting in with my community. I have read every book in this series until my copies were worn thin. The beautiful miniseries starring Megan Fellows and the late Jonathan Crombie touched my heart more than once.
What are your favorite movies that are based on books?
~Meg
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“The Secret Garden” was another children’s classic that translated well to screen.
For more adult fare, one movie that I believe was considerably better than the book it was based on was “Sophie’s Choice.”
I agree! The Secret Garden is one of my favorites, too. I’ve yet to see Sophie’s Choice, but it’s on my bucket list.