Step away, book worms—cinema takes a win today.
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “the book was better,” countless times in regards to book-to-movie adaptations, but what about the stories that are better in movie form? Well, here are my picks for movies I think are better than the books on which they’re based . . .
Perks of Being a Wallflower
Starting with a hot one, we have an absolute classic (that is set in Pittsburgh!). If you’ve been living under a rock, Perks of Being a Wallflower is arguably one of the best coming-of-age stories of the last decade. The story follows Charlie (Logan Lerman), a troubled and shy freshman who is befriended by two outgoing seniors played by Ezra Miller and Emma Watson. As the school year goes on and his friends prepare for their future, Charlie must confront his troubled past.
The main reason I think the movie is executed so beautifully is because the novel’s author, Stephen Chbosky, actually wrote and directed the film himself. Because he knew the characters so well and interpreted their feelings and actions on screen with raw emotion (because this movie is definitely a tear jerker) it does a better job at telling the story than the book.
While the book is great, the epistolary perspective with which it is told limits the reader’s interpretation of events. And despite the fact that the book includes scenes that are significant to the story, the movie’s lack of these scenes doesn’t necessarily affect plot. So, even though the movie is better, it’s still worth checking out both the book and movie to form your own opinion.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Not all of the source material on this list is written equally, and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a prime example. Much like the previous entry of this list, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is set in Pittsburgh (and it even mentions Pitt). Yet unlike the previous entry, the novel is horrendous. Now I don’t mean to be a hater, but I think my reasoning is justified.
The novel follows Greg Gaines, a high school senior who floats through high school wishing to be invisible, and he spends his time making parodies of cult classic films with his “coworker” Earl. But Greg’s life of invisibility comes to an end when his mom forces him to become friends with his classmate, Rachel, who has been diagnosed with leukemia.
What seems like a heartfelt and tragic story goes sour once we hear the novel’s events from Greg's perspective. The book not only has insensitive racial stereotypes, but it seems like Greg never forms any genuine connection with Rachel—who is the story’s catalyst.
In the movie, however, Greg is an insecure teenage boy, yes, but he has compassion for others seen not only through his friendship with Rachel, but also his love for filmmaking. The movie also lacks the novel’s problematic aspects such as the racism towards Earl and Greg’s tasteless misogynistic comments.
The only thing that confuses me is that the novel’s author—Jesse Andrews—also wrote the movie? Maybe in the span of time between the novel’s release and the movie release Andrews learned his lesson? Anyway, don’t waste your time reading the book; watch the film instead.
Flipped
Moving on from being a hater, another movie that’s better than the source novel is Flipped. Flipped follows the story of Juli Baker and Bryce Loski, two across-the-street neighbors who’ve grown up together.
Juli has had a one-sided crush on Bryce since the moment they met, but once they reach the eighth grade Juli realizes Bryce isn’t as great as she thought. But when Juli loses interest Bryce starts to see the value in Juli.
Both the novel and the movie follow a dual POV of both Juli and Bryce. However, the reason the movie is better is because it utilizes the setting more than the novel. In the novel, there is little to no description of setting besides basic facts about where the characters are (e.g., school, home, etc.). But in the movie the setting is 1963 Ann Arbor, Michigan which explains why the story doesn’t include modern technology but does include outdated treatment of disabled people.
The movie’s nostalgic setting also facilitates the story’s sense of romance and intimacy. To experience the quintessential hate to love with dual POV story, check out Flipped.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
Most of this list has been realistic fiction, but Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is the exception. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World follows our protagonist, Scott Pilgrim, who falls head over heels for Ramona Flowers—an Amazon delivery girl. Even though they share mutual feelings, Scott realizes that in order to date Ramona, he must first defeat her seven evil exes.
The comic books—on which the movie is based—are also excellent, but once again in my opinion the work of the director, Edgar Wright, utilizes the medium of film to create something like a moving comic book. With clever visual effects, editing, quick cuts, sound effects, and more the movie brings the characters to life.
Despite the fact that I have some bias towards the movie because of the star-studded cast (Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Brie Larson, Aubrey Plaza, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, and more) it’s worth your time to check out the world of Scott Pilgrim; it’s a whole lot of fun!