Instead of those coma-inducing year-end lists of books, here are 21 of the best books on film ever. You won't find Gone With the Wind or the Godfather on this list (let's move on, shall we?). Why 21? Um, I couldn't cut one more! They're listed alphabetically with tons of juicy background and buying info linked for your enjoyment, so you can plan your viewing and/or giving accordingly. Then you'll be all set so you can watch (or read) within sprinting distance of the leftovers. Happy Holidays!
All the President's Men (1976) The true story of how Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein stumbled onto the Watergate scandal and brought down President Nixon is a classic. The fast-paced, tension-filled thriller exactly echoes the breathless pace of the book. Particularly relevant these days (journalists asking questions!), the film stars Robert Redford (who also produced), Dustin Hoffman and Jason Robards, who is magnificent as Post editor Ben Bradlee. get list
A Place in the Sun (1951) Based on An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser, this film tells the powerful story of a young penniless guy on the make who falls in love with a beautiful young (and wealthy) girl. Unfortunately, the guy has a has a secret -- a pregnant lover he wants to discard (badly) so he can marry the beautiful debutante whom he loves. Cut to a midnight boat ride. Montgomery Clift is heart-wrenching as the morally corrupt, helplessly in love George Eastman. A luminous 18-year-old Elizabeth Taylor is the passionate debutante who loves him back, Angela Vickers, and Shelley Winters is brilliant as Alice Tripp, the inconvenient woman. The book is based on a 1906 murder case in which Chester Gillette (of those Gillettes), killed Grace Brown, his pregnant lover, during a boat ride in the Adirondacks. Read about the Gillette case. Check out the Theodore Dreiser society.
A Rage in Harlem (1991)This delicious caper flick based on the legendary noir writer Chester Himes' book should be a classic. Robin Givens is smoking hot as a dame with a case of stolen gold, Forrest Whittaker and Gregory Hines are just two of the men chasing after her for more than the gold. There are more twists and turns here than a rollercoaster ride. Funny, smart and bold.
Dangerous Liaisons (1988) The best version on film of the 1782 novel by Chloderos de Laclos. The entire cast deliver outstanding performances here. There is not a bad moment in the film, which was shot on location in French Chateaus of the period. Glenn Close stars as the scheming Marquise de Merteuil, who passes the time by destroying people. John Malkovich is charmingly reptilian as her sometimes lover and accomplice, the Vicomte de Valmont. Michelle Pfeiffer is stunning as the woman who is determined to resist Valmont.
Dolores Claiborne (1995)Based on Stephen King's suspense masterpiece, this taut, beautifully shot mysterious film is a long flashback (like the book). Eventually you'll find where the bodies are buried and who killed them. Kathy Bates is magnificent as Dolores, a tough old Maine widow with secrets in her past. Jennifer Jason Leigh is perfect as her neurotic, pill-popping daughter Selena, who comes home after 15 years when Dolores stands accused of murder. Again. The English actress Judy Parfitt is alternately hilarious and horrifying (in a good way)as Dolores' long-time employer.
Double Indemnity (1944) The definitive film noir. Standout performances by Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray make this film an unforgettable experience. James M. Cain's story of lust, deception and murder gets sexier, murkier and more evil than it was on the page with the legendary Billy Wilder's direction. Wilder directed it like Cain wrote it -- simple, spare and deadly. The shot of Stanwyck's face while her husband is being strangled is one of the most bone-chilling images on celluloid.
The Exorcist (1973) Regarded as the scariest movie of all time, director William Friedkin (the French Connection) based his seminal horror film on William Peter Blatty's 1971 novel. Moviegoers lined up for hours when this premiered, and at many theaters, terrified moviegoers fainted, vomited or passed out. Linda Blair starred as the young teenager who falls victim to demonic possession. Ellen Burstyn is her mother, and Max Von Sydow is the exorcist. Check out a report on the actual incident that inspired the book. In a completely bizarre turn of events, American soldiers in Iraq who were assigned to guard the temples of the ancient city Hatra discovered it is the setting of the opening scene of the film and are trying to restore the area and make it a tourist destination. The U.K. telegraph reports.
Frankenstein (1931)Still scary after all these years. Forget every version you've ever seen, this is the first and the best. Colin Clive is wonderful as the mad scientist, and the legendary Boris Karloff gives a wonderfully nuanced performance in his first major role. Excellent cinematography and set design contribute to the film's spooky ambiance. Mary Shelley's book got the royal treatment here.
The Great Gatsby (1974)F. Scott Fitzgerald's luminous and tragic portrait of the jazz age has been filmed four times, but this version starring Mia Farrow as Daisy Buchanan and Robert Redford as the romantic, enigmatic Jay Gatsby is considered the definitive film version. Farrow is the epitome of the spoiled rich girl in flowing chiffon, and Sam Waterston's performance as Nick Carraway, the narrator/observer is sublime, and deservedly catpulted him to fame. Redford's blinding beauty makes up for his somewhat wooden performance here.
Hotel du lac (1986)The prolific Anita Brookner couldn't ask for a greater adaptation of her satiric award-winning novel. Anna Massey is perfect as Edith Hope, a mousy romance novelist who has been shipped off to a quiet hotel in Switzerland by her friends until her "unfortunate lapse" is forgotten. The film, like the book, peels away the layers in flashbacks between scenes of socializing between the handful of guests that remain in the hotel. Nothing or no one is what it seems, past or present. A gem.
The House of Mirth (2000)Gillian Anderson (aka X-files Agent Scully) is not the first actress you think of to play Edith Wharton's doomed turn of the century heroine, but she is mesmerizing and gives the performance of her career. Fans of the novel will be impressed. Eric Stoltz as the ambivalent Laurence Selden and Laura Linney as the poisonous Bertha Dorset are standouts. The entire cast turns in astounding performances which make this visually gorgeous film a truly emotional experience, like the book. Yeah, chick flick.
The Insider (1999)The true story of tobacco executive Jeffrey Wigand's decision to blow the whistle on his company's illegal practices features riveting performances by Russell Crowe as the conflicted Wigand, Al Pacino as the producer of the news magazine that wants to air his story and Christopher Plummer as the reporter. Tautly directed by Michael Mann, the film conveys a deepening sense of paranoia as Wigand realizes that his company, Brown and Williamson, is not going to take his revelations lying down. This film was based on an article in Vanity Fair.
Jules et Jim (1962)This is a case of the film improving on the book. Henri-Pierre Roché's novel about a woman loved by two men can get wearying, but the film is the exact opposite. Truffaut's direction (in the nouvelle vague style) is inspired and brings true intimacy and beauty to the story about friendship and an elusive woman who inspires much emotion. Despite the film's title, she is very much the center of everything. Brilliant acting by Jeanne Moreau, and ground-breaking direction make this a must see. Shocking ending. French with English subtitles.
La Cérémonie (1996)Stunning suspense film based on the Judgment in Stone by U.K. author Ruth Rendell (the grande dame of crime and psychological suspense). Director Claude Chabrol, considered the French Hitchcock, set the action in France, took some liberties with characters, but maintains the essential elements of the plot. Starring the incomparable Isabelle Huppert as the maid, Sandrine Bonnaire as her best friend, and Jacqueline Bisset as the lady of the manor. French with English subtitles.
L.A. Confidential (1997) An outstanding cast makes this film one of the best of the last decade. This adaptation of James Ellroy's novel of murder and police corruption in 1950's L.A. boasts a sizzlingly intelligent script, wonderful acting and incisive direction by Curtis Hanson. Russell Crowe plays sensitive tough cop Bud White, Guy Pearce plays college-boy cop Edmund Exley and Kevin Spacey plays the suave cop on the make Jack Vincennes. Not to be missed.
Like Water for Chocolate (1993)This delightful film based on the book by Laura Esquivel is set in turn-of-the-century Mexico and perfectly captures the power of good food as described in the novel, which includes recipies. A man falls for one sister, but stern Mamá says he must marry another sister. Complications ensue, as the single sister expresses her feelings through her food. Passionate, funny and smart. Spanish with English subtitles.
Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)Diane Keaton is brilliant as Theresa Dunn, a nice Catholic girl who teaches deaf children by day and trawls bars for men at night. This is practically a dual role for which Keaton should have won an Oscar (she won for Annie Hall the same year). The film captures the 1970's free-wheeling sexual hedonism, and accurately depicts the psychology behind Keaton/Theresa's promiscuity. Based on Judith Rossner's 1975 bestselling novel. The film features exceptional performances by Tuesday Weld as the screwed-up older sister and young Richard Gere as a hot coked-up stud. The ending will leave you gasping for air. Read the original N.Y Times story that inspired the book, and read this piece by the NY Post reporter who covered the story.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)Despite the recent remake's quality, it is the austere black and white original film version that reflects Richard Condon's novel best. Still very relevant, this story of a government conspiracy against a group of soldiers aimed at turning one of them into an assasin is filled with tension, paranoia and dread. Laurence Harvey plays the tormented assasin-to-be, Sgt. Raymond Shaw; Angela Lansbury is evil personified as his mother, the rabidly ambitious Mrs. Iselin and Frank Sinatra as the soldier who knows something is very, very wrong. A must-see.
Monsieur Hire (1990)Suspense was never soooo good. Erotically charged suspense based on Les Fiancailles de Monsieur Hire or Mr. Hire's Engagement by Georges Simenon (out of print). A haunting performance by Michel Blanc as a repressed loner suspected in a murder. Sandrine Bonnaire as his secret obsession, the girl he watches through the window. Once they meet nothing is ever the same. The poignant melody Monsieur Hire plays over and over will stay with you, as will the film. Outstanding. In French with English subtitles.
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1944)The hottest noir film in history. James M. Cain wrote the book about a drifter who takes a job at a roadside burger joint and then gets a load of the boss's wife. Fantastic performances by Lana Turner the unhappy wife, and John Garfield as the drifter make this worth watching. Watch for the twist, it'll break your neck.
Psycho (1960)Norman Bates is the brainchild of suspense writer Robert Bloch, whose book, inspired by an actual case, was turned into a classic horror film by Alfred Hitchcock (he paid $9,500 for the film rights!). Starring Anthony Perkins as Norman in his first bad-guy role, and Janet Leigh as the larceonous Marian Crane. Leigh said that after filming the shower scene she was never able to take a shower again. And the sound of the knife stabbing her? Hitchcock recorded several fruits being stabbed to get just the sound he wanted, said Leigh. The winning fruit? A melon.
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