Book to movie adaptations have been commonly seen in the media since the beginning of Hollywood, but, in recent years, there has seemed to be more. Movies or shows that are based on popular literature keep being produced in Hollywood. However, movies never seem to get it right and the phrase “the book is always better than the movie” has become common among theater-goers.

“They always miss the small details that make the books magical,” said senior Cecilia Hahn. 

“You can’t fit everything in a book into an hour and 30 minutes and a lot of things get cut.”

English teacher Clay Christie has a similar viewpoint on how movies miss what authors leave for readers to interpret.  

“The book always allows a space for the imagination to participate, whereas the movie is an interpretation made for you, with less emphasis on the viewer’s imagination playing an integral part,” said Christie.

Movies often change details that producers think no one will notice, but readers frequently pick up on them. Sometimes the directors even change what sets the tone of the story. 

“The worst changes typically have to do with deviating or straying from the author’s original language. Some producers are trying to make a text more accessible by ‘dumbing down’ the author’s original language,” said Christie.

Despite this, not all movie adaptations of books are bad. In fact, sometimes Hollywood gets it right. Shows like “Bridgerton,” which made changes to add diversity to the show, are still widely popular and beloved. For some, it is even the opposite.

“‘The Princess Bride’ is the best movie adaptation I’ve seen. I didn’t think the book was as good as the movie,” said Hahn.

Just because you saw the movie or read the book doesn’t mean you should rule out the other option; you may be missing out.