Great Books make Great Movies

For those who enjoy watching British drama there are almost limitless options! BBC and Masterpiece Classic have been working very hard over the past decade to update great classics, and there are now movies for almost every classic book. The following is a list of several classic authors and the movies that have been made of them, for some of the books there are more than one good option so I will specify the date of publication after each title. No one list is exhaustive; this is just a list of the movies that I think are exceptionally good.

Charles Dickens: Charles Dickens is pretty serious; I would recommend these movies to people age 18 and up. The language is not too bad, but some of the content and situations is a little violent. I would say that the best movie to start with is “Our Mutual Friend” since the story is relatively easy to follow, and the characters are both engaging and interesting.

·         Little Dorrit (2009)

·         Bleak House (2006)

·         Our Mutual Friend (1998)

·         Nicholas Nickleby (2001 & 2003)

Elizabeth Gaskell: Not as well known as other authors, Elizabeth writes mostly about small communities populated by women with strong opinions. For those not familiar with her work but who know and enjoy Pride and Prejudice I would recommend “North and South” as a start. Cranford and Return to Cranford are based on a combination of three books by Elizabeth Gaskell “Cranford” “Dr. Harrison’s confession” and “My Lady Ludlow”. All of these movies are good for people of all ages, but I would still recommend parents watching them with their children.

·         Cranford (2009)

·         Return to Cranford (2010)

·         North and South (2005)

·         Wives and Daughters (2001)

R.L. Stevenson: Although only one movie is mentioned here, there are two different versions are mentioned here. Both versions are excellent, but the earlier version, which was made by Disney is definitely better suited for children, since the later version has violence and gun fighting.

·         Kidnapped (1991 & 2005)

Emmunska Orczy: Not as well known as other authors, this hero is the predecessor to Zorro and Superman. I would not recommend the 1998 versions for anyone under 17 due to violence and language.

·         The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982 & 1998)

·         Mademoiselle Guillotine (1998)

·         The Kidnapped King (1998)

Jane Austen: one of the best well known British writers of all time, there is no shortage of films about Jane Austen’s life and books. I have mentioned two versions of most of her books so that readers can choose for themselves which version they like best. This list is selective, so feel free to check out other versions of these films such as “Clueless”, “Bride and Prejudice, or “Lost in Austen” which are modern retellings of some of her best novels. For those who have not before seen a Jane Austen film adaptation, I would recommend starting with the 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility, it is a classic and beautifully done.

·         Pride and Prejudice (1996 & 2006 )

·         Mansfield Park (2008)

·         Emma (1996,1999 & 2010)

·         Persuasion (1997 & 2008)

·         Northanger Abbey (2008)

·         Sense and Sensibility (1995 & 2008)

Charlotte Bronte: Although she wrote three other books, none of them have been made into movies that I know of. So I am putting down several different versions of her best known work. The 1983 version is perhaps the closest to the book, but it can seem rather slow at times, and in my opinion, Timothy Dalton was not the best choice for Mr. Rochester. The 1997 version is much quicker than the other versions, but in keeping with the major story plots and with excellent casting choices in terms of primary and secondary characters. The last three versions are very stylistic, with a modern feel and excellent cinematography. I will only mention that the ending in the latest version leaves a little something to be desired, so I would recommend starting with the 1997 version, with Ciaran Hinds in it.

·         Jane Eyre (1983, 1997,2003, 2007 & 2011)

These and other movies make up just a small amount of the movies being made based on famous books. The above is just a small example of some of the amazing movies that are being made based on great English literature. There are so many amazing books and movies out there, I just wish I had the space to name them all!