books made into movies.... in a good way!
by izzicreo | created - 21 Oct 2011 | updated - 08 Feb 2021 | PublicLet`s be honest.... there are good ways to bring a book on the big screen but mostly filmmakers are walking down a very, very bad way! Within this list I picked out some well done adaptions. By the way, I read every book and watched every movie on this list!
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Approved | 129 min | Crime, Drama
Atticus Finch, a widowed lawyer in Depression-era Alabama, defends a Black man against an undeserved rape charge, and tries to educate his young children against prejudice.
Director: Robert Mulligan | Stars: Gregory Peck, John Megna, Frank Overton, Rosemary Murphy
Votes: 332,607
My favourite scene: when the girl is dressed like a ham.
2. The Green Mile (1999)
R | 189 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
A tale set on death row, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the lead guard, Paul Edgecombe, recognizes John's gift, he tries to help stave off the condemned man's execution.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt
Votes: 1,405,406 | Gross: $136.80M
3. Stand by Me (1986)
R | 89 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A writer recounts a childhood journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell
Votes: 441,065 | Gross: $52.29M
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
PG-13 | 178 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean
Votes: 2,004,601 | Gross: $315.54M
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
PG-13 | 179 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom
Votes: 1,781,671 | Gross: $342.55M
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
PG-13 | 201 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom
Votes: 1,976,746 | Gross: $377.85M
7. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
R | 142 min | Drama
Over the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
Votes: 2,884,854 | Gross: $28.34M
8. Pippi Longstocking (1969)
G | 99 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Pippi Longstocking, a super-strong redheaded little girl, moves into her father's house Villa Villekulla, and has adventures with her next-door neighbors Tommy and Annika in this compilation film of the classic European TV series.
Director: Olle Hellbom | Stars: Inger Nilsson, Maria Persson, Pär Sundberg, Margot Trooger
Votes: 5,328
9. Pippi Goes on Board (1969)
G | 83 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
The further adventures of super-strong girl Pippi Longstocking and her friends Tommy and Annika in this sequel compilation film of the classic Swedish TV series.
Director: Olle Hellbom | Stars: Inger Nilsson, Maria Persson, Pär Sundberg, Margot Trooger
Votes: 3,019
10. Pippi on the Run (1970)
G | 94 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Fed up with their strict parents, Tommy and Annika run away from home, with their friend Pippi Longstocking to look after them in their long trek.
Director: Olle Hellbom | Stars: Inger Nilsson, Maria Persson, Pär Sundberg, Hans Alfredson
Votes: 4,040
11. Pippi in the South Seas (1970)
G | 86 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
With the help of her friends Tommy and Annika, Pippi Longstocking ventures to the South Pacific island Porto Piluse to rescue her father, who was captured by ruthless pirates.
Director: Olle Hellbom | Stars: Inger Nilsson, Maria Persson, Pär Sundberg, Beppe Wolgers
Votes: 5,569
12. Momo (1986)
101 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
In the village of Momo the pace of time goes very slowly. Nobody is bothering about stress but everyone has time to chat and rest - until the day the grey men arrive. With a great selling ... See full summary »
Director: Johannes Schaaf | Stars: Radost Bokel, Mario Adorf, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Sylvester Groth
Votes: 2,082
13. The Joy Luck Club (1993)
R | 139 min | Drama
The life histories of four East Asian women and their daughters reflect and guide each other.
Director: Wayne Wang | Stars: Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao, Kieu Chinh, Tsai Chin
Votes: 18,219 | Gross: $32.86M
14. Bonjour Tristesse (1958)
Not Rated | 94 min | Drama, Romance
Spoiled Cecile, 17, spends her summer at the French Riviera with her rich, widower, playboy dad and Elsa. Anne, her late mom's friend, visits and brings changes to all.
Director: Otto Preminger | Stars: Jean Seberg, David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Mylène Demongeot
Votes: 5,575
15. The Secret Garden (1993)
G | 101 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy
A young, recently-orphaned girl is sent to England after living in India all of her life. Once there, she begins to explore her new, seemingly-isolated surroundings, and its secrets.
Director: Agnieszka Holland | Stars: Kate Maberly, Maggie Smith, Heydon Prowse, Andrew Knott
Votes: 44,426 | Gross: $31.18M
16. Silence Like Glass (1989)
R | 102 min | Drama
A ballet dancer is affected with cancer.
Director: Carl Schenkel | Stars: Jami Gertz, Martha Plimpton, George Peppard, Bruce Payne
Votes: 408
17. The Help (2011)
PG-13 | 146 min | Drama
An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.
Director: Tate Taylor | Stars: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard
Votes: 492,111 | Gross: $169.71M
18. It (1990)
TV-14 | 96 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
In 1960, seven pre-teen outcasts fight an evil demon who poses as a child-killing clown. Thirty years later, they reunite to stop the demon once and for all when it returns to their hometown.
Stars: Richard Thomas, Tim Reid, Annette O'Toole, Harry Anderson
Votes: 140,745
19. American Psycho (2000)
R | 102 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
A wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.
Director: Mary Harron | Stars: Christian Bale, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Bill Sage
Votes: 713,970 | Gross: $15.07M
20. Anne of Green Gables (1985)
TV-G | 100 min | Drama, Family
An orphan girl, sent to an elderly brother and sister by mistake, charms her new home and community with her fiery spirit and imagination.
Stars: Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst, Richard Farnsworth, Patricia Hamilton
Votes: 22,630
21. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
PG-13 | 129 min | Adventure, Drama, Mystery
A nine-year-old amateur inventor, Francophile, and pacifist searches New York City for the lock that matches a mysterious key left behind by his father, who died in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
Director: Stephen Daldry | Stars: Thomas Horn, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Max von Sydow
Votes: 105,132 | Gross: $31.85M
22. Blade Runner (1982)
R | 117 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos
Votes: 822,219 | Gross: $32.87M
23. The Door in the Floor (2004)
R | 111 min | Comedy, Drama
A writer's young assistant becomes both pawn and catalyst in his boss's disintegrating household.
Director: Tod Williams | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Kim Basinger, Jon Foster, Elle Fanning
Votes: 16,184 | Gross: $3.84M
24. Tim (1979)
Not Rated | 109 min | Drama, Romance
A somewhat mentally handicapped 20-year-old man works as a laborer, but everyone abuses his naiveté. A nice 40-year-old American woman hires him one day and they become close. However, the town and his family see her as predatory.
Director: Michael Pate | Stars: Piper Laurie, Mel Gibson, Alwyn Kurts, Pat Evison
Votes: 3,683
25. Betty Blue (1986)
Unrated | 119 min | Drama, Romance
A lackadaisical handyman and aspiring novelist tries to support his younger girlfriend as she slowly succumbs to madness.
Director: Jean-Jacques Beineix | Stars: Jean-Hugues Anglade, Béatrice Dalle, Gérard Darmon, Consuelo De Haviland
Votes: 23,327 | Gross: $2.00M
26. It Happened in Broad Daylight (1958)
97 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Having doubts about the guilt of the obvious suspect in the murder of an eight year old girl, a police detective decides to investigate the case on his own.
Director: Ladislao Vajda | Stars: Heinz Rühmann, Sigfrit Steiner, Siegfried Lowitz, Michel Simon
Votes: 5,577
27. Lord of the Flies (1990)
R | 90 min | Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Stranded on an island, a group of schoolboys degenerate into savagery.
Director: Harry Hook | Stars: Balthazar Getty, Chris Furrh, Danuel Pipoly, James Badge Dale
Votes: 33,573 | Gross: $13.99M
28. Harold and Maude (1971)
PG | 91 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Young, rich, and obsessed with death, Harold finds himself changed forever when he meets lively septuagenarian Maude at a funeral.
Director: Hal Ashby | Stars: Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, Vivian Pickles, Cyril Cusack
Votes: 81,788
29. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others' wishes.
Directors: Victor Fleming, King Vidor | Stars: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr
Votes: 428,200 | Gross: $2.08M
30. I Am Legend (2007)
PG-13 | 101 min | Action, Drama, Horror
Years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure.
Director: Francis Lawrence | Stars: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson-Whitfield
Votes: 813,216 | Gross: $256.39M
31. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
R | 152 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A journalist is aided by a young female hacker in his search for the killer of a woman who has been dead for forty years.
Director: Niels Arden Oplev | Stars: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Ewa Fröling, Lena Endre
Votes: 223,242 | Gross: $10.10M
32. The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009)
R | 129 min | Action, Crime, Drama
As computer hacker Lisbeth and journalist Mikael investigate a sex-trafficking ring, Lisbeth is accused of three murders, causing her to go on the run while Mikael works to clear her name.
Director: Daniel Alfredson | Stars: Noomi Rapace, Michael Nyqvist, Lena Endre, Peter Andersson
Votes: 98,458 | Gross: $9.08M
33. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2009)
R | 147 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Lisbeth is recovering in a hospital and awaiting trial for three murders when she is released. Mikael must prove her innocence, but Lisbeth must be willing to share the details of her sordid experiences with the court.
Director: Daniel Alfredson | Stars: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Lena Endre, Annika Hallin
Votes: 74,512 | Gross: $5.43M
34. A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
PG | 108 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
When a massive fire kills their parents, three children are delivered to the custody of cousin and stage actor Count Olaf, who is secretly plotting to steal their parents' vast fortune.
Director: Brad Silberling | Stars: Jim Carrey, Jude Law, Meryl Streep, Liam Aiken
Votes: 220,939 | Gross: $118.63M
35. Fight Club (1999)
R | 139 min | Drama
An insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Meat Loaf, Zach Grenier
Votes: 2,320,026 | Gross: $37.03M
36. Into the Wild (2007)
R | 148 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.
Director: Sean Penn | Stars: Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, Marcia Gay Harden
Votes: 657,523 | Gross: $18.35M
37. The Beach (I) (2000)
R | 119 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
On vacation in Thailand, Richard sets out for an island rumored to be a solitary beach paradise.
Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tilda Swinton, Daniel York, Patcharawan Patarakijjanon
Votes: 253,494 | Gross: $39.79M
38. The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
PG-13 | 135 min | Drama, Romance
Photographer Robert Kincaid wanders into the life of housewife Francesca Johnson for four days in the 1960s.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep, Annie Corley, Victor Slezak
Votes: 88,794 | Gross: $71.52M
39. The Road (I) (2009)
R | 111 min | Drama, Thriller
In a dangerous post-apocalyptic world, an ailing father defends his son as they slowly travel to the sea.
Director: John Hillcoat | Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Robert Duvall
Votes: 253,952 | Gross: $0.06M
40. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
G | 75 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Alice stumbles into the world of Wonderland. Will she get home? Not if the Queen of Hearts has her way.
Directors: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Jack Kinney | Stars: Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn, Sterling Holloway
Votes: 153,847 | Gross: $1.07M
41. The Virgin Suicides (1999)
R | 97 min | Drama, Romance
A group of male friends become obsessed with five mysterious sisters who are sheltered by their strict, religious parents in suburban Detroit in the mid 1970s.
Director: Sofia Coppola | Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, James Woods, Kathleen Turner
Votes: 168,980 | Gross: $4.86M
42. Cloud Atlas (2012)
R | 172 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.
Directors: Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski | Stars: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving
Votes: 374,180 | Gross: $27.11M
43. The Wall (2012)
Not Rated | 108 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A woman finds herself inexplicably cut off from all human contact when an invisible, unyielding wall suddenly surrounds the landscape.
Director: Julian Pölsler | Stars: Martina Gedeck, Luchs von Kyffhäuserbach, Karlheinz Hackl, Ulrike Beimpold
Votes: 7,135 | Gross: $0.04M
44. Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer (1977– )
113 min | Family, Fantasy
Locomotive driver Lukas lives on the small island of Lummerland with his steam locomotive Emma.
Stars: Sepp Wäsche, Manfred Jenning, Winfried Küppers, Gerhard Jentsch
Votes: 632
45. The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
PG-13 | 126 min | Drama, Romance
Hazel and Gus are teenagers who meet at a cancer support group and fall in love. They both share the same acerbic wit and a love of books, especially "An Imperial Affliction", so they embark on a journey to visit an author in Amsterdam.
Director: Josh Boone | Stars: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern
Votes: 400,822 | Gross: $124.87M
46. Elle (I) (2016)
R | 130 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A successful businesswoman gets caught up in a game of cat and mouse as she tracks down the unknown man who raped her.
Director: Paul Verhoeven | Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Charles Berling
Votes: 71,103
47. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Passed | 129 min | Drama
An Oklahoma family, driven off their farm by the poverty and hopelessness of the Dust Bowl, joins the westward migration to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression.
Director: John Ford | Stars: Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Charley Grapewin
Votes: 99,867 | Gross: $0.06M
Tell Your Friends