10 Kids Movies That Were Better Than the Book
Think the book is always better? Shrek and Bambi say, think again.
by Jeanne Sager
July 7, 2009
7. The Neverending Story
A movie based on a book about a book that takes a kid on an adventure worthy of the movies? If you can follow that, you can follow the story of Bastian's journey to Fantasia and back. This is another case of a book that isn't exactly bad (it has its own cult following), but for kids who grew up fantasizing about their own fluffy, puppy-headed Luck Dragon in the '80s, the movie is still the best option for sharing the story with their kids. The book is just too long, made for reading in installments to younger kids, and its twists and turns are — while fantastical — sometimes hard to follow on the page. The original was written in German, and the English translation can be awkward going. It's also plagued by a moral that does not translate to younger kids; Bastian turns from the fat kid with no friends to a powerful one, but in the book all his changes and all his abilities cannot completely conquer unhappiness. The author (Michael Ende) was so angry at the film that he sued for the production of the movie to be changed, but he lost. Rumor has it another film adaptation is in the works. And that, folks, is why they call it neverending.
8. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Ian Fleming has had his fair share of books loosely adapted for the silver screen ("James Bond" ring any bells?) — the word "loosely" being the operative word when it comes to his children's tale of that marvelous flying machine. Hollywood threw in a love story that's Truly Scrumptious, exing out old Mimsie (the mom, who was very much alive on the page). In doing so, they gave Professor Caracatus Potts, the kooky widower trying to do right for his kids, a higher purpose.
9. Mary Poppins
Julie Andrews made her sweet, but the real Mary was anything but. Strict, vain and kind of cranky, P.L. Travers' carpetbagging nanny was not going to sing out explanations about the world around Jane and Michael Banks (and their twin siblings in the book). This excerpt from the original Poppins book sums her up quite well: "Michael sighed happily. He loved the story and was never tired of hearing it. 'And it's all quite true, isn't it?'' he said, just as he always did. 'No,' said Mary Poppins, who always said 'No.'" Sounds like someone could have used a spoonful of sugar. Author Travers, by the way, hated the movie.
10. Old Yeller
A Newberry Award winner, it's been reprinted and branded as a "perennial classic." In other words, another book that isn't bad . . . Still, we find the heart-wrenching loss of Travis' dog more moving onscreen. Is it the baby face of Kevin Corcoran (the little boy who played the youngest Coates boy in the 1957 Disney film) or the sweet disposition of Tommy Kirk (who played Yeller's bonded-for-life best boy, Travis)? More likely it's Spike, the canine actor who brought to life the joyful friendship of a boy and his dog. He made you believe a mutt could fend off a bear and a bunch of wild hogs to save his family. Spike made us sob hysterical tears when we were kids, and then brought on another gushing river when we sat down as adults to watch it with our own kids.
©2009 Jeanne Sager & Babble Media Inc.
About the Author |
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Jeanne Sager is a freelance writer and photographer living in upstate New York with her husband and daughter, Jillian. She maintains a blog of her award-winning columns at jeannesager.blogspot.com. |
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