(November updates to previous post)
Something about Fall turns my mind to the quiet enjoyment of books read in nooks and an occasional big-screen escapist treat. Here are some adapted-from-books films on the big screen this fall.
View the whole collection of related books in the catalog. Click on movie titles below for trailers and details. Happy viewing!
September
IT (September 8, R): starring Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise the clown; adapted from the novel IT, by Stephen King (Horror).
American Assassin (September 15): starring Dylan O’Brien and Michael Keaton. Adapted from the Mitch Rapp series by Vince Flynn. (Thriller/Espionage/Terrorism)
Stronger (September 22): starring Tatiana Maslany and Jake Gyllenhaal. Adapted from the memoir Stronger, by Jeff Bauman, about his journey of recovery in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon attack.
Victoria and Abdul (September 22): starring Judi Dench, Olivia Williams and Michael Gambon; adapted from Shrabani Basu’s Victoria and Abdul: the true story of the queen’s closest confidante (Nonfiction).
October
The Mountain Between Us (October 6): starring Kate Winslet and Idris Alba. Adapted from the harrowing tale of wilderness survival after a plane crash – The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin (Drama/Adventure).
Goodbye, Christopher Robin (October 13, PG): starring Margot Robbie, Domhnall Gleeson, and Kelly Macdonald. While not an adaptation, this makes the list for its subject matter, about the life of classic children’s author A. A. Milne and his relationship with his son, the real-life Christopher Robin of Winnie the Pooh fame. (Memoir)
The Foreigner (October 13, R): starring Jackie Chan, Katie Leung, and Rufus Jones. From the 1992 novel The Chinaman, by Stephen Leather. (Espionage/Thriller
Wonderstruck (October 20, PG): starring Oakes Fegley, Julianne Moore, and Michelle Williams. Screenplay by Brian Selznik, from his imaginative illustrated novel Wonderstruck. (Fantasy/Historical Fiction)
The Snowman (October 20, R): starring Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Gainsbourg. From the novel The Snowman by the popular Nordic Noir author Jo Nesbø . (Crime Thriller)
Same Kind of Different As Me (October 20, PG-13): starring Renée Zellweger, Jon Voight, and Djimon Hounsou. Adapted from the nonfiction book Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall. (Memoir)
Thank You For Your Service (October 27, R): Drama about the experience of returning war veterans, starring Haley Bennett and Miles Teller. Dramatic treatment of the nonfiction book Thank You for Your Service by David Finkel.
(Harder to find, but worth the effort, is the unrelated documentary by the same name about war veterans by Tom Donohue, available on Amazon Video.)
November
Murder on the Orient Express (November 10): starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Johnny Depp. Check out director Kenneth Branaugh’s approach to bring to life Murder on the Orient Express, the widest-read murder mystery of all time, by Agatha Christie. (Mystery)
Wonder (November 17): starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay as Auggie. From the heartfelt bestselling story Wonder, by R. J. Palacio (Realistic Fiction – Grades 5+).
Molly’s Game (November 22): starring Jessica Chastain, Idris Alba. Adapted from the memoir Molly’s Game: From Hollywood’s Elite to Wall Street’s Billionaire Boy’s Club, My High-Stakes Adventure in the World of Underground Poker. (Memoir)
Call Me By Your Name (November 23, R): starring Armie Hammer, andTimothée Chalamet. Adapted from the novel Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman. (Romance/LGBTQ)
December
Disaster Artist (December 8, R): starring Zac Efron, Alison Brie, and Zoey Deutch. Drama of the true story behind a movie viewed as one of the worst ever made. Chronicled in The disaster artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made by Greg Sestero. (Nonfiction)
November Criminals (December 12, PG-13): starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Ansel Elgort as high school grads seeking to find out who murdered a classmate. Adapted from November Criminals by Sam Munson. (Suspense/Mystery)
Ferdinand (December 15, G): animated feature starring Kate Mackinnon and David Tennant. Based on the classic children’s book The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf.
Jumanji (December 20, PG-13): starring Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan and Kevin Hart. Modern adaptation of the graphic children’s classic Jumanji , by Chris Van Allsburg (Picture Book) and an alternate take on the earlier Robin Williams movie. (DVD)
-Contributed by Diana T.