30 Day Book Challenge! Day 19: Movin' to Media

Day 19: What is your favorite book turned into a movie?

It is a well-known, universal rule that "movies are never as good as the book." However, while I can not think of a single good book that the movie has done complete justice to, there are some few (a very few) movies which actually improve upon a tale. For example:

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a family-favorite movie in this household. From the excitement of the chase, to the humor of the captain, to the sorrow of death, to the classical music played both in the soundtrack and by the captain and doctor - we love to sit down and watch it together. However, when I found and bought one of the series in a used book shop, I was sadly disappointed. While still hilariously funny in parts, I was saddened by the complete lack of morals Jack Aubry possesses. From the time I was little, mama's number one advice with regards to my literary (or media) diet has been: make sure good is shown as good, and bad is shown as bad. You don't want to train your taste buds to savor ambiguous morality. Unfortunately, while Jack himself is a fine character (at least as far as I got) he views the immoral, sodomite, and homosexual sailors as a nuisance - because he is required to punish or discharge them - rather than a moral wrong. And the author, Patrick O'Brian, talks about it quite frequently, apparently finding it hilarious. I think this is the only book I began that I did not finish - it was in the garbage can after being only a quarter-way through (which bears testimony to how repulsive it was to me - I never throw books away, it's rather too emotional for me usually).

Despite the nasty experience, the movie remains untainted in my mind - Captain Jack Aubry seems such a different character in the movie than the book. He is strong, not in the least ridiculous, brilliant, determined, and certainly does not give the impression of one with compromised morality. Enjoy the movie, avoid the books, and be excited that, for once, there is a movie that actually improves upon the books!

What is your favorite book-turned-movie?