Action! By Ripley Proserpina

Last week, I wrote about movies about writers and writing. It’s hard, I think, to turn a book into a movie. Everyone has a picture of the characters in their head, and it can be a huge disappointment if the actor on stage doesn’t live up to their page equivalent.

Sometimes, though, sometimes? The movies get it right.

Here we go. (I’ve included little youtube snippets for those of you who are interested, and also the links on amazon, to make it easy. Wink.)

Jane Eyre. Most Jane-Eyres-to-screen have mousey, quiet little Janes. But anyone who has read the book knows, Jane Eyre is pretty spicy. She holds her own against Mr. Rochester and when he pushes, she pushes back. There have been multiple Jane Eyre movies, but only one has gotten her right (I almost wrote “write.” HA!). The 2006 BBC version starring Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens stays true to the book. I’ll admit, I prefer Michael Fassbender’s Mr. Rochester (I know, shallow), but Toby Stephens plays him perfectly.

Anne of Green Gables. Anne with an E? Not so much. But the classic Kevin Sullivan film, made on Prince Edward Island, back in the 80s is the best. Hands down. Megan Follows, I don’t care how old she gets, or how many Law and Order episodes she stars in, will always be Anne.

A Room with A View. In the 90s there was this period of time when Helena Bonham Carter was in anything that required an English accent and period dress. E.M. Forster’s book about a young English girl who travels to Italy with her nervous cousin is one of those movies I’ll go back to a thousand times. Or whenever it shows up on Netflix. I adore everything about this. From the Italian countryside, to Daniel Day Lewis, to Bonham Carter’s crazy hair.

There are more… but this is a good start if you’re looking to heat some cider and curl up in a blanket.

And in case there are any filmmakers out there taking requests, here a few books I wouldn’t mind seeing made into films.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (Take Two- the one out there right now sucks).

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspeare.

I’ll promise to buy a ticket, so that’s a guaranteed $12.50.