119. Annie Hall
You can divide Hollywood rom-coms into two eras; before and after Annie Hall. The film also marked the arrival of one of America’s most individual artists.
Tag Archives: adaptation
118. Witness
Just how long does it take to write an Oscar-winning screenplay? In the case of Witness, it was 13 years. But how many drafts did it take and how many writers?
113. The Crying Game
Neil Jordan won an Oscar for his script, but only after every studio had turned him down saying his story was uncommercial, offensive and the characters unsympathetic.
108. The Usual Suspects
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was to convince the world he didn’t exist. Is this the greatest heist movie ever made?
107. The Grand Budapest Hotel
Wes Anderson may share his surname with other directors, but there’s no mistaking his films for anybody elses.
104. The Grifters
Based on Jim Thompson’s grimey story about smalltime criminals, Stephen Frears’ film was robbed when it didn’t win a single Oscar from its four nominations.
99. Christopher Nolan’s Mementos
He may make blockbusters, but Christopher Nolan’s tastes lean more to art house cinema. So what are his films really about?
81. Atonement
Ian McEwan’s novel was always going to be a tough nut to crack, but Joe Wright and Christopher Hampton delivered a modern classic of a tragic tale.
67. The Exorcist
Based on a 1971 best-selling novel that was inspired by a real-life case of demonic possession said to have occurred in 1949, is this really the scariest film ever made?
60. Amadeus
When Amadeus was initially released the trailer was given a near saturation run on MTV, presenting the composer as the punk of his day.
58. Jane Austen in Film
Jane Austen’s readers zealously protect her novels from filmmakers. Does their pride prejudice or benefit the films?
55. Brokeback Mountain
How did this film, adapted from Annie Proulx’s acclaimed short story and initially categorized as ‘the gay cowboy’ movie, go on to gross over $180m worldwide?
52. Once Upon a Time in America
Originally intended to run at four and a half hours, Sergio Leone’s gangster epic suffered greatly at the hands of its distributors.
51. The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper’s novel has been adapted to the cinema screen nine times. How does Michael Mann’s version fare?
50. LA Confidential
LA Confidential is adapted from James Ellroy’s highly regarded crime novel that spans seven scandalous years in the life of Los Angeles.
49. The Manchurian Candidate
Half a century old, how well is John Frankenheimer’s adaptation of Richard Condon’s best-selling conspiracy thriller holding up?
48. Don’t Look Now
Alfred Hitchcock was not the only person who could adapt Daphne Du Maurier’s work to the screen. In fact, you could argue Nicolas Roeg did it best.
44. The Princess Bride
The origins of Rob Reiner’s great movie have long been disputed. Here we try to unravel who really wrote the novel on which it is based.
41. Paths of Glory
Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Humphrey Cobb’s novel was not shown in France for three decades and despite the passing years, it still has the power to shock.
40. Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Blake Edwards’ adaptation of Truman Capote’s novella has an enduring appeal but is far removed from its literary source.
36. A Room with a View
James Ivory, Ismail Merchant and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala had been collaborating for decades when, in 1986 they delivered this mini-gem.
31. Double Indemnity
Double Indemnity boasts some pedigree; Billy Wilder directing a script he co-wrote with Raymond Chandler that they adapted from a book by James M. Cain.
30. In the Heat of the Night
In the Heat of the Night was one of the landmark films of late 60s’ Hollywood, confronting head on the bigotry of the Deep South.
26. Black Narcissus
A landmark of British cinema from 1947, this frightening psychological drama involves a group of English nuns living high in the Himalayas.
