What should we do next?

[juli17 at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/18/2009 12:38:56 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com writes:

Geoff  (now):
Excuse me? Would you care to quote me a film based supposedly 
on  a book where the story line and the character names have 
been  changed?

I can think of films - the various incarnations of "War of the  Worlds" 
for example where the story line has been completely messed around  
and could have been given a totally different name.... But to revamp  
the whole lot is just pointless in terms of saying that it is based on  
or adapted from. Why bother? Just invent your own  name.





Julie:
The Bourne films come to mind. Yes, the name of the character is the  same
and the very basic set up remains, but after that the books and the films 
diverge almost completely. 
 
In the US film industry there is even a distinction between movies based  
closely
on books ("based on") versus movies where little but the title and few  
character
names come from the original source material in the book  ("inspired by"). 
I'm not
sure if there is some set rule for calling your film "based on" versus  
"inspired by"
but it there is a definite delineation in Hollywood. 
 
The Harry Potter films are most definitely BASED ON the books, as  they
follow the book plots quite closely, even when pertinent moments and  certain
characters or secondary plot threads are deliberately left out in the  name of
brevity. What is actually changed or added--Nigel instead of Colin,  shrunken 
heads, etc--are very minor changes and additions overall. (Consider how  many
things were left out of the film Gone With The Wind, or the fairly  
substantial
differences between the book and movie versions of The Wizard of  Oz, yet 
both of those are very much still based on their source books.)
 
I'd add that the HP books to me are far "meatier" than the film, with  much 
more
plot complexity and character depth (as is usually the case in  comparing the
two mediums, as books can get into characters' minds and present  details not 
possible in a visual medium), and I personally feel I would have missed out  
on a
much richer HP experience if I had only seen the films. But that's just me  
:-)
 
Julie, who also appreciates the feast for the eyes that the films have  given 
me
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