On Saturday, my non-Valentine self went to the movies with my dad to see Wuthering Heights, the movie that seems to be the talk of the town because of its controversial casting and styling decisions. For anyone who doesn’t know, Wuthering Heights is an 1847 Emily Bronte novel that is beloved by many, known for the dark and twisted romance at its center. It is now transformed into a movie, directed by Emerald Fennell and starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. I had seen the movie trailer many times due to the Charli XCX song in the background, a unique rendition of her song Everything is romantic that can’t be found on any streaming platforms. I was excited to watch the film, but didn’t really know what to expect. I’d never read the novel and had only heard negative things from book fans. Still, I went in with an open mind, eager to watch a high quality romance. 

And when I stepped out of the theater, the only word I could use to describe the movie was “crazy”. It was truly a bizarre movie; my eyes almost couldn’t keep up with the dazzling shots flashing across the screen. There were some beautiful parts, disgusting parts, awkward parts (considering I was literally sitting next to my father), and tragic parts. The story is to its core a tragedy, with themes of class division and obsession. That, plus the fact that the movie was directed by the woman who created Saltburn, made for a crazy film. 

When I got home, my FYP was flooded with hatred for the film, with Wuthering Heights (book version) superfans describing all of the horrible casting decisions, wild modern costuming, and confusing themes. Some of the reasoning is valid, some of it is a little irritating, but I understand. If a huge studio made my favorite book into a major movie that would reach more people than the book ever would, and it was bad or inaccurate, I would be pretty mad too. 

So why don’t we shift away from the unfortunate, not-great adaptations and take a look behind us at some of the best book-to-screen transformations I know!

When I think of the best book to movie adaptations of all time, the one that immediately comes to mind is one of my favorite books AND one of my favorite movies; Gone With The Wind. You might recognize the name; Gone With The Wind is a classic, published in 1936 by Margaret Mitchell. It tells the story of Scarlett O’Hara, a Southern belle, through the Civil War and Reconstruction Era. (Because of this, there are extremely unfortunate racial stereotypes and horrible portrayal of African-Americans. It romanticizes the Old South and that controversy carries into the movie as well. When the film swept the Academy Awards in 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to win an Academy Award – Best Supporting Actress. But she couldn’t even sit with the rest of the cast, and was instead forced to sit in the segregated area. These aspects of the book and film are important to keep us mind, and important to not skip over. The book must be recognized for its cruelty as well as its beauty.) It is one of the most epic love stories of all time, but I wouldn’t classify it as a romance as much as a sprawling story of one woman’s life over decades. 

The book and the film are equally incredible, romantic, and tragic. Both of the bodies of work that came out of Margaret Mitchell’s story are individually one of the best books I’ve ever read and one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. So what makes it so good? What did the directors do so well to make a good book adaption? 

Firstly – casting. The casting for Gone With the Wind is PERFECT. Vivian Leigh is actually British, but she played the spoiled Southern belle perfectly. And Clarke Gable as the roguish knave? Spot on! And Hattie McDaniel and Olivia de Havilland bring their characters to life on the screen. 

Second – they don’t change anything. The story follows exactly as the book does. The only change is that Vivian Leigh has blue-gray eyes instead of emerald green.

But perhaps the most important thing – I do not view the book and the movie as two separate entities. They have merged into one story in my head. Many Wuthering Heights readers said that to enjoy the movie, they had to think of the film as a separate thing from the book. That is the mark of a bad adaptation! The film and the book should feel like the same thing. That is my rule of thumb when approaching this subject. 

Also, fun fact – the Wuthering Heights movie poster is a direct reference to the famous Gone With The Wind movie poster!

The second best book to movie adaptation that I myself can think of is the Harry Potter saga. My reasoning is the same as above; the casting is perfect, the changes minimal, and the stories synonymous. 

Those are the ones that come to mind in my personal headspace. But what about you? Are there any movies made from your favorite books that are perfect adaptations? Any that made your blood boil? It’s a fun topic, because there are lots of opinions on what makes a good adaptation! What might be perfect to me could be horrendous to you. (For example, the Twilight movies are not the best adaptations. They aren’t horrible – the casting is pretty good and the story the same – but as an avid Twilight BOOK stan I can’t help but think they butchered Bella’s character. Hot take! I still love the movies, but get a little annoyed at some of the director’s choices.)

Let us know some of your hot takes! And the next time your favorite book is announced for production…brace for impact!