Summer Fun- Alpha Nu's 10 Best Film Adaptations from Literature

by Ellie Francis Douglass
Associate Student Representative for the Southwestern Region, 2010-2011

These are ten of the films that the Alpha Nu Lambda chapter deemed to be the best ever made. There order is random (it is too hard to pick between them).

1. Everything is Illuminated- “Although the movie only covers about one-third of the book, it really captures the spirit of it.” –Gloria Adams-Hanley

2. Pride and Prejudice- We are talking about the long BBC version with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy of course. If you haven’t seen it, it is far worth the five hours.

3. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest- “This film approaches the story in a different way. It is more subtle than the book, but still great.” –Jake Ryan McCoy

4. Fight Club- “A really good adaptation of the events in the book.”-Nicole Wolt

5. A Streetcar Named Desire- Marlon Brando screaming “Stella!” from the bottom of the staircase was enough to make this a great film, but on top of that everyone else in the film does a knock-out performance.

6. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy- These films are not only well casted and beautifully shot, they have amazing special effects and keep you at the edge of your seat for hours on end.

7. Macbeth- Roman Polanski really took advantage of this amazing play when he directed his film. The characters, the danger, and the tension in this movie are amazing authentic.

8. The Glass Menagerie- “The performances are very strong.” –Gloria Adams-Hanley

9. Sense and Sensibility- Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson are rock star actresses; getting them together in this film was ingenious. Also, possibly the best romantic comedy that Hugh Grant has ever made.

10. Hamlet- Kenneth Branagh never fails in his Shakespeare films but he takes it to the next level in this full-length version of one of the world’s most beloved plays. He is amazingly convincing as young Hamlet, and Kate Winslet breaks your heart as Ophelia with one of the best mental breakdown scenes ever.


Well, what do you think? What films do you think should make this list?