The husband worked late and I carved out some free time or reward time for activities accomplished so that I could actually watch a movie that I want to watch. Alone. LOVE!
But I wasn’t sure which movie. I thought about asking the Twitterverse but thought that might take too long — or worse, get zero response and so I watched trailers to see which one would choose me. I reviewed all the books I’ve read recently for ideas. These were the ones I ‘researched’: Sister Carrie, Beloved, My Antonia, Possession, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Slaughterhouse Five, and Like Water for Chocolate.
My original intent for weeks has been to watch 
Laurence Olivier and Jennifer Jones in Carrie based on the Theodore Dreiser Sister Carrie novel but … it just didn’t feel right. The winner was Possession starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart. I really loved the book and remember being startled by how much of a thriller AND a romance it was when I had feared it to be academic and dense. I heartily recommend that you not be intimidated by Byatt and read it. And you have my permission to wallow in the lovely odd poems -or- skip them. I think I did both depending on the mood I was when I hit those pages.
The first half of the movie was gorgeous and paced well. 
The second half, or just the third quarter? felt rushed but it was because they were trying to cram a lot into it. The story on screen was exactly like what I remember from the book! So I think it was well done overall; it had flaws that my mind is indecisive how to describe (the tedious bashing of Eckhart’s character being American, the bland turtleneck wardrobe sported by Ms. Paltrow), but I enjoyed it. I would give it 4 slices of pie.
I do wonder if I would not have been impressed if I didn’t already know the story. The ultimate conundrum – it can never be unseen nor redone in the reverse sequence, yaknow? Was the book better? Sure, but I have had enough time pass between the reading and the screening, so all good.
THEN, with time left over, I was able to select another movie to watch! This time, I went with Like Water for Chocolate. SO GOOD. SO GOOD!! Read it, watch it. Big fun.
What movies have you watched recently after reading the book? Which movies are you needing to see?
My list of movies to see next/soon, in addition to the ones listed above and in no particular order, are: Far From the Madding Crowd, The Book Thief, Labor Day (maybe…), Mockingjay, The Yearling (another maybe, even tho I liked the book — I’m not sure I need to see this), Unbroken (maybe really not), Life of Pi, and Divergent… so many more, most likely – oh, The Count of Monte Cristo?! YES. I will be chatting here soon about the book Flowers for Algernon and am now VERY CURIOUS about the film Charly. 
(The first curiosity is why they spelled his name that way?)
I was able to talk the husband into watching Gone Girl a few weeks ago – loved it. I loved the book, too. And a few months prior, I talked him into East of Eden. I say skip it and just read the book.
HHHH
Care's Books and Pie 
Like Water for Chocolate was so much better than the book. In my opinion.
I liked both; maybe equally. Maybe I am in a magnanimous mood.
Perhaps I shall watch Possession before reading and let you know how it turns out…You know, when I find time; it’s been hiding from me.
Sounds good. Check back when it happens. You’ll know how to find me. Probably. Right?
Every movie I’ve watched in the past few weeks has been with Miss H and you can well imagine what a 20-yr-old girl is picking. I’d love to spend a weekend watching book-based movies.
I reread Flowers for Algernon a few years ago and thought “Charly” is spelled that way because writing is so labored and difficult for him (and he can’t spell) at the beginning, before he receives the treatment to make him smarter. I haven’t seen any movies recently that I had read the book first, but I think you would definitely like The Silver Linings Playbook if you haven’t seen it already! (I only saw the movie, and didn’t read the book.)
how funny you mention this movie! I actually saw the movie and have not read the book but my friend kept saying, “the book is different, the book is better!”
You’ve reminded me Possession is still in my TBR stacks. I need to dig it out, I think. I’m not a big movie goer, but I’m thinking about watching the first Avengers movie since I actually went to the movie theatre to watch the second one last weekend. Does that count as a movie based on the book?
Absolutely!