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Oscar Countdown: The books that became movies

by LisaSteinke 10:17 AM

There are so many reasons why I enjoy watching the Academy Awards and will be watching the 84th annual award show this year. The red carpet (any Brangelina sighting is always good). The comedy (Billy Crystal is a great host). The speeches (some better than others, but that's what fast forward is for). But the #1 reason I love watching the Oscars is probably the same as most, to see who wins the major categories: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Picture and most notably Best Adapted Screenplay. (I always feel bad for that guy who's accepting his visual effects award and the music is playing warning him to cut his speech short!)

I like to read the book, then watch the movie and compare which was better. Almost always, the novel wins (sorry to the wonderful writers that adapt the screenplays--it's nothing personal!). But this year, I think the books shine and so do the movies. What makes a good movie doesn't always make a good book and vice versa. I think there are gems in the screenplays and gems in the novels and if you read and see these movies, you'll get the full-spectrum of entertainment. From The Descendants to Hugo, here are the movies nominated for best adapted screenplay this year. In my opinion, they're all worth reading and seeing.

The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings

(Nominees: Best Picture, Best Actor- George Clooney, Best Director- George Clooney & Best Adapted Screenplay)

Fortunes have changed for the King family, descendants of Hawaiian royalty and one of the state’s largest landowners. Matthew King’s daughters—Scottie, a feisty ten-year-old, and Alex, a seventeen-year-old recovering drug addict—are out of control, and their charismatic, thrill-seeking mother, Joanie, lies in a coma after a boat-racing accident. She will soon be taken off life support. As Matt gathers his wife’s friends and family to say their final goodbyes, a difficult situation is made worse by the sudden discovery that there’s one person who hasn’t been told: the man with whom Joanie had been having an affair. Forced to examine what they owe not only to the living but to the dead, Matt, Scottie, and Alex take to the road to find Joanie’s lover, on a memorable journey that leads to unforeseen humor, growth, and profound revelations.

The Descendants has not yet been released as a DVD, but you can buy the original motion picture soundtrack here.

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis (Moneyball)

(Nominees: Best Picture, Best Actor- Brad Pitt & Best Supporting Actor- Jonah Hill & Best Adapted Screenplay)

The Oakland Athletics have a secret: a winning baseball team is made, not bought.In major league baseball the biggest wallet is supposed to win: rich teams spend four times as much on talent as poor teams. But over the past four years, the Oakland Athletics, a major league team with a minor league payroll, have had one of the best records. Last year their superstar, Jason Giambi, went to the superrich Yankees. It hasn't made any difference to Oakland: their fabulous season included an American League record for consecutive victories. Billy Beane, general manager of the Athletics, is putting into practice on the field revolutionary principles garnered from geek statisticians and college professors. Michael Lewis's brilliant, irreverent reporting takes us from the dugouts and locker rooms-where coaches and players struggle to unlearn most of what they know about pitching and hitting-to the boardrooms, where we meet owners who begin to look like fools at the poker table, spending enormous sums without a clue what they are doing. Combine money, science, entertainment, and egos, and you have a story that Michael Lewis is magnificently suited to tell.

Buy The Moneyball DVD here.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik (Hugo)

(Nominees: Best Picture, Best Director- Martin Scorsese, Cinematograpy, Art Direction & Best Adapted Screenplay)

ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

Buy the Hugo DVD here.

Honorable mention:

One of my favorite novels of 2011, The Help (Movie Tie-In) by Kathryn Stockett wasn't nominated for best adapted screenplay (and I personally feel the book was MUCH better anyway), but it was nominated for Best Picture! And three actresses in the film were recognized for their powerful performances: Viola Davis (best actress), Octavia Spencer (best supporting actress) and Jessica Chastain (best supporting actress). If you're on of the last people to read this book (it's been on the NYT bestseller list forever) do so immediately! And if you haven't yet seen the movie, put it on your list too! Both the novel and the flick are well worth it!

Buy The Help DVD here.

Other nominees that are based on books:

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Movie Tie-in Edition) (Best Picture & Best Supporting Actor- Max von Sydow), War Horse (Best Picture, Cinematography & Art Direction), Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Best Actor- Gary Oldman), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Trilogy Series #1) (Best Actress- Rooney Mara & Cinematography) and Albert Nobbs (Best Actress- Glenn Close & Best Supporting Actress- Janet McNeer).

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Oscar Countdown: The books that became movies