Movies I Wish Were Books
May 3, 2022 | Dara Marie | @thornfield_laneAs I discussed in my post last Monday (‘Books I Wish Were Adapted’), film and prose are very different mediums with unique storytelling tools. Recently, I’ve noticed a few stories currently in the film medium I believe would lend themselves well to prose.
Here’s a look at some of them:
La La Land (2017)
In this Oscar-Winning film, a struggling actress and jazz artist fall in love while trying to pursue their dreams in Los Angeles.
I cried the first time I saw this. It remains, to this day, one of my mom and I’s favorite movies. It’s artsy and classical while feeling modern. The characters are ordinary and relatable (at least for a writer like me, I related to their insecurities).
Something I loved about this movie was the blend of the character’s fantasies and their reality and in some scenes, it takes a moment to tell which it is. I would love to see this storytelling blend through narrative; how would you juxtapose the two perspectives? How could you keep the artisticness with narrative rather than cinematography?
A Quiet Place (2018)
The premise sets up an interesting challenge: conveying a story with limited dialogue. Well, I should say a challenge for film: a medium that relies heavily on it to progress the plot. Prose, however, is set up to allow an audience inside a character’s head.
My older brother and I love this movie as well as its sequel. He was the first to say he wished it was a book and I immediately realized how right he was. Unlike other horrors, the fantastical monsters aren’t the main focus. It’s not a monster-survival film: it’s a family drama set in a monster apocalypse. See the difference? The story is about the strains put on a family during a unique crisis and the ways they have to move past that to survive together.
There’s already incredible attention to detail in the film that would transfer well to the gothic genre. In a novel version, I would love to explore the character’s minds and get an internal look at their struggles, especially the dad and daughter’s strenuous relationship. I would applaud any writer who could successfully make me feel as physically stressed during the silent birth scene as Emily Blunt managed to.
The Prestige (2006)
When I innocently watched this on a boring night with a family friend, I was not expecting the complex mind-trap I received. It surprised me at every turn and I’ve been wanting to revisit it ever since.
It takes place in 1800s England (one of my favorite settings despite how cliche it may be). After a mistake turns deadly during their duo act, two magicians form a fierce feud that will only end when one is crowned more skilled than the other. The stakes continue to rise until fame is no longer enough: the other has to die.
The setting and premise reminded me a bit of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Despite its popularity, I was disappointed with the novel. I was expecting higher stakes and use of literary foils to contrast the two magicians. If The Prestige was in book form, I think it would target all the pieces I felt were missing from Night Circus.
Inception (2010)
In the near future, monopoly corporations run the economy and use illegal military technology to hack into people’s subconscious and steal information while they dream. One of these skilled ‘extractors’ is hired to do the opposite–plant an idea into someone’s mind rather than steal it. Things go wrong when the team realizes they’re in well over their heads and a simple mistake can mean getting lost in subconsciousness.
This is one of my favorite films. I’ve seen it many times and love it more with each watch. It’s complex, gripping, and utterly mind-blowing at times. As a novel, this would be an exercise in craft: how do you set up this world that is similar and yet so unlike ours? How do you make flipping a city in on itself feel plausible?
But, then again, isn’t that what stories are for: letting us live out impossible things?
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
In this eccentric Baz Luhrmann musical, a secret affair between an English writer and nightclub courtesan in 1890s Paris is threatened by a jealous Duke who’s ready to ruin anything and anyone to get what he wants.
When I first saw it with my freshman roommate, I was so disappointed to find out it wasn’t based on a book.
One of the wildest films I’ve seen, it’s utterly strange at the beginning but gets you to the point of complete and utter emotional devastation at the end. It would be difficult to translate to text but if done correctly, it would be considered a masterpiece of craft. Christian’s innocence and awkwardness would be so fun to read on the page and I would love to dive more into Satine’s backstory. She shows depth with Christian which makes me wonder how she ended up as the club’s leading lady.
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
In a fantasy world, a young princess must find the last surviving dragon and help restore balance before her world is destroyed, but there are those wishing to stop her for personal gain.
I saw this animated film for the first time a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it. I instantly got sucked into the world and fell in love with the characters. It’s by far my favorite new animated Disney of the past few years and I wish it’d been around when I was a young girl.
This film had wonderful character development, opposing character motives, and a unique world: just about everything you need to start a great novel. I would love to explore this through narrative: to hear the scenery described and see the character development first hand. I would especially love to see Namari’s character arc (the best redemption arc since Avatar: The Last Airbender’s Prince Zuko).
What movies would you like to see as books? I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me through thornfield.lane@gmail.com or on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter: @thornfield_lane.
