It seems to happen a lot: you read a book, only to be disappointed by the movie. Fortunately, there are more than a few exceptions to the rule.

by Peter Thomas Pontsa

My rule to avoid disappointment is to always see the movie first before reading the book.

In one of the early adaptations of The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, I saw the movie first before I read the book. In this adaptation, there is only one spot where I thought the movie deviated. But good acting by Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall saved the day. I had read the collected works of Raymond Chandler and got a feel for his style, which was reflected in the film.

Another example is Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. It was also recently a movie adaptation. Viewers follow heroine Kya from the marshlands to the trial and her acquittal, only to be surprised by the ending. This time, Hollywood managed to impress many of the book’s readers with their rendition, including myself.

I’ve also read all of Lee Child’s novels. Jack Reacher, Child’s protagonist, is a formidable man. The first movie aired in 2012, written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, was based on the book One Shot. Two movies were made with Tom Cruise. Although I find him a fine actor, especially in the Mission Impossible movies, he is no Jack Reacher, and falls short—pardon the deliberate pun.

The new Jack Reacher series fits the bill. In Lee Child’s novels, Reacher has a large physique and is 6’5″, 210–250 pounds. Alan Ritchson meets the requirements of the television series. Hollywood got it right.

Although I find Tom Cruise a fine actor, he is no Jack Reacher, and falls short—pardon the deliberate pun.

Slow Horses by Mick Herron was turned into a British television series written by Will Smith. I found the book heavy on exposition. The screenwriters upped the witty dialogue to keep the viewers interested. The screenplay writers followed the rule of not boring the audience. They successfully used the tools of the trade to move the story forward and condensed the contents to suit the traditional viewing times for theater or television. The series followed the author’s intent and style faithfully.

Another example is Louise Penny and her Inspector Gamache series of eighteen books. The first books were turned into the Three Pines television series. It was on Prime Video, and in my estimation, it did not do Louise Penny’s books any justice. I was disappointed by the studio’s attempt to translate Louise Penny’s masterful works. For those who read the books, the series wasn’t even close to the original supporting characters. All except the choice of Alfred Molina as Gamache, and perhaps Ruth. As viewers, we all deserve better and so did author Louise Penny.

The bottom line is that film is a different medium entirely and has different requirements to meet. Adaptations are hard to complete faithfully as well. Most novels are usually seventy to eighty thousand words in length, and each word should be impactful and integral to the storyline and the characters. Mastering the individual thoughts of the characters makes the transposition into film daunting. A good screenwriter can compensate for that and transcribe a compelling story that keeps the viewer satisfied while maintaining the integrity of the author’s work.

A good script from a conscientious screenwriter can inspire Hollywood to get it right.

During the years Peter Thomas Pontsa operated his dental supply business, he shared his knowledge by writing dental articles that appeared in many dental journals. He was president of the College of Dental Technologists of Ontario, where he helped develop the quality assurance program, and was an associate publisher for a denturist magazine. Peter is an avid British sports car enthusiast, and while president of the Headwaters British Car Club, he wrote numerous stories about cars in the club’s newsletter, “British Driven.” He spent two seasons racing with Jagged Edgers Motorsports and is a student of tae kwon do, holding a second-degree black belt. He belongs to the Wordsmiths and is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada. Peter lives in Loretto, Ontario, with his wife, Angela, and their orange tabby, Mr. Tee, where he combines his passions, British cars and writing.