Thursday Movie Picks: Adaptations of Classic Literature (No Poem and Play)

Hello, folks! I hope you have your book and film ready because it's Thursday Movie Picks. Thursday Movie Picks is a weekly meme that's hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. Basically, it's a recommendation of three films from a certain theme. Don't worry, every week has a different theme. And as you can see, today's theme is...Adaptation of Classic Literature! Unfortunately, it doesn't include poem and play. Damn it, I really want to include Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind if poem is allowed.

Now, I watch so many films that are adapted from a book, but it's kinda hard to pick exclusively from classic. It's even harder to create a list without Jane Austen's adaptation!

Sense and Sensibility (Ang Lee, 1995)
Based on: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Darn it, Austen! Why can it not end with Colonel and Elinore getting married?! Even the casting is already fit!

I watched Sense and Sensibility when I was about 12 years old. I disliked it. I didn't understand the film and it bored me. Three years later, I watched it again. And...I like it very much. I have to say it's not because intellectual reason or whatever. I don't even know whether S&S can be considered as "feminist" film or not. But I definitely love the actors, the social commentary, the cinematography, and the landscape. It's not as fancy as Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice, which stars Keira Knightley, but Lee's Sense and Sensibility is far from "bad".

The eye candy of this film is the young Kate Winslet. I love the way she expresses Marianne's passion and feeling. The rain scene after Willoughby is done beautifully by her. Winsley doesn't need to cry to let the audiences know how crushed and haunted Marianne is. That doesn't mean Emma Thompson is bad. She's good. She can keep character subtle, but not flat. I also love Alan Rickman as Brandon more than any Snape from Harry Potter series.

But I gotta say that my favorite characters are Mr. Palmer (Hugh Laurie) and Mrs. Palmer (Imelda Staunton). I just love Laurie's reaction everytime his wife opens her mouth, haha.

P.S: So........Prof. Trelawney is Snape's sister-in-law while Umbridge is their acquaintance? Yikes!

Hunchback of Notre Dame (Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise, 1996)

Based on: Huncback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

I haven't watched many "minor" Disney's films. However, I dare to say that Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of Disney's underrated films. It's a bit messy, but it's definitely darker than most of Disney's films. Heck, I think Frodo is a darkest villain of Disney's films, and underrated too. Okay, I said underrated and dark too much in one paragraph.

Easy A (Will Gluck, 2010)

Based on: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

There was a time when a prude disliked Easy A for too much sex. Don't worry, she's not a prude anymore. She also realizes that her first impression on Easy A was incorrect. Indeed, it's a smart and funny satire about society in high school. It shows how much we'll do for "social security" and the blur between rumors and facts. 

I haven't read The Scarlet Letter and I think I won't read it if I have loads of free time. I'm not...interested. I read from some reviews that Easy A isn't exactly an adaptation because the only thing that connects this film with the novel is the "A" symbol. 

P.S:I want to pick "Pride and Prejudice" for this week, but someone already did before me.