20 amazing screen adaptations of your favourite books

The movies and shows that are just as amazing to curl up with as the print version!

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Source: Yellow Bird productions) Source: Yellow Bird

SBS’s latest hit The Family Law, is more than just a hilarious TV show – it’s an adaptation of Benjamin Law’s sharp and witty memoir of the same name.

The Family Law 9SBS) Source: SBS

Watch 'The Family Law' full episodes at SBS On Demand now

Of course though it’s far from the first time that a brilliant book has been brought to life by an incredible on-screen adaptation. Here are 20 of the greatest:

1. Lord of the Rings

Lord of the Rings (Source: New Line Cinema) Source: New Line Cinema

Peter Jackson’s many adaptations of JRR Tolkein’s classic fantasy series The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings were widely acclaimed by fans of the books and newcomers alike and earned him multiple awards and accolades.

Watch The Movie Show review of 'Lord of the Rings: Return of The King'

2. Schindler’s List

Schindler’s List (Source:Universal Pictures) Source: Universal Pictures

While Thomas Keneally’s Booker prize winning novel ‘Schindler’s Ark’ was a masterpiece of it’s own, Spielberg’s screen adaptation brought it to new audiences – and Ralph Fiennes’ portrayal of Amon Goeth will go down as one of the most chilling film villains in history.

Watch an interview with one of the stars, actor Ben Kingsley here

3. Bridget Jones’ Diary

Bridget Jones’ Diary (Source: StudioCanal) Source: Studio Canal

Petite blonde American moviestar Renee Zellweger initially seemed like an odd choice to play the chain-smoking, unlucky-in-love Bridget – but she brought the role to life, birthing many iconic moments that fans would be quoting for years.

Watch The Movie Show review here

4. Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Source: Paramount Pictures) Source: Paramount Pictures

Truman Capote’s famous 1943 novel will always be a classic, but thanks to the 1961 movie, Holly Golightly will forever be remembered as a beehived Audrey Hepburn, peering into the jewellery store, coffee in hand, to the strains of ‘Moon River’.

5. Atonement

Keira Knightley in Atonement (Source: Focus Features) Source: Focus Features

Based on Ian McEwan’s best-selling novel and starring Keira Knightley, James McAvoy and Saoirse Ronan, Atonement proved to be a box office smash hit.

Watch The Movie Show review here

6. The English Patient

The English Patient (Source: Miramax) Source: Miramax Films

Anthony Minghella’s 1995 adaptation of Michael Ondaatje’s Booker prize winning novel was a critically acclaimed success. With an all-star cast including Kristen Scott-Thomas, Juliette Binoche, Ralph Fiennes, Willem Dafoe and Colin Firth, the stunning love story set against the backdrop of Libya and Italy during World War II took home nine Oscars including Best Picture.

Watch The Movie Show review here

7. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Source: Paramount Pictures) Source: Paramount Pictures

Cinema-goers loyalties are often divided between the 1971 and the 2005 adaptations of Roald Dahl’s much beloved children’s novel. The earlier version featured Gene Wilder in a wonderfully weird portrayal of Willy Wonka, while Tim Burton’s more recent adaptation saw Johnny Depp take his normally-quirky persona to new levels of kooky. Both featured stunning production design and music, but many who grew up with the book argue Dahl’s written words will always surpass any screen adaptation.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Source: Warner Bros) Source: Warner Bros.

8. Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption (Source: Columbia Pictures) Source: Columbia Pictures

Adapted from the Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, the tear-jerker set in Shawshank State Penitentiary is frequently mentioned in lists of the greatest movies of all time, despite an initially disappointing performance at the box office. Morgan Freeman’s performance as Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding is frequently cited as his best of all time.

Watch The Movie Show review here

9. The Shining

The Shining (Source: Warner Bros) Source: Warner Bros.

‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ – if that phrase wasn’t creepy enough in Stephen King’s novel, it certainly sent chills down the spine when framed around Jack Nicholson’s incredible performance.

10. A Clockwork Orange

Clockwork Orange (Warner Bros) Source: Warner Bros.

Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Anthony Burgess’s dystopic novel left certain stretching images firmly etched on the brain of viewers in a way that the book alone could not.

Watch The Movie Show review here

11. Brokeback Mountain

Brokeback Mountain (Source: Focus Features) Source: Focus Features

Ang Lee’s moving adaptation of Annie Proulx’s novel was so hauntingly beautiful and Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal’s performances were so profound that it elevated the film beyond just becing known as “that gay cowboy movie”.

Watch The Movie Show review here

12. We Need to Talk about Kevin

We Need to Talk about Kevin (Source: BBC Films) Source: BBC films

Tilda Swinton’s performance in the Lynne Ramsay directed film really brought to life Lionel Shriver’s novel as the mother struggling to come terms with the full horror of what her son has done.

Watch the trailer & interview with Tilda Swinton here

13. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Source: United Artists) Source: United Artists

Milos Forman’s drama set in a mental institution was such a powerful adaptation of Ken Kesey’s novel that it went on to win all five major Academy Awards and is repeatedly included in lists of the best films of all time. Special mention to Louise Fletcher for her malevolent portrayal of the evil Nurse Ratched, which ultimately earned her the Oscar for Best Actress.

14. To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird (Source: Universal Pictures) Source: Universal Pictures

While Harper Lee’s novel has certainly withstood the test of time as a masterpiece in its own right, so too has Gregory Peck’s powerful portrayal of Scout Finch’s moralistic father Atticus in the 1962 film.

15. Bladerunner

Blade Runner (Source: Warner Bros) Source: Warner Bros.

Ridley Scott’s futuristic film noir adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Android’s Dream of Electric Sheep starring Harrison Ford and Sean Young is widely regarded as one of the best science fiction films ever made.

Watch the original Movie Show review here

Watch our interview with original cast member Rutger Hauer, here

16. Trainspotting

Trainspotting (Source: Miramax) Source: Miramax Films

Ewan McGregor was launched onto the international stage for his starring role in Danny Boyle’s gritty adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s witty novel about heroin addiction in 1980s Edinburgh. Stay tuned for the reboot that will reportedly reunite the entire original cast – slated for this year to mark the film’s 20^th anniversary.

Watch our original interview with the cast and crew here

17. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Source: Nordisk Film) Source: Nordisk Film

Steig Larsson’s Swedish ‘Millennium’ book trilogy were a phenomenon in their own right – but it was Noomi Rapace’s ferocious portrayal of butt-kicking moral crusader Lisbeth that stole the show in Niels Arden Oplev original 2009 Swedish adaptation. If you’ve never seen it, be sure to watch now!

Watch the trilogy in full at SBS On Demand here

18. Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now (Source: United Artists) Source: United Artists

Francis Ford Coppola reconceptualised Joseph Conrad’s tale of Colonel Kurtz’s descent into madness in the heart of the African Congo, into the 21^st century, to make a powerful statement about the brutality and futility of the Vietnam War. Also it had a killer soundtrack!

Watch The Movie Show original review here

19. Doctor Zhivago

Doctor Zhivago (Source: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) Source: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

This Russian wartime romance became an instant film classic thanks to amazing performances by Omar Sharif and Julie Christie when adapted from Boris Pasternak’s novel of the same name, and was awarded with five Oscars.

20. No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men (Source: Miramax) Source: Miramax Films

The Coen Brothers’ adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s bleak western marked something of a career highlight for the directorial duo, winning four academy awards and wide critical acclaim – particularly for Javier Bardem and his creepy portrayal of the murderous Anton.

Watch The Movie Show review here

Watch more amazing on screen adaptations of your favourite books with SBS On Demand’s Adored Adaptations series here.

Some of the highlights are below: