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s weekend saw the release, and box-office success, of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, an animated adaptation of the much-beloved children’s book about precipitation alla Bolognese. You may wonder how they managed an entire feature-length film out of this straightforward and pretty slender storybook. Well, in a way, they didn’t. The filmmakers have padded out the story to include an absent-minded inventor whose experiments lead to the titular weather patterns, his love interest, a perky weather girl, a maniacal machine bent on destruction, and Mr. T as a cop.
Next month we’ll get the arrival of Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are, based on Maurice Sendak’s 1963 classic, in which Jonze and his co-screenwriter, McSweeney’s man Dave Eggers, have similarly fleshed out the original’s sparse plot in order to turn its less than 350 (by my count) words into a staggering work of adapted genius. (Eggers’ own novelized version, The Wild Things, will be released to accompany the film.) It also seems inevitable that there’ll be at least a few changes in Wes Anderson’s slightly-taxidermied take on Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, set for a November release.
Inspired by these substantial acts of adaptation, we’ve compiled some as-of-yet untouched classics of children’s lit that we think might be fun to see on the big screen, with a few necessary adjustments of course.
The Giving Tree: Shel Silverstein’s timeless tale of arboreal largesse relocated to Central Park and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman as the eponymous tree and Abigail Breslin as a neglected Upper East Side child who takes its gifts for granted. It‘s a gut-wrenching, and Oscar-worthy, tale of unrequited love and betrayal, with the greatest performance as an immobile log since Keanu Reeves’ last film.
Sample Dialogue: “All you ever do it take, take, take! What about my feelings? What about my needs?”
Goodnight, Moon: The source material consists nearly exclusively of scenes of a young boy saying goodnight to various things in and around his bedroom. Director Michael Bay hopes to maintain the original’s basic structure while replacing “saying goodnight to” with “exploding into an infernal fireball” and “a young boy” with “Will Smith.” Also, the Moon killed Smith’s family and he’s out for revenge.
Sample Dialogue: “Say goodnight, Moon.” *EXPLOSION*
Green Eggs and Ham: The car of a notoriously irascible food critic (Bradley Cooper) breaks down in a small rural burg while he’s on his way to an awards ceremony in his honor. He soon finds that the only place in town to eat is the local diner, where a quirky fun-loving waitress Samantha Iams (Anna Faris) serves up her famous green eggs and ham along with a side of loveable antics. While he initially declines to try anything but coffee and toast, she refuses to take no for an answer and they both soon realize that the quickest way to a man’s heart really is through his stomach.
Sample Dialogue: “I realized something, Sam. Eggs are a lot like people. They’re fragile and if you’re not careful with them, they can break so easily. I think that’s why I acted like I did. I was afraid of breaking. But not anymore”
Heather Has Two Mommies: Charlize Theron and Kate Winslet play a couple who hope to adopt a young girl named Heather, and who are unwittingly thrust into the limelight when the agency’s denial of their application hits the media. They battle against bigotry and bureaucracy in their fight for the right to start a family of their own.
Sample Dialogue: “No, your Honor, I don’t think it matters one bit whether Heather has a mommy and a daddy or whether Heather has two mommies. Not when there’s love involved.”
What do you guys think? Have any other classics you’d like to see?
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“From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler!” That’s one of my favorite books EVER! Also, get Peter Jackson to direct “The Giver!”
They’ve already made this into a movie . . . it wasn’t bad. sort of.
Best. Idea. Ever. He is perfect for The Giver.
There are two movie versions of From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
One from the 70’s starring Ingrid Bergman called “The Hideaways” (a childhood favorite) and one from the 90’s starring Lauren Bacall with the same title as the book.
Love Jennifer’s suggestion! My son and I recently read the Ghosthunter series by Cornelia Funke — great for a movie or a TV series.
The View from Saturday
The Giving Tree is definitely my first choice. It’s one of the most moving books ever written for children or adults. Other than that, I’d like to see Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day come to life.
Oh! I agree! Alexander needs a movie!
HA! This article tickled me to pieces, especially the dialogue from “Goodnight, Moon” and “Green Eggs and Ham”. Good idea for “The Giver”, Jennifer. Even though I hate this trend of movie-fying books designed for small children with less than 500 words in them, I actually would want to see a movie based on “The Giver”, which I still love to read. I guess that one’s more of a YA book anyway, so they wouldn’t actually have to BS so much of the story.
Also like Jennifer’s suggestion -”From the Mixed Up Files…” would make a wonderful movie. Would also love to see “Tom’s Midnight Garden” on film. I understand there was a previous, little-known version (haven’t seen it) but this great story could support a new one. Also, what about taking some Robert Munsch stories, making them into shorts, and grouping them into a feature-length film? A storybook come to life. I would love to see what Pixar could do with this.
Tim Burton doing the book true justice by adapting “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” That book has been screaming for a true-to-the-original-story treatment for years, but no one seems to want to undertake it because the 1939 film is SO iconic in our culture. But given the recent publication of two stellar graphic-novel treatments (one a translation of an original French masterpiece adaptation), I think the time has finally come. And who better than Burton, especially given the visuals from his forthcoming “Alice in Wonderland”?
oooooooohhhh!! Now that would be awesome!! I would love to see his take on the Wicked Witch and the flying monkeys!!
i agree!! i think that tim burton would do an amazing job with the wizard of oz if it was ever remade. can’t wait to see alice in wonderland!
Why stop there? I’d love to see some of the others Oz books in the series made into films, since I think some of them are even better stories than The Wizard of Oz. Ozma of Oz, The Patchwork Girl of Oz, Glinda of Oz, etc.
I Love You Forever and any of Judy Blume’s books for children or young adults, Superfudge, Are you there God, It’s Me, Margaret.
“I Love You Forever” was my first thought! That book makes me cry. However, I just don’t think you could get enough of a story or an audience for it.
Something by Judy Blue on the big screen would be great! Who hasn’t read one of her books. Some of them have even more the one book in the series too.
Another great author? Enid Blyton (British). I live in Canada, but my grandmother was from England and always used to bring me back her Famous Five series. Anything this late, great author, turned into a film, I would definately go see.
“Wayside School is Falling Down” by Louis Sachar and Adam Mccauley. Quirky characters, a school built sideways (thirty floors with only one classroom per floor) and lots of zany antics to flesh out into a 90 minute film. Emma Thompson could star as Mrs. Jewl and Jason Reitman could direct.
yes!! love the wayside series! and what’s the one about the teacher all the kids hate? also would love to see the velveteen rabbit!
miss nelson is missing is the one i was thinking of! that would be great too.
Norman Juster’s “The Phantom Tollbooth.” That book is the rare combination of allegory, extreme cleverness, and fantastical settings and characters. It was my favorite book as a kid, and still ranks pretty highly all these years later… Tim Burton or Terry Gilliam could do brilliant jobs with it, I think–or, hey–give the rights to the Pixar crew!
“Green Eggs and Ham” would be awesome (as long as they skip Jim Carey this time!)
Meatballs took the main conceit from the book, but also wildly departed; (there’s no ‘inventor’ in the book)…. So it’s nice to have the loose connection, but once Hollywood takes over, it ain’t the same! Still, I think I’d enjoy a “Flat Stanley” film adaptation. Check out my son’s Meatballs review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7z_FoOJgyk
would love to see green eggs and ham! and i agree, i hope they skip jim carrey lol. not a fan of him. the bereinstein(sp?) bears books were great! they’ve already made a tv show from them, but a movie would be interesting. has the tale of peter rabbit been done? would love to see that!!
I once read a story called “The Weaving of A Dream” that I’ve always thought would be made into a movie. Yimou Zhang should be all over that one.
The BFG!
The Big Friendly Giant was done as an animated film. It was great!
the balloon tree-pheobe gilman
trouble with trolls-jan brett
I’d buy a ticket for a Michael Bay production of ‘Goodnight, Moon’.
I’d like a movie of anything by Gordon Korman, specifically, “I Want To Go Home!”. And perhaps a movie combining good ol’ Encyclopedia Brown with that Wikipedia Brown guy on YouTube.
This may be a Canadian thing, but I’d love to see “The Sky is Falling” and its two sequels put on film. They’re not edgy at all, they don’t have any action or adventures you couldn’t have had as an 11 year-old kid, they’re just really nice stories about growing up that I identified with as a girl. And a movie would be able to sell on the novelty of being both filmed AND set in Toronto.
Sideways Stories from Wayside School or Wayside School is Falling Down would definitely be at the top of my list. Although not really considered “classic” yet, I would LOVE to see a big screen adaptation of any Junie B. Jones book. Barbara Park’s Junie B. is a hilarious kindergartener that both kids and grown-ups can love!
Your treatment for “Goodnight Moon” had me laughing pretty loudly.
I would love to see what Pixar could do with some of David Wiesner’s books, like ‘Tuesday’ or ‘Sector 7.’
Oh, “Tuesday” would be an amazing film! As would “Sector 7″. I love Wiesner’s wordless books!
“The Phantom Tollbooth” is still on my keeper shelf all these years later.
Great choice! I’d like to add a favourite children’s book that i send to all little girls: “The Paperbag Princess” by Robert Munch.
Definitely “The Giver,” but I’d be concerned about who they would cast as Jonas (ie. NOT a Jonas brother!)
Any of Judy Blume’s books have great cinematic potential, especially “Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself.”
It’s old, but I would love to see Caddie Woodlawn.
What about The House of the Scorpion directed by Guillermo del Toro. I know that would be a masterpiece!!!!
Terry Pratchett’s The Wee Free Men has been in development hell for years. It’s a wonderfully fun and imaginative book, and first in a trilogy. I would love to see it finally make it to the screen.
That was a great book and if done well would make a fun movie.
I’d love to see Miss Nelson is Missing. Or maybe the Little Old Lady Who Wasn’t Afraid of Anything. Or Corduroy! Frog and Toad? I love children’s books…:)
The Phantom Tollbooth is a great read too. I’m pretty sure they’ve already made at least one animated adaptation.
ANYTHING by Diana Wynne Jones.
oh what about one of aesop’s fables or a nursery rhyme like the old lady who lived in a shoe? those would probably be challenging, but with the right director, it could come out great!
When you turn a children’s book into a movie it turns into a different story. It is not any where near what you loved about the original text. It is now a screen writer’s text. How else can you fill the time take a story that might take you 20 minutes to read to your children and make it last 1 hour and 30 min. The story is lost.
The Phantom Tollbooth, Harold and the Purple Crayon (live action), Caps for Sale, Goodnight Moon, Danny and the Dinosaur, Frog and Toad, the rest of the Narnia books, Guess How Much I Love you.