Based on...
Books and films are two closely-related forms of art and entertainment. Since the science of film was first established in the late 1800s filmmakers have been using it to tell stories, and they soon began utilising the existing narratives and characters of novels. These films have succeeded (or not) to varying degrees in the transition, some accurately portraying the writer's intention, some building on it and some disappointing the original readers. No matter how well the adaptation is done however, it is still nice to be reminded that yes, happily, there is more to read than Harry Potter.
For screen translations of Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie, Stephen King and many other notable authors click their links under this category, left. For adaptations of plays and Shakespeare, use the 'Alice's Playhouse' link.
Right: Kubrick's adaptation of Thackeray's novel 'Barry Lyndon'.
Beau Geste (1982)
8.6/10
Director: Douglas Camfield
Starring: Benedict Taylor, Anthony Calf, Johnathon Morris
Based on the book by Percival Christopher Wren, Beau Geste, tells the tale of three inseparable Geste brothers, Beau, Digby and John who have been ado... Read more
Bee Season (2005)
5.5/10
Director: David Siegel, Scott McGehee
Starring: Richard Gere, Juliette Binoche, Flora Cross, Max Minghella, Kate Bosworth
11-year-old Eliza is invisible to her pre-occupied family. Her parents (Juliette Binoche and Richard Gere) are consumed with work and her brother is... Read more
Behaving Badly (1989)
6.6/10
Director: David Tucker
Starring: Judi Dench, Maurice Denham, Frances Barber, Joely Richardson, Ronald Pickup
Based on Catherine Heath's book, this 1989 four-part mini-series stars Judi Dench as a woman whose life is initially shattered when her husband decide... Read more
Behind the Lines ( Regeneration ) (1997)
7.1/10
Director: Gillies MacKinnon
Starring: Jonathan Pryce, James Wilby, Jonny Lee Miller, Stuart Bunce
A Scottish military hospital in World War I is the setting for this unusual and gripping drama based on Pat Barker's novel 'Regeneration'. Psychiatris... Read more
Being There (1979)
8/10
Director: Hal Ashby
Starring: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Jack Warden, Melvyn Douglas, Richard Dysart, Ri...
Peter Sellers gives the performance of his career as Chance, a middle-aged gardener who's led a sheltered life and whose thoughts and behaviour are to... Read more
Beloved (1998)
5.9/10
Director: Jonathan Demme
Starring: Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, Thandie Newton
Based on the book by Toni Morrison that tells of Seth (Oprah Winfrey), her long lost love reunited (Danny Glover), her daughter Denver (Kimberly Elise... Read more
Ben X (2007)
7.4/10
Director: Nic Balthazar
Starring: Greg Timmermans, Marijke Pinoy, Laura Verlinden, Pol Goossen, Titus De Voogdt
Ben suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a type of autism that makes communicating with people difficult. But in the virtual world of online gaming he re... Read more
Beowulf ( Blu-ray ) (2007)
6.2/10
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright, Brendan Gleeson, Cr...
Director Robert Zemeckis ('The Polar Express') again pushes the boundaries of film animation in this visually stunning take on the oldest of English t... Read more
Beowulf and Grendel (2005)
Director: Sturla Gunnarsson
Starring: Stellan Skarsgard, Gerard Butler, Ingvar Eggert Sigurdsson, Sarah Polley
Adapted from the epic Anglo-Saxon poem, and shot amidst the bleakly stunning vistas of Iceland, this fantasy adventure stars Stellan Skarsgard as a ki... Read more
Beowulf: The Director's Cut (2007)
7.7/10
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, John Malkovich...
Director Robert Zemeckis ('The Polar Express') again pushes the boundaries of film animation in this visually stunning take on the oldest of English t... Read more