The Year’s Most Exciting Film Adaptations

Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn
Perhaps you’ve already enjoyed Ben Affleck’s well-reviewed performance in the twisty screen adaptation of Flynn’s duplicitous thriller. But if you haven’t read the book, you have a real treat in store. However amazed you were when you left the theater, it’s nothing compared to the absolute astonishment (among other feelings) you’ll experience when you turn that fateful final page.

Wild, by Cheryl Strayed
Strayed’s tale of love, loss, addiction, and hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is a very personal one, as deftly portrayed by Reese Witherspoon. To get a full sense of that isolation the author felt on her journey, curl up with the book at home, and hike the trail along with Strayed, one painful step and one well-chosen word at a time.

The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit, and that hobbit might be you if you haven’t yet ventured out from your hermitage to see Peter Jackson’s first two Hobbit movies. But there’s no time like the present (ahead of the third and final film) to read the original, whimsical prelude to The Lord of the Rings. 

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One, by Suzanne Collins
All hail the return of Katniss! In the final installment of Collins’s series (coming to theaters near you in the first of two installments on November 21), District 13—where Katniss and her gang of former tributes, expats, converts, and Gale are holed up—has gone into full rebel mode. There are trust issues all around as the mission to free the other districts progresses. Peeta, who has been tortured by the Capitol, is particularly affected. In the book or on the screen, there’s a lot to unpack before Katniss can pursue her vendetta against President Snow.

Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand
Unbroken is the incredible true story of Olympic distance runner Louis Zamperini, who was captured as a POW during World War II. It’s an almost unbelievable modern-day Odyssey, which begins adrift in the Pacific Ocean and encompasses brutal treatment at the hands of Zamperini’s captors. The Angelina Jolie-directed film adaptation is one of Oscar season’s most anticipated releases. Prepare to enjoy the movie by reading Laura Hillenbrand’s page-turning story of one man’s remarkable resilience.

Big Hero 6 (based on the Marvel comics)
Big Hero 6 is a state-sanctioned superhero squad commissioned by the Japanese government, and their designs are some of the most creative in comics. The Disney film centers around 13-year-old prodigy Hiro Takachiho and his balloonish robot sidekick Baymax, but there are so many other unique characters to explore, including Honey Lemon and her wormhole-ridden purse, and GoGo Tomago, who can transform herself into a high-intensity ball of energy.

Kill the Messenger(based on Dark Alliance, by Gary Webb)
In Dark Alliance, a true account, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb, recounts (and expands on) his investigation into the origins of America’s crack epidemic. What he finds is stunning, and involves the titular dark alliance between a drug ring, street gangs, the CIA, and the Nicaraguan Contras. It’s an explosive scoop, and one that brings down the wrath not only of the involved parties, but of the news media, on Webb and his family. The dextrous film adaptation, Kill the Messenger, stars Jeremy Renner as Webb.

The Best of Me, by Nicholas Sparks
In the latest Sparks book-turned-movie, Amanda and Dawson are two star-crossed high schoolers in love, but the wrong-side-of-the-tracks affair is doomed to end badly. More than 20 years after circumstances push them apart, Amanda and Dawson are brought back to their former small town for the funeral of their mentor and romantic encourager. In fulfilling his final wishes, they grow close once again, but love has never been that simple, and life has a way of interfering.

The Secret Service, by Mark Millar, Dave Gibbons, and Matthew Vaughn
Before Kingsman: The Secret Service arrives on the big screen in February, it is imperative that you plow through this preposterously inventive comic series. As the story starts, Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker himself) has been kidnapped. In fact, there’s been a slew of sci-fi star abductions. An MI6 agent struggles to corral his promising, but troubled nephew. There is a horrific slaughter at a wedding in Hawaii. Through this six-comic compilation, these disparate facts culminate in an over-the-top, fantastically entertaining spectacle. No espionage required.

Inherent Vice, by Thomas Pynchon
Nobody does psychedelia quite like Pynchon, but Paul Thomas Anderson and Joaquin Phoenix haven given it a go with the first-ever filmed adaptation of the reclusive author’s work, meaning you simply must experience the story in both formats. Pynchon ventures into the detective genre with 1960s L.A. private eye Doc Sportello, whose ex-girlfriend washes up on his shore with a bizarro tale about a kidnapping plot against the billionaire she happens to be in love with. Doc quickly becomes trapped in a tangled web of intrigue, and also charged with a murder. It’s important to note at this point that he has an arch-nemesis named Bigfoot Bjornsen, just in case you needed another reason to read.

Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James
You’ve heard all about it. You’ve seen the bestseller lists. You’ve watched the trailer. It’s time. It’s time to join the cultural conversation and read the story of Anastasia Steele’s knicker-fluttering encounters with Christian Grey. You have until February to find out what all the fuss is about before heading to the theaters to enjoy some erotica with your popcorn.
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