Movies That Represent The Book Well

One of the things the producers of the upcoming Carrie movie have emphasized is that they are not so much remaking the original Carrie as they are doing a new interpretation of the book itself.  Some movies don't do much more than offer a title similar to the book, while others hold tight to the characters, tone and themes we've came to love as readers.

A really good movie will  make you want to read the book.  (With the exception, for me at least, of Les Miserables.)

Here are some King movies that represented the book well:

• The Mist
• Cujo
• Pet Sematary
• Shawshank Redemption
• The Stand
• The Green Mile
• Stand By Me
• Secret Window 
• Salem's Lot
• Dolores Claiborne
• The Dark Half
• Misery
• The Dead Zone

A couple of these on the list might need a defense.  I thought Salem's Lot (the original mini-series) was scary and pretty true to the tone of the  book.  I thought the screen adaptation of Secret Window actually made great improvements on the plot and structure of the story itself.  It was better on film than was my reading experience.  

I think The Stand gave the movie a good representation.  The plot was largely intact, and the characters similar to what I imagined.  With the strong exception of  Franny!  I would love to see a theater version of The Stand, but that in no way detracts from the excellent mini-series directed by Mick Garris. 

Neither version of The Shining captured the sense of the novel, either in intensity or sheer spookiness.  I think King was right to say that the Kubrick version wasn't "His (King's)" story; however, the King version also failed to quite capture the magic the book possessed.  

Some movies actually detract from the book, making you think, "I have no desire to spend another moment in this creation!"  Thinner comes to mind.  Often King's longer works do not translate well to film.  IT was a wonderful try, but it fizzled when we actually came to the crucial scenes.  I loved  the scenes with the kids -- but the adults were unconvincing.  I think the scene with Bev and Pennywise is brilliant.  

I really wanted to like Firestarter.  Many of the scenes from the book are in the movie.  However, it just  doesn't feel like it's the same story.  Same is true of Christine -- which I really want to like.  I think I have a love hate relationship with the film.  It should be awesome, but it's just okay.  Sometimes okay is just fine.  Still, the book was great, and the film isn't.  

Some movies involve such deep changes that they have little in common with the book itself.  Such is the case with Needful Things, Children of the Corn, Lawnmower Man, Dream-catcher   

Erik Lundegaard at MSN writes, "Any time Stephen King's name is above the title, like "Stephen King's Silver Bullet"? Well, that's not a movie you're going to hear about at Oscar time." (movies.msn.com)

And some projects aren't based on a book.  Aren't you glad there's no Sleepwalkers to feel guilty about not reading? 

I know there's a lot I left out, so tell me what  movies made you want to read the book -- and which ones would cause you to keep those books crisp, clean and unread.