Recreation

Books into film and television

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Cadfael: Saint Peter's Fair
From the novel Saint Peter's Fair by Ellis Peters
Cadfael: The Pilgrim of hate
From the novel The Pilgrim of hate by Ellis Peters
The Californians
The 1886 novel by Henry James was filmed back in 1984 by Merchant-Ivory with Christopher Reeve as the Mississippi lawyer and Vanessa Redgrave as the Boston feminist who compete for the heart and mind of a young woman. This new version transfers the setting to California and is about a real estate developer (Noah Wyle) and his environmentalist sister (Illeana Douglas) who compete for the affections of a protest singer (Kate Mara). Cloris Leachman, Keith Carradine and Joanne Whalley are also in the cast.
Read the Book ~ About the Film
Call of the wild
From the 1903 novel Call of the wild by Jack London
Calm at sunset
From the 1989 novel Calm at sunset, calm at dawn by Paul Watkin
Came a hot Friday
From the novel Came a hot Friday by R.H.K. Morrieson
The Camomile lawn
From the 1984 novel The Camomile lawn by Mary Wesley
Candy
The first novel of former heroin user Luke Davies came out in 1997 and became something of a cult novel. It is something of an Australian Trainspotting in its portrait of the drug scene which it describes in disturbing detail. It is narrated in the first person by an unnamed junkie who tells of his doomed love affair with the woman of the title who goes from actress to call girl to street prostitute and then to madness. Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish play the couple with Geoffrey Rush, Noni Hazelhurst and Garry McDonald in the cast.
Read the Book ~ About the Film
Candyman
From the short story The Forbidden by Clive Barker. In Barker's Books of blood Volume 5 and the compilation volume The Unexplained edited by Ric Alexander
The Canterville Ghost
From the short story The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
Cape Fear
From the novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald
Capote
This film, based on Gerald Clarke’s 1988 biography, concerns the American author’s life at the time he was researching his famous book, In cold blood, the account of the appalling murder of a Kansas farming family. The original book has been adapted twice to the screen so the story is already well known. In this film, Capote is played by Philip Seymour Hoffman with the two killers played by Clifton Collins Jr. and Mark Pellegrino. Read the Book ~ About the Film
Captains courageous
From the novel Captains courageous by Rudyard Kipling
Captain's log
Tie-in book by Gavin McLean
Captain Corelli's mandolin
From the 1994 novel Corelli's mandolin by Louis De Bernieres
A Captive in the land
From the 1962 novel A Captive in the land by James Aldridge
Carlito's way
From the 1975 novel Carlito's way by Edwin Torres
Carolina skeletons
From the 1988 novel Carolina skeletons by David Stout
The Carpetbaggers
Based on the novel The Carpetbaggers by Harold Robbins
Carrie (1976)
From the 1977 novel Carrie by Stephen King
Carried away
From the 1976 novel Farmer by Jim Harrison
Carriers
From the novel Carriers by Patrick Lynch
Carrington
From the book Lytton Strachey by Michael Holroyd
Carry on nurse
Based on the 1956 play Ring for Catty by Patrick Cargill and Jack Beale
The caretakers (1963)
From the 1959 novel The caretakers by Dariel Telfer
Casablanca
From a play Everybody comes to Ricks by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison which wasn't produced until the 1990s
A Case of coincidence
From the short story A Case of coincidence by Ruth Rendell which is in her collection The Fever tree
Casino
Based on the book Casino: love and honour in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi
Casino Royale
Loosely based upon Ian Fleming's novel Casino Royale
Cast a giant shadow
From the 1962 autobiography Cast a giant shadow by Ted Berkman
The cat in the hat
The famous Dr. Seuss story comes to the screen inflated and extended as a vehicle for Mike Myers.Read the Book ~ About the Film
Catch me if you can
From the 1980 book Catch me if you can by Frank W. Abagnale
Cats
Televised taping of a stage production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats which was based on T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's book of practical cats
Cat's eye
From the short stories Quitters Inc and The Ledge by Stephen King. In the collection Night shift
The Cat's meow
From a play The Cat's meow first produced 1997 by Steven Peros
Caught
Based on the 1946 novel Wild calendar by Libbie Block
Cavedweller
This is an adaptation of the 1998 novel by Dorothy Allison, author of the award winning and controversial Bastard out of Carolina. It's about a rock singer who returns with her daughter to the Georgia hometown where she'd escaped her abusive husband years back. She'd left two other daughters behind and they are now teenagers and the book details her journey towards some sort of redemption. The film features Kyra Sedgwick in the lead along with Kevin Bacon and Aidan Quinn and it is directed by Lisa Cholodenko who's been responsible for much of Six feet under.
 Read the Book ~ About the Film
The Caveman's valentine
From the 1994 novel The Caveman's valentine by George Dawes Green
The Cazalet chronicles
From the 1990 novel The Light years and the 1991 novel Marking time by Elizabeth Jane Howard
The Celestine prophecy
James Redfield's 1993 book was described by some as a novel and described by others as something else altogether. It became a huge bestseller worldwide and lots of people believed implicitly in this tale of a long lost manuscript being found in a Peruvian rainforest. Thomas Kretschmann, who appeared in The pianist, is playing the main character, a guide and outdoorsman who is also a mystic. Newcomer Sarah Wayne Callies and Jurgen Prochnow also star and it is filmed in Puerto Rico and Florida.
Read the Book ~ About the Film
The Celluloid closet
From the book The Celluloid closet by Vito Russo
The Celts
Tie-in book by Frank Delaney
The Cemetery Club
From the 1987 play The Cemetery Club by Ivan Menchell
Cet amour-la (2001)
From the 1993 (translated) novel Cet amour-la by Yann Andrea
The Chamber
From the novel The Chamber by John Grisham
Changing rooms
Tie-in book by Linda Barker
Chaplin
Based on the book My autobiography by Charlie Chaplin and Chaplin: his life and art by David Robinson
Charade
Based upon the novel Charade by Peter Stone
Character
From the 1938 Dutch novel Karakter by Ferdinand Bordewijk
Charley Moon
From the 1953 novel Charley Moon by Reginald Arkell
Charlie Wilson’s war
George Crile’s 2003 book recounts the story of Wilson's personal journey from the East Texas Bible Belt to Congress, where he became the secret patron of what was then the largest covert operation in C.I.A. history. Aaron Sorkin, playwright and writer of such shows as The West Wing, has done the adaptation and the director is Mike Nichols. Tom Hanks is playing the highly colourful renegade politician with Julia Roberts, Amy Adams, Om Puri and Philip Seymour Hoffman also in the cast.
Read the Book ~ About the Film
Charlie and the chocolate factory
Tim Burton is directing a large scale new version of the classic 1967 novel by Roald Dahl. It was previously adapted in 1971 as Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory with Gene Wilder as the title character. The new version is being filmed in London and Willy Wonka is played by Johnny Depp. Freddie Highmore plays Charlie with Helena Bonham Carter as his mother, James Fox, Noah Taylor, Christopher Lee and veteran Irish comedian David Kelly as Grandpa Joe. Read the Book ~ About the Film
Charlotte Gray
From the 1998 novel Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks
Cover - Charlotte's WebCharlotte's Web
A new movie version of this classic children's book is due out later this year with Julia Roberts voicing Charlotte and Dakota Fanning, Robert Redford, Andre Benjamin and heaps more "names".
Read the book ~ About the Film
Charms for the easy life
From the 1993 novel Charms for the easy life by Kaye Gibbons
Cheaper by the dozen
A remake of a 1950 film which was based on the 1948 book Cheaper by the dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Carey
Cheetah
From the 1970 novel The Cheetahs by Alan Caillou
Cheyenne autumn
From the 1953 novel Cheyenne autumn by Mari Sandoz
Children of a lesser god
From the play Children of a lesser god by Mark Medoff
The children of men
P.D. James fans didn’t like it, in 1992, when their ever reliable favourite detective story writer turned to dystopian science fiction with a story about the world in 2021 where women have lost the ability to conceive and one man is out to protect the only pregnant woman on the planet. The film is directed by Alfonso Cuaron and has Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Charlie Hunnam, Michael Caine (as an aged hippie), Pam Ferris and Danny Huston.
Read the Book ~ About the Film
Children of the dust
From the novel Children of the dust by Clancy Carlile
Children of the marshlands
Based on the novel Les enfants du marais by Georges Montforez
Child's play
From the 1987 novel Child's play by Reginald Hill in the Dalziel and Pascoe series
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
From the novel Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming
Chocolat
From the 1999 novel Chocolat by Joanne Harris
The Choir
Based on the novel The Choir by Joanna Trollope
Chopper
Chopper does not appear to be based on a book but there is an autobiography Chopper: from the inside by Mark Brandon Read
The Christmas box
From the novel The Christmas box by Richard Paul Evans
A Christmas carol
From the novel A Christmas carol by Charles Dickens
The Christmas tree
From the 1996 novel The Christmas tree by Julie Salamon
A Christmas wish
From the 1996 novel A Christmas wish by Richard M. Siddoway
Christmas with the Kranks (was Skipping Christmas)
John Grisham's 2001 novel is a departure from his usual legal thrillers. It's a sentimental tale about Christmas with a man who decides to skip Christmas and go on holiday with his wife. The Christmas spirit, however, asserts itself when his daughter makes a surprise decision to come home for a family Christmas. Read the Book ~ About the Film
Christy
From the novel Christy by Catherine Marshall
The chronicles of Narnia: The lion, the witch and the wardrobe
The biggest film project for New Zealand since Peter Jackson's Tolkien trilogy is being directed by New Zealander Andrew Adamson who made Shrek. The original novel, published in 1950 is the first in the Narnia Chronicles, the story of four children who reach the magic land of Narnia through the back of a wardrobe. Their adventures, leading the golden lion, Aslan in his good versus evil struggle against the White Witch has been filmed as an animated television version but this is the first big screen attempt. The four children are played by young English actors: Georgie Henley, aged 9, as Lucy, Skandar Keyes (12) as Edmund, Anna Popplewell (15) as Sarah, and William Moseley (17) as Peter. Tilda Swinton plays the White Witch, Jim Broadbent is The Professor and James Cosmo is Father Christmas. There are also well known actors voicing.
Read the Book ~ About the Film ~ Narnia backgrounder
Chunuk Bair
Based on the play Once on Chunuk Bair by Maurice Shadbolt
The Cider house rules
From the novel The Cider house rules by John Irving
Cider with Rosie
From the book Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee
The Cinder path
From the 1978 novel The Cinder path by Catherine Cookson
Cindy's diary - breaking the cycle
Tie-in book by Cindy Gibbons
Circle of friends
From the novel Circle of friends by Maeve Binchy
The citadel (1938)
From the 1937 novel The citadel by A. J. Cronin
Citizen X
From the 1993 book The Killer department by Robert Cullen
City of God
From the 1997 novel Cidade de Deus by Paulo Lins
City of Joy
From the book City of Joy by Dominique Lapierre
A Civil action
From the 1995 book A Civil action by Joanthan Harr
Clara's heart
From the novel Clara's heart by Joseph Olshan
Clear and present danger
From the novel Clear and present danger by Tom Clancy
The Client
From the novel The Client by John Grisham
Clockers
From the novel Clockers by Richard Price
The Closer (1990)
Based on the 1976 play The Wheelbarrow closers by Louis la Russo
Closer (2004)
From the 1997 play by Patrick Marber
A Clubbable woman
From the 1970 novel A Clubbable woman by Reginald Hill
Clubbed (2008)
From the 2001 novel Watch my back by Neil Thompson
Coal miner's daughter
From the 1976 book Coal miner's daughter by Loretta Lynn and George Vecsey
Coast to coast (2004)
From the 1998 novel Coast to coast by Frederic Raphael
Cobb
From the 1994 book Cobb: A Biography by Al Stump
Cobra
From the 1978 novel A Running duck (a.k.a. Fair game) by Paula Gosling
Cocoon
From the 1985 novel Cocoon by David Saperstein
Coins in the fountain
From the 1952 novel Coins in the fountain by John H. Secondari
Cold Comfort Farm
From the novel Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
The Cold equations
From a short story The Cold equations by Tom Godwin
Cold dog soup
From the 1985 novel Cold dog soup by Stephen Dobyns
Cold mountain
Charles Frazier's 1997 novel was a bestseller and a lifesaver for its publisher, Atlantic Monthly Press. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize and was a natural for the screen. British director and playwright Anthony Minghella has adapted and directed it, making it on location in North Carolina and Romania. The story concerns a wounded Civil War soldier (Jude Law) making his way back to home and the woman waiting there (Nicole Kidman). Read the Book ~ About the Film
Colditz (2005)
'Inspired by' the 2001 book Colditz: the definitive history by Henry Chancellor
The Colditz story
From the 1952 book The Colditz story by P. R. Reid
The Color Purple
From the novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Colour Blind
From the novel Colour Blind by Catherine Cookson
The Colour of money
From the novel The Colour of money by Walter Tevis
The Comancheros
From the 1952 novel The Comancheros by Paul I. Wellman
The Come On
From the 1953 novel The Come On by Whitman Chambers
The Comedians
From the 1966 novel The Comedians by Graham Greene
The Comedy man
From the 1960 novel The Comedy man by Douglas Hayes
The Comfort of strangers
From the novel The Comfort of strangers by Ian McEwan
Coming home
From the novel Coming home by Rosamunde Pilcher
The Commitments
From the 1987 novel The Commitments by Roddy Doyle
The Company of wolves
From the short story by Angela Carter in her collection The Bloody chamber. The screenplay of the film is in The Curious room
Confessions of a dangerous mind
From the 1984 book Confessions of a dangerous mind by Chuck Barris
Confessions of a teenage drama queen (2004)
From the 1999 novel Confessions of a teenage drama queen by Dyan Sheldon
The Conformist
From the novel The Conformist by Alberto Moravia
Congo
From the 1989 novel Congo by Michael Crichton
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court
From the novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court by Mark Twain
The constant gardener
John Le Carre's 2001 novel is about an English diplomat in Kenya whose wife is murdered after she uncovers a scandal at a pharmaceutical company. The novel is a passionate invective against what pharmaceutical companies get up to in Africa and the film is directed by Fernando Meirelles who showed in his last film, the Brazilian drama City of God, that he wasn't one to softpedal things.
Read the Book ~ About the Film
Constantine (2005)
Based on the "Hellblazer" series of graphic novels by Garth Ennis and Jamie Delano
Contact
From the novel Contact by Carl Sagan
Conquistadors
Tie-in book by Michael Wood
Contempt
From the novel A Ghost at noon by Alberto Moravia
Conviction
From the 1996 book Convicted in the womb by Carl Upchurch
A Cook's tour
Tie-in book by Anthony Bourdain
A Cool dry place
From the 1996 novel Dance real slow by Michael Jaffe
Cool Hand Luke
From the 1965 novel Cool Hand Luke by Donn Pearce
Cop (1988)
From the 1984 novel Blood on the moon by James Ellroy
Cor, blimey
From the play Cleo, camping, Emmanuelle and Dick by Terry Johnson
The Corn is green
From the play The Corn is green by Emlyn Williams
The corporation (2003)
From the 2004 book The corporation: the pathological pursuit of profit and power by Joel Bakan
The Corpse had a familiar face
From the 1987 nonfiction book The Corpse had a familiar face by Edna Buchanan
The Council of Egypt
From the 1968 novel The Council of Egypt by Leonardo Sciascia
The Count of Monte Cristo
From the novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Courage under fire
From the novel Courage under fire by Patrick Sheane Duncan
Cover her face
From the novel Cover her face by P.D. James
Crash
From the novel Crash by J.G. Ballard. Script by David Cronenberg
Crazy in Alabama
From the novel Crazy in Alabama by Mark Childress
Crime and punishment
From the novel Crime and punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Crime of Father Amaro
From the novel The Crime of Father Amaro first translated 1963, by Jose Maria de Eca de Queiros
Crime of the century
From the book The Airman and the carpenter by Ludovic Kennedy
Criss cross
Based on a novella in the 1981 collection Lifetime by Scott Sommer
Crossfire (1947)
From the 1946 novel The brick foxhole by Richard Brooks
Crouching tiger, hidden dragon
From a classic Chinese novel Crouching tiger, hidden dragon by Du Lu Wang
The Crow
From a 1992 graphic novel The Crow by James O'Barr
The Crucible
From the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Cruel doubt
From the book Cruel doubt by Joe McGinniss
Cruel intentions
Based on the French classic Les liaisons dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos
The Cruel sea
From the 1951 novel The Cruel sea by Nicholas Monsarrat
The cruelest day (2003)
From the 1999 book, not translated into English, L'esecuzione by Luciana and Girgio Alpi
Cry the beloved country
From the 1948 novel Cry the beloved country by Alan Paton
Cucina amore
Tie-in book is Nick Stellino's Glorious Italian cookery
Cupid and Cate
From the 1998 novel Cupid and Diana by Christina Bartolomeo
Cyrano de Bergerac
From the play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand