Some books are really great as movies, but it takes a great director, an amazing screenwriter and a killer cast to accomplish this. We have already looked at books that should not have been turned into movies, so we figured that now would be a good time to take a look at books that were awesome as films. It is a tough feat to accomplish this, which is why we only have 7 on our list. These films were generally lauded by critics and were hugely successful at the box office. Even better, some of them have actually gone down in history as being some of the best films ever made.
7. Doctor Zhivago
When David Lean’s film adaptation of Doctor Zhivago first came out in 1965, critics were generally disappointed with it, claiming it was too long and it trivialized history. Over time, its reputation has improved greatly. Many now consider it one of Lean’s greatest films and one of the best of the epic genre. Even though critics weren’t impressed with it initially, it was a spectacular box office hit and it went on to win five Academy Awards.
We personally think “Doctor Zhivago” is one of the better film adaptations. The scenery is amazing, especially considering that they weren’t able to do any of the filming in Russia. Lean had to recreate Moscow and its countryside at the time of the Russian Revolution in Spain and Canada. Also, the passionate love affair between Dr. Yuri Zhivago, played by Omar Sharif, and Lara Antipova, played by Julie Christie, is one of for the ages.