Books on Film: January/February 2003
by Andrew Duncan

Is there an original screenplay out there? Presumably, but with the number of books being turned into films, one has to wonder. Even more compelling, however, is the related question (a modern variation of the age-old chicken/egg conundrum) of which is better: the movie or the book?

This probably explains why you've come to the "Books on Film" section of our site, where you'll always find a running list of current and upcoming films successfully -- or unsuccessfully -- adapted from their original source. Below, you'll find a selection of titles that served as said sources for the flicks that will be playing throughout the rest of this year at a theater near you!

The early months of the year are usually considered a dumping ground for the films Hollywood doesn't know what to do with. But it's also the time of year when smaller and more prestigious films are pushed into wide release after qualifying for the Academy Awards. And, as always, there are plenty of book adaptations!

(Psst...we always think the book is better.)

The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man’s Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945
By Wladyslaw Szpilman
When the Nazis invaded Warsaw in 1939, Szpilman was a promising young pianist working for Polish radio. During the consequent German occupation, Szpilman and his family were loaded onto a transport bound for a nearby internment camp -- but Szpilman stealthily avoided deportation. After eluding the Germans, he went into hiding amidst the brutal misery of the Warsaw ghetto. In this terse, tense, and unsentimental memoir, Szpilman vividly relates the incredible tale of how he managed to survive the war. Director Roman Polanski won the Cannes Film Festival’s prestigious Palme D’Or for this film, which stars Adrien Brody and Thomas Kretschmann.
In theaters now!

How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days: The Universal Don’ts of Dating
By Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long
There are plenty of books available that offer advice on how to sustain a healthy relationship, but the hysterical and clever How To Lose a Guy takes the far more entertaining route by explaining what NOT to do. Alexander and Long energetically play everything for laughs, but the dirty secret is their book contains thoughtful, common-sense guidance. Who knows how they’re going to make a movie out of an advice book, but the Donald Petrie-directed “How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days” stars Matthew McConaughey as a ladies' man who bets his friends that he can stay in a relationship for more than 10 days. Kate Hudson plays his potential girlfriend. Hijinks ensue.
Opens February 7!

Daredevil
By Stan Lee, Illustrated by Wallace Wood, John Romita, and Gene Colan
As a child, the mild-mannered Matt Murdock is accidentally doused with a mysterious radioactive isotope while saving a pedestrian from being hit by a truck. Everyone thinks Matt goes blind from the radiation, when in fact all of his senses become super-enhanced! Years later, Matt’s a famous attorney with a booming practice. But when the sun goes down, he dons a red costume and roams the night fighting evil as his crime fighting alter ego: Daredevil! The first volume of the Essential Daredevil collects the first 25 rollicking, action-packed issues of the ground-breaking comic book series. Ben Affleck plays the silver-screen version of the hero. Other cast members include Jennifer Garner as Matt Murdock’s love interest, and Michael Clarke Duncan as Daredevil’s nemesis, The Kingpin.
Opens Februrary 14!

The Jungle Book
By Rudyard Kipling
Kipling’s classic tale gets the sequel treatment in February with the release of Disney’s inexplicable "Jungle Book 2." The new film finds Mowgli getting bored of village life and leaving his disapproving girlfriend to return to the jungle. Mowgli’s old friends Baloo and Bageera await, but so does the evil, revenge-obsessed Shere Khan. Kipling’s original Jungle Book tells the story of Mowgli, who as a young child gets lost in the Indian jungle and is raised by wolves. As Mowgli grows older into a “man-cub,” he befriends other creatures in the forest and has a series of romping adventures. Exciting and imaginative, Kipling’s famous novel hasn’t aged a day, and is the rare work of literature that seems to exist out of time.
Opens February 14!