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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SynapsisSynopsis" data-source="post: 1876871" data-attributes="member: 15553">I think most of the problem is the belief that movies based on books should be faithful to the books they're based on (and, in LeGuin's case, that her reading of the book is priveleged over anyone else's; I suppose Lieberman's mistake here was in framing his point with 'what LeGuin meant the book to do,' rather than with 'what the book actually does').Ian McEwan has a better handle on it.  The movie version of his Enduring Love was just released, which he didn't want to be much involved with because he knew he'd be tempted to hug the book too closely (he gave notes instead of writing the screenplay). Two quotes from McEwan about adapting novels: "The role of the novelist musn't be to hover around the project like its bad conscience"; and "There are only two reasons to adapt your own novel. One is to stop anyone else doing it, and the other is to get paid."I'd like to see filmmakers do more with their adaptations, personally. Harold Pinter's screenplay of John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman is a good example. Purposefully unfaithful, but impressive (what else do you expect from Pinter though?).</blockquote>