Wedding

Chinese Wedding Dresses

There's nothing more satisfying than a good novel - and to double the pleasure, when that book is turned itno a film. Don't lie - you always read the book first, right?

A perfect blend of family saga, bittersweet romance and 20th century history, The Thorn Birds, by Colleen McCullough, is unforgettable. Lengthy and absorbing, the novel follows the Cleary family's lives on an Australian sheep farm, centering on daughter Meggie and the forbidden love between her and ambitious priest Ralph de Bricassart. Rachel Ward and Richard Chamberlain star in the mini-series, made in 1983, and it's impossible to imagine anyone else in their roles - the novel literally comes to life. Also exceptional are Jean Simmons as Meggie's mother, Fee, and Barbara Stanwyck in a small but infinitely important role.

For 20th century history of the American Southern variety, Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is an exceptional read. Flipping back and forth between the past and the present, it emphasizes women's friendships and life choices. The 1991 film version, simply called Fried Green Tomatoes, makes some changes from the novel, but ultimately stays true to the characters (Flagg worked on the screneplay.)

It's rare when a film is more enjoyable than the novel, but the Emma Thompson-written, Ang Lee-directed Sense and Sensibility accomplishes this feat. Beautifully written, filmed and acted, the movie takes the best of the novel, eliminating some of the novel's redundant moments. Instead of Elinor and Willoughby's long conversation deep into the novel, the movie sums up the entire scene with a single shot. This isn't to say the novel isn't worth reading - contemporary stories owe so much to Jane Austen - but the film may just have a more emotional impact.

And though neither book nor movie would win any Deep Thinking awards, for a light read, Where the Heart Is, by Billie Letts, is a pleasure. When a young pregnant woman is ditched by her boyfriend while driving through Oklahoma, she moves into the local Wal-Mart and eventually becomes part of the town. The novel borders on cutesy - Novalee is superstitious about the number seven, for example (in the movie it's changed to the number five) - but the supporting characters are quirky and interesting. Stockard Channing and Ashley Judd help strengthen an otherwise mediocre film.

For those that crave a few recipes with their fiction, Laura Esquivel's Like Water For Chocolate is the story of Tita, who falls in love with Pedro despite the turn-of-the-century Mexican tradition that the youngest daughter in a family is supposed to remain single and care for her mother. Tita's sister marries Pedro instead, and thus Tita pours her emotions into her cooking - with some interesting and magical results. The description is gorgeous, the story creative and in turn both joyous and heartbreaking. Esquivel wrote the film's 1992 screenplay, which may be one reason why it's such a fine adaptation. In Spanish (Como Agua Para Chocolate) with English subtitles.

It's disappointing when a novel is adapted into a movie and the result turns out to be... well, not so good. This is the unfortunate fate of Whitney Otto's How toMake an American Quilt, a sparsely and beautifully written novel about a women's quilting circle. Each chapter starts with quilting instructions that then pertain to each women's story. Despite its stellar cast, the film fails to capture the complexities of the novel. This is one to read, not rent.

For lighter fare, Elizabeth Young's Asking For Trouble is a frothy, comedic page-turner about a single British woman who hires an escort to be her date to her sister's wedding. It turns out to be the lie that keeps on growing. The novel isn't extremely original (literature will have us believe that every British father is loveable and laid back while every British mother is a bit neurotic and overbearing but means well) but it's entertaining nonetheless. The true debacle here is the film version, 2005's The Wedding Date. Except for the main premise, it's hard to believe one was based on another. Not only are the lead characters in the film American, not British, the plot takes a considerable turn for the worse and the entire film has a smarmy overtone - very unlike the book.

And coming soon to DVD...

Brideshead Revisited: This is the second adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's lushly written, wistful novel about Charles Ryder and his infatuation with the Flyte family. The first Brideshead offering was for television in the 1980s; the new version hit movie theaters in August. The book explores themes of family, relationships, class and money, ambition and religion - can a film cover all that? From the looks of the previews, the 2008 Brideshead focuses mainly on the soap opera/love affair aspect, probably a wise choice for the cinema.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2: The Sisterhood is back! Based on Ann Brashares's young adult fiction series, the first film in 2005 was a success, especially wtih its target audience. Alexis Bledel and Amber Tamblyn were the most well-known the first time around, thanks to Gilmore Girls and Joan of Arcadia, respectively, but in the meantime America Ferrera and Blake Lively have seen their star power rise due to Ugly Betty and Gossip Girl. With a more grown-up PG-13 rating (the first was PG), the sequel follows the four young women during their first full year of college.