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Books that inspired Oscar-nominated films
They say the book is always better. You be the judge by reading the source text behind some of the latest Academy Award-nominated movies.
Diterbitkan pada Selasa, 06 Februari 2024
Erasure: A Novel
Percival Everett2024: Everett’s novel is the basis for the film “American Fiction,” which secured Oscar Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Lead Actor (Jeffrey Wright), Best Supporting Actor (Sterling K. Brown), Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score. In “Erasure,” though his literary talents are critically praised, author Monk Ellison is snubbed by commercial publishers. The reason is clear: Monk’s writing isn’t what agents expect from a Black author. So Monk writes a parody called “My Pafology” under a pseudonym — which immediately skyrockets to fame.
The Zone of Interest
Martin Amis2024: “The Zone of Interest” is a story of longing, shame, and forbidden love set in the unlikely location of Auschwitz. The film adaptation is loosely inspired by the late Amis’ novel and focuses on an Auschwitz commander and his family, who live in complicity just outside the camp walls. Its Oscar nominations include: Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Glazer), Adapted Screenplay, Sound, and International Feature.
The Color Purple
Alice Walker2024: Celie, a poor Black woman in rural Georgia, attempts to rise above the unlucky hand she’s been dealt. One of America’s greatest classics, this Pulitzer Prize-winner inspired a film starring Oprah Winfrey, a Broadway production, and a recent Oscar-nominated musical film adaptation. Danielle Brooks (“Orange is the New Black”) is up for Best Supporting Actress.
Nimona: A Netflix Film
ND Stevenson2024: Stevenson’s “Nimona” shines for its original storytelling and feminist slant. It’s also seen quite the evolution, from web comic to graphic novel to Netflix Original movie, which is nominated for Best Animated Feature. The story explores good versus evil (and the gray area between them) as punk shape shifter Nimona teams up with Lord Ballister Blackheart to expose dark agendas at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics.
All Quiet on the Western Front
Erich Maria Remarque2023: Remarque wanted to describe, as realistically as possible, the horrors of trench warfare during World War I and the scars it left on an entire generation; his efforts made “All Quiet on the Western Front” one of the greatest war novels of all time. Nearly 100 years after the book’s initial release, the first German movie adaptation won Oscar Awards for Cinematography, International Feature Film, Original Score, and Production Design. It was nominated in several other categories, including Best Picture.
The Whale / A Bright New Boise
Samuel D. Hunter2023: This story about a morbidly obese man and his small life is claustrophobic, yet big-hearted and deft. More than a decade after its initial off-Broadway production, Hunter’s affecting play was adapted into an multi-Oscar Award-winning movie: Best Lead Actor (Brendan Fraser) and Makeup and Hairstyling. Hong Chau was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
Women Talking
Miriam Toews2023: After learning about horrifically real violence against many women in a Mennonite community, Toews took up the seemingly impossible task of fictionalizing both the terror and the hope those women experienced. Through a remarkably mundane framing device, Toews captures the power and resilience of this community. The film version of “Women Talking” took home the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for Best Picture.
The Death of Ivan Ilyich
Leo Tolstoy2023: Tolstoy’s novella provides the loose basis for the film “Living” — a nominee for Best Lead Actor (Bill Nighy) and Adapted Screenplay. “The Death of Ivan Ilych,” which explores what makes a well-lived life, is one of the more accessible works of Tolstoy’s (for those not ready to commit to “War and Peace”).
Blonde: A Novel
Joyce Carol Oates2023: Ambitious even for Oates, “Blonde” is a fictional take on the life of one of our most iconic and troubled actresses: Marilyn Monroe. Oates praised the rough cut of the film as “startling, brilliant, very disturbing and perhaps most surprisingly an utterly ‘feminist’ interpretation.” Ana de Armas (“No Time to Die,” “Knives Out”) was nominated for the Best Lead Actress Oscar.
Pinocchio
Carlo Collodi2023: For anyone who only knew the story of Pinocchio from the Disney film (no, not the 2022 live-action one) and then saw Guillermo del Toro’s much darker version, prepare to be surprised again when reading the strange and scary original story. (Spoiler alert: “The Talking Cricket,” as he’s known in the book, dies in the span of two pages.) Del Toro’s interpretation won the Academy Award for Animated Feature Film.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Charlie Mackesy2023: If you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up, this lovely illustrated book following the four titular characters as they wander the world will warm your heart. It’s full of simple (yet soul-affirming) platitudes about kindness, self-care, living in the moment, and more. The film adaptation won Best Animated Short Film.
Notes to Boys: And Other Things I Shouldn't Share in Public
Pamela Ribon2023: Writer Ribon shares all the romantic, horny, and inadvertently hilarious missives she wrote to her teenage crushes and kept copies of for herself (and now, all of us). The Academy Award-nominated animated short film “My Year of Dicks” is based on this “mortifying memoir” that will leave you in stitches.
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris & Mrs Harris Goes to New York
Paul Gallico2023: This feel-good book follows Mrs. Harris on her quest to travel to Paris and buy her very own Dior dress — quite the feat for a poor housekeeper in London who’s getting on in years. Gallico’s novel is an endearing read for those who believe in the power of perseverance. Jenny Beavan was nominated for Best Costume Design for the film adaptation.
West Side Story
Irving Shulman2022: This story of true love enduring amid gang rivalry and violence in Manhattan is a broadway classic. Shulman’s book is a novelization of the musical, which is based on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation secured seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, with Ariana Debose (“Argylle,” “Hamilton”) winning the Academy Award Best Supporting Actress.
Macbeth
William Shakespeare2022: Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy unites themes of violence, madness, and the pursuit of power. Even if you’ve already seen it on stage or screen (there are several film adaptations), you’ll still want to stream “The Tragedy of Macbeth” on Apple TV+, which earned three Academy Award nominations: Best Lead Actor (Denzel Washington), Cinematography, and Production Design.
The Lost Daughter
Elena Ferrante2022: Ferrante’s (“My Brilliant Friend”) short novel is a devastating meditation on motherhood and how it affects a woman’s sense of self. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s film adaptation stars Olivia Colman (nominated for Best Lead Actress), Jessie Buckley (nominated for Best Supporting Actress), and Dakota Johnson. The film also secured a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The House of Gucci: A True Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed
Sara Gay Forden2022: Fashion and drama go hand-in-hand, so it makes perfect sense that the Gucci family and brand has been embroiled in high-stakes, high-profile in-fighting that’s led to death. This book is a very thorough history that feels like fiction, covering all parts of the Gucci business. Lady Gaga and Adam Driver star in the movie retelling, which was nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Cyrano de Bergerac
Edmond Rostand2022: The much-anticipated film “Cyrano,” starring “Game of Thrones” actor Peter Dinklage, premiered in February of 2021 and earned an Oscar nomination for Costume Design. But the story began long ago with Rostand’s 1897 play about Cyrano de Bergerac, a French cadet whose way with words is overshadowed by his extraordinarily large nose.
News of the World: A Novel
Paulette Jiles2021: This road story takes place in the wake of the American Civil War, following a recently released captive young girl as Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd attempts to take her back to her aunt and uncle. Over the traversal of the Texas terrain, a sweet and enduring bond forms between the two. The film adaptation starring Tom Hanks was nominated for Best Cinematography, Original Score, Production Design, and Sound.
The White Tiger: A Novel
Aravind Adiga2021: This Man Booker Prize-winning novel captures the duality of India: A beautiful and plentiful country with seemingly insurmountable income inequality and corruption. The main character and narrator, Balram Halwai, is a hard-working and charming man trying to build a better life for himself. He’s also a murderer. The film was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Emma
Jane Austen2021: The titular heroine Emma means well with her misguided matchmaking attempts. Austen, as always, writes a cutting social commentary full of comedy and love. The 1990s film adaptation starring Gwyneth Paltrow won the Academy Award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score, while the 2020 adaptation starring Anya Taylor-Joy (“The Queen’s Gambit”) was nominated for Costume Design and Makeup and Hairstyling.
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
J. D. Vance2021: Vance’s memoir shows how deeply the scars of poverty — and the familial and societal ills that it engenders — have compromised the health and happiness of each generation of his family. Glenn Close plays Vance’s beloved grandmother in the film adaptation and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
Little Women
Louisa May Alcott2020: Originally published in 1868, this heartwarming story of four sisters set during the Civil War is loosely based on the life of the author and her three siblings. A timeless tale of love, loss, and individuality, “Little Women” inspired two star-studded film adaptations. Greta Gerwig’s 2019 film earned six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Lead Actress (Saoirse Ronan), and Best Supporting Actress (Florence Pugh). It won the Academy Award for Costume Design.
The Two Popes: Francis, Benedict, and the Decision That Shook the World
Anthony McCarten2020: Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to leave the papacy rocked the world in 2013 — and certainly the Catholic Church. But his predecessor, Pope Francis, a progressive from Argentina, was even more shocking. Originally published as “The Pope,” McCarten’s nonfiction account of this controversial changeover inspired an Academy Award-nominated film starring Jonathan Pryce (up for Best Lead Actor) and Anthony Hopkins (up for Best Supporting Actor).