Here in America, going to the movies is a huge part of our society. But recent movies have been disappointing, as though the industry has forgotten that movies are an excellent opportunity to showcase not only giant explosions, but also the ideas and viewpoints of various people.
In general, the top grossing movies each year involve massive explosions, characters without depth and men and women dressed in skintight uniforms. Avengers franchise and Marvel Universe, I’m looking at you.
Don’t get me wrong — I love superhero movies as much as the next person. Technically, superhero films are adapted from literature, even if it’s in the form of comic books. People who love the comics and the characters flock to see their favorite characters in action — which is exactly my point.
There are so many great books out there that many people do not get to experience. The stories of these characters are relatable, and people can learn from them. But the stories aren’t put out there for people to see because of issues with movie rights and lack of interest.
Take John Green’s 2005 novel “Looking for Alaska.” If you know me, you know that this is hands down my favorite young adult novel and that I will not rest until it is a film. His 2011 novel The Fault in our Stars was adapted to film before the 2005 novel. However, this is not because of a lack of industry interest.
Green has said the movie rights to it have been sold, but that the production company hasn’t found anyone to take on the project. Perhaps it’s because they haven’t read it, or because executives don’t think it will sell. But the story needs to be told.
Lately, novels have been coming to the screen with 2016’s “Me Before You” adapted from Jojo Moyes’ 2012 novel of the same name. While it may not have been Oscar material, it was a beautiful film that made commentary on relationships, disability and the value of life itself. It is unique in subject matter, and tells a story we would likely never have heard were it not for the film.
Of course some people had already read the novel, but the publicity of the film likely inspired people to buy the book to get a deeper connection with the characters.
Even I am guilty of it. Before I saw the trailer, I had never heard of the book. But the trailer inspired me to buy the novel, and I loved every word of it. When it came out in the theatres, I was ecstatic to see my favorite characters brought to life.
I will say that the movie industry has been turning more and more books to film recently. 2016 has seen many adaptations, including “13 Hours,” “The 5th Wave,” “Allegiant,” “The Light Between Oceans,” “The Girl on the Train,” “The Jungle Book,” “The Revenant,” “Nerve,” “The Choice” — I think you get the point.
Authors and production companies only stand to gain more money by turning books to film, because those who have read the book are more likely to see the film, and those who have not are more likely to read the book in anticipation of the film.
If they are excited to see characters they can relate to on the screen, people might be more inclined to see films in theaters instead of watching on Netflix.
Personally, I would like to make a career of adapting books to film because I want people to experience the emotions I feel while reading their stories.
Perhaps by doing this, we as a society can learn, grow and become more tolerant as a result of seeing various people depicted on the screen. I might even enjoy going to the movies again.
Myia Hambrick is a 21-year-old mass communication junior from Temple, Georgia.