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Booker Prize-winning novels have a rich history of being adapted into successful films in Hollywood. The high-profile literary award was first given in 1969 to the best English-language work of fiction and has since become one of the most highly-anticipated literary awards in British culture.
Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List is one of the best examples of a Booker Prize-winning novel turned into a critically acclaimed and award-winning movie in Hollywood. It also won the Academy Award for "Best Adapted Screenplay" for the screenwriter Steven Zaillian in 1994. Similarly, numerous other movies have been successfully adapted for the big screen.
Below is a list of 5 such films that have been adapted from Booker Prize-winning novels.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article solely reflect the author's views.
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The English Patient, Life of Pi, and other movies adapted from Booker Prize-winning novels
1) The Remains of the Day (1993) - Prime Video, Apple TV+
The acclaimed film is based on Kazuo Ishiguro's novel of the same name, which won the Booker Prize for Fiction upon its publication in 1989. James Ivory directed the film adaptation, while Ruth Prawer Jhabvala wrote the screenplay. The film centers on English butler Stevens (Anthony Hopkins), who is bound by a strong sense of duty and dignity throughout his life.
This leads him to faithfully serve a Nazi sympathizer for decades and suppress his romantic feelings for the beautiful housekeeper, Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson). Towards the film's end, an elderly Stevens is seen questioning his decisions and ultimately making peace with his life's choices.
2) Life of Pi (2012) - Apple TV+
Ang Lee's directorial venture Life of Pi was adapted from the Canadian author Yann Martel's Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name, published in 2001.
A young Indian boy named Piscine Molitor 'Pi' Patel (Suraj Sharma) gets stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean for 227 days. His only companion during this ordeal is a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, with whom he forms a deep connection. The movie struck a chord with audiences due to its emphasis on spirituality and metaphysics, which lends the fairly simple story a rich complexity.
In addition to Sharma, the movie also features Irrfan Khan, Gérard Depardieu, Tabu, Adil Hussain, and Rafe Spall in supporting roles.
3) The Sense of an Ending (2017) - Prime Video, Apple TV+
Julian Barnes' The Sense of an Ending, the 2011 Booker Prize winner, was adapted into a film of the same name by Ritesh Batra with a screenplay by Nick Payne.
Jim Broadbent plays the elderly divorcé Tony Webster, who begins reminiscing about his past after reconnecting with his former girlfriend Veronica Ford (Charlotte Rampling). This makes him reflect on his relationship with his close friend Adrian Finn (Joe Alwyn), who committed suicide after dating Veronica.
The film's narrative unfolds like a puzzle, prompting viewers to piece together the story and realize that Tony's recollection of past events is far from reliable. The movie also features Freya Mavor, Emily Mortimer, Harriet Walter, Michelle Dockery, and Billy Howle.
4) The English Patient (1996) - Apple TV+, Paramount+ with Apple TV Channels
The English Patient, written and directed by Anthony Minghella, is considered one of his best films and has become a cult classic. The film is based on Michael Ondaatje’s eponymous novel, which received the Booker Prize in 1992.
Set against the backdrop of World War II, the film depicts the passionate love story between László Almasy (Ralph Fiennes) and Katharine Clifton (Kristin Scott Thomas). The two become star-crossed lovers as Katharine gets killed and Almasy gets severely burned during the conflict with the Germans. However, he is rescued and becomes known as the titular 'English Patient.'
In his final days, Almasy recounts his tragic love story to his nurse Hana (Juliette Binoche), Lieutenant Kip (Naveen Andrews), and Caravaggio (Willem Dafoe).
5) True History of the Kelly Gang (2019) - Apple TV+
Australian author Peter Carey's 2000 novel, True History of the Kelly Gang was awarded the prestigious Booker Prize in 2001. The novel was turned into a 2019 film directed by Justin Kurzel with the screenplay adapted by Shaun Grant.
The movie is a fictionalized biography of the infamous 19th-century bushranger and outlaw Ned Kelly. The story begins with his rough childhood and culminates in his death by hanging at the age of 25. George MacKay stars in the titular role and is accompanied by Russell Crowe, Essie Davis, Charlie Hunnam, and Nicholas Hoult in supporting roles.
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