Weblog » Tags » basedonthebook (all)

  • Fantastic Mr. Fox

    Wes Anderson, universally both loved and hated as the number #1 presenter of indie quirk, is also known for putting his offbeat characters and situations through decidedly grownup live-action. But Fantastic Mr. Fox…

  • Alice in Wonderland (2010)

    Okay. Forget that well-loved pop-up book you cherished when you were eight. If you know Tim Burton in the slightest, you won't need to be told this isn't anything like that. Fans of the directors work- Beetl…

  • The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

    "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" is about a regular kid- not a child prodigy, not particularly wise beyond his years. The only thing that separated him from the willfully blind adults who surround him is that…

  • Matilda

    If you have read any of the works of British childrens' author Roald Dahl, you will know one thing his stories lack is sap- which has endeared them to some grown-ups but struck others as unsuitable kid material- al…

  • Stardust

    When it comes to genres, there's always a market for fantasy. directors of kitchen-sink realism and dark dramas do not appeal to the masses as fantasy does, because- let's face it- the majority doesn't so much care…

  • All the Little Animals

    British filmmaker Jeremy Thomas made his debut with this adaptation of Walker Hamilton's novel. A young Christian Bale, in his pre-Batman days, was cast as Bobby, who is mourning the death of his mother. Bobby narr…

  • The Life Before Her Eyes

    Based on the novel of the same name, written by Laura Kasichke, "The Life Before Her Eyes" is a seriously depressing drama about the harsh aftereffects of a high school shooting, concentrating on the relationship…

  • Two Men Went to War

    Based on a true story, after Raymond Foxall's nonfiction book 'Amateur Commandos,' "Two Men Went to War" tells about the weird real-life incident (apparently mostly real- things have been inevitably changed) of tw…

  • Where the Heart is

    Based on Billy Lett's novel, "Where the Heart Is" is barely held together by good performances and characterizations. That being said, calling the scattershot plot 'overkill' is an understatement. I have not read t…

  • The Butcher Boy

    A Gut-wrenchingly bleak adaptation of Patrick McCabe's acclaimed novel of the the same name,"The Butcher Boy" chronicles the unhinging of adolescent Francie Brady. At the start, we are told by the now-adult Francie…