It's an often-heard complaint after the release of the newest book-to-film movie; Why does that suck? In our society, it seems to be a given that the book will always be better than it's movie adaption.

What's going on with this translation from the pages to the silver screen?  Willing Davidson, author of Great Book, Bad Movie, says it's all a matter of time.

"The answer is simple, but it has complex implications: Novels are long, but movies are short," he says.  A wide range of movies suffer from this limitation, Davidson listing those such as Harry Potter, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and The Da Vinci Code as examples.

Davidson notes that time isn't the only issue, we're also left with that one main character that's always in need of some lovin'. "The movie replaces character with plot, and the result lands with a wet flop," he notes. The movie adaption often revolves around the breakthrough plot points, moving our focus onto the surroundings and away from the complexities of the characters.

What's YOUR favorite book-to-film movie? Did the film do the original work justice? Do most movies based on books indeed suck?

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