Bridget Jones’ Diary | Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
This is probably the first entry on this list based on a book based on another book. This classic 2001 film follows Bridget (Renee Zellweger), a woman trying her best to navigate life as a 30-something singleton. Her embarrassing adventures ultimately lead her to Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth, reminiscent of Fitzwilliam Darcy from Austen’s novel. With a killer soundtrack and the infamous fight scene between Firth and Hugh Grant, it’s the ultimate classic movie for a girls’ night in, especially with its third instalment coming out later this year.
Cruel Intentions | Les Liaisons dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
Before Gossip Girl there was another cult classic that pioneered rich teenagers and complicated social circles. The 1999 movie Cruel Intentions, starring a young Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe and Sarah Michelle Geller, was full of deceit and manipulation, themes clearly tackled in the film’s 18th century-set source material. Cruel Intentions was incredibly scandalous when it came out and still seems to enthral teenagers that cross it.
Warm Bodies | Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare
One of the newest movies on this list, 2013 zom-com Warm Bodies is a zombie apocalypse twist on the Shakespeare classic. The film sees Nicholas Hoult’s zombie R (get it?) fall for human Julie (Teresa Palmer), leading to a variety of complications. On different sides of the species war, the two of them define complicated love in a way that will get yet another generation enjoying the worn tale of star-crossed lovers.
She’s All That | Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
This 1999 teen classic rom-com is a yet another movie covering the well loved ‘popular guy and geeky girl’ trope that has made itself at home in Hollywood. However, the difference between this movie and the many others following similar narratives comes down to its source material: Pygmalion, the classic play written by George Bernard Shaw. Zack Siler (Freddie Prince Jr.) tries to turn Laney Boggs (Rachael Leigh Cook) into the prom queen in order to win a bet and in the process falls for her. This is decidedly similar to the play it’s based on, with the exception of the modern high school setting. The play is also the basis for the classic Audrey Hepburn film, My Fair Lady (1964).
August Rush | Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
The Oliver Twist connection throughout August Rush (2005) may not be as obvious to those who aren’t looking for it, but the similarities are certainly there. The modern-day drama-musical, infused with fairy tale elements, tells of an orphan that uses his musical gifts to search for his parents. This is probably one of the looser adaptations on the list, but its unlikely connection made it one I wanted to add for a bit of a twist.
So there it is, ten of many, many, films based on classic literature. There’s hundreds more surprising additions I could add, but we’ll leave that for another day. For now, I’ll just leave you with one thought: You could actually know the plot of many classic novels without realising it, and without needing to read them for English class!
– C.M.
