With a slew of movies coming out that have been modeled after popular books, it seems to be a prevalent theme that the book is almost always better than the movie. Perfect case in point is the latest release "The DaVinci Code", an adaptation of the wildly popular and controversial work of fiction by author Dan Brown. I loved the book, couldn't put it down. But the movie was average.

If I would have only seen the movie and not read the book, I would have walked out of the theater with the conclusion that I would not have wanted to read such a mediocre book. Of course for every status quo, there are always exceptions to the rule. The movies "Angela's Ashes" based on Irish novelist Frank McCourt's story of a poor Irish family ended up being an excellent film, well acted with a perfect cast and authentic feel.

Another example of a good movie based on a book is the autobiography about an embittered Vietnam veteran, Ron Kovic, played in the big screen adaptation by Tom Cruise (before he was annoying). The film ended up being a heart breaking protrayal of a man who served his country in good faith, and then lost his legs and seemed to be cast off and forgotten by the very government he fought to protect.

Let's not also forget an excellent silver screen adaptation of the novel Dr. Zhivago, played by Omar Sharif, and the story of his unrequited love for Lara Antipova, played by the beautiful Julie Christie. This masterpiece of a film was directed by David Lean with a true authenticity and loyalty to the story. It seems that if the director and actors really know the story, this is when the best results occur.

The trouble is when a movie is just thrown together, without the time being taken to maintain the integrity of the written story, and the money to make the sets as realistic as possible, or sometimes it's just plain old misdirection.

Take for example the adaptation of the science fiction novel Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard. The movie, featuring John Travolta dressed in alien garb, ended up being a gross misinterpretation of the story, as well as the brunt of several jokes around Oscar time, due to its poor reception from audiences and critics.

Or how about the unforgettable Ishtar starring Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty? This atrocity was the brunt of jokes for years after its dismal release as the most boring movie ever made. And what about this list of bombs that originated as well spun novels and novellas, only to be poorly translated to the big screen?

- Dangerous Minds
- Dune
- The First Wive's Club
- Freaky Friday
- Girl Interrupted (this may just be my opinion though)
- The Ghost and the Darkness
- Little Women

And the list goes on. Just goes to show, the majority of the time, one's imagination can produce far more vivid and emotionally moving images than that of a Hollywood director, or any amount of special effects.