Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share three movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple simple: Each week there is a topic for you to create a list of three movies. Your picks can either be favourites/best, worst, hidden gems, or if you're up to it one of each.For further details visit the series main page here.
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This week's Thursday Movie Picks
is Movies adapted from a Young Adult Novel
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Young Adult adaptations seem to have been unfairly written off because some of the recent popular adaptations haven't really been good movies. However, in each category/genre wouldn't there be more bad apples and than goods ones? I'm sure if you really look, there are couple of good ones in the barrel. Here are my picks for what YA adaptations has to offer.
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The Hunger Games (2012)
This movie surprised me for so many reasons. First that it managed to get made. Second that it was a well made movie with capable actors that capture the core of the story. Lastly for successfully adding elements to it that we never got in the book such as the behind the scenes of the Hunger Games with the Gamemakers.
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)
The movie spans one night as Nick and Norah go around New York meeting friends along the way and trying to find an elusive band. Found this to be a cool and fun movie about some kids having fun, being stupid, awkwardly navigating love and friendship, and just being young.
Speak (2004)
The movie spans one night as Nick and Norah go around New York meeting friends along the way and trying to find an elusive band. Found this to be a cool and fun movie about some kids having fun, being stupid, awkwardly navigating love and friendship, and just being young.
Speak (2004)
Speak is an incredibly faithful adaptation of the novel of the same name about a girl, Melinda, who becomes unable to speak after a traumatic experience at an end of summer party. The movie delicately follows Melinda in finding her voice again and still keeps her inner sardonic humour, and in doing so manages to make a movie that has a difficult theme both touching and funny.
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So that's it...my three picks. What three movies made your list today?
Thursday Movie Picks #7: Dramatic Scenes
Thursday Movie Picks #16: Haunted Buildings
Thursday Movie Picks #24: Movies Driven Entirely by People Talking
Thursday Movie Picks #14: Found Footage Movies
Thursday Movie Picks #22: Movies that Feature a Family Secret
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Participating Blogs/Bloggers
Thursday Movie Picks #16: Haunted Buildings
Thursday Movie Picks #24: Movies Driven Entirely by People Talking
Thursday Movie Picks #14: Found Footage Movies
Thursday Movie Picks #22: Movies that Feature a Family Secret
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Participating Blogs/Bloggers
Never heard of Speak! I tried to think a little outside of the box with this one...so as to steer clear of the choices I felt would appear a lot.
ReplyDelete:-D
Cool I wonder what you picks are.
DeleteI've only seen two of your picks, interesting that you highlighted a lesser-known film here. My post will go up tomorrow, it's tough balancing the more famous franchises w/ smaller movie, but I think some people might not have heard one of my picks ;)
ReplyDeleteHmm I didn't really go with balancing with this time, just with three that I like.
DeleteLOVE the Hunger Games books and the first movie was so much better than it had any right to be. I still think Jennifer Lawrence should have gotten the Oscar nomination for that instead of Silver Linings.
ReplyDeleteI LIVE for Ari Graynor in Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist.
Speak sounds vaguely familiar. Like, I know I haven't seen it, but I think I remember hearing about it or seeing a trailer or something. It sounds good.
Ari Graynor had some of the funnier scenes in the movie with characters being so drunk.
DeleteRemember the, I think it was, gum in the bowl...
As for Speak I've mentioned it twice before. First the book in my top 10 YA books to read if you don't/haven't read YA and the other was the movie in Wendell's back to school cast-a-thon.
DeleteI had thought I was the only one who thought SPEAK was a good movie, it's a shame not many people have heard of it not to mention have seen it. I enjoyed THE HUNGER GAMES, not sure what attracted me to see that one in theaters though, it would've been just as good if I waited and rented it.
ReplyDeleteNow to think of my choices, the topic seems vaguely familiar, did you carry it over from last year? Nonetheless, I'll have my post up tomorrow.
Speak is such a good movie, yes it's nice if more got to see it which is why I've been mentioning it.
DeleteI haven't had this as a Thursday topic before, but last year there was a Coming of Age topic so there will be some movies that overlap.
Haven't even heard of Speak. Sounds interesting. Nick & Norah is one of those I keep meaning to see, but never seem to get to. Sad, I know. As for The Hunger Games, I thought it was okay but far too bloated. I liked Catching Fire a little better. Haven't seen Mockingjay, yet.
ReplyDeleteBloated? In what way. I'd have to pick the Hunger Games because it set the stage for the franchise but I really like Catching Fire as well. It certainly had a lot more in it, storywise and characterwise.
DeleteOf your three I've only seen The Hunger Games which I hated, it's the whole children hunting children aspect that completely turned me off. Nick & Norah I've caught bits and pieces of but never from beginning to end, I've always come in to late to completely catch the set up. Speak is on my list for future viewing since I liked the book but it hasn't worked its way to the top yet.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure about my third film because people read it at various ages but when I worked in a book store it was always shelved in YA so I used that as my guide.
Here's my three for the week:
Geography Club (2013)-Closeted teen Russell has a crush on jock Kevin, whom he discovers is also in the closet. So they can spend time together without others becoming aware of their involvement they form The Geography Club with a few other friends who have secrets of their own, figuring it will sound so boring no one else will want to join. All goes as planned at first but peer pressure and outside forces change them all and the club in unexpected ways, some good some bad. Not perfect but deeply felt.
The Secret Garden (1993)-A young British girl orphaned in an Indian earthquake is sent to live with her distant, severe uncle on his estate. Left to her own devises she eventually stumbles upon a garden locked away and forgotten. She discovers as she tends it that it holds the key to the happiness of everyone in the manor.
Little Women (1949)-Candy colored version of the stalwart Louisa May Alcott classic of four sisters and their tower of strength mother's struggles while their father is away fighting in the Civil War. Great collection of actresses, Elizabeth Taylor, June Allyson, Janet Leigh and Margaret O'Brien as the sisters-Mary Astor as Marmee and Lucile Watson as Aunt March make this worth seeing. The 1933 Katharine Hepburn and the 1994 Winona Ryder versions probably have more heft but this is an entertaining take with that Golden Age MGM sheen.
I feel like I've heard of Geography Club before but don't know where.
DeleteI actually don't consider The Secret Garden YA. I guess YA is a little tricky to categorise and it is a relatively newer category. Before it was just books for children and then there are ones for adults and there wasn't much specifically written and marketed for anything in between. Anyway YA are usually targeted for 12-18 year olds and typically feature protagonists that fall within that age range too. I feel The Secret Garden was going for a much younger age range, in my eyes it's a children's book, not only because the protagonist is I think ten in it but the writing is definitely for a lower reading level.
Little Women too would have preceded the YA as a category of books. Not having read it I do not know which group of readers it was going far but it does have a pretty broad appeal. Having seen the movie, I know it has coming of age themes which I think it definitely resonates with young adult readers so I see why it would be shelved in the Young Adult section.
I've been meaning to watch Speak, I'll try to watch it soon. I like The Hunger Games - first book's my favorite but I like the second movie a little bit more than the first. Great picks!
ReplyDeleteWatch Speak...it's great.
DeleteI picked The Hunger Games too, probably my favorite Young Adult franchise because it discusses big, important themes in an easily digestible but not patronizing way. Haven't even heard of the other two. I'll check them out.
ReplyDeleteHmm...I think so far it's my favourite franchise too.
DeleteLove your choices! Speak is a new one to me, I'm going to look it up this afternoon because it sounds really interesting :) Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDelete- Allie
Yes go check it out :)
DeleteThe Hunger Games!!! I loved the second installment of it! Great picks.
ReplyDeleteI love that you included Nick and Norah and Speak! Those are great films and that's really thinking outside of the box.
ReplyDeleteI picked Nick and Norah too. I don't know why I like it so much, but I think it's fun and reminds me of my own little high school adventures I guess.
ReplyDeleteLike many others posting, I haven't heard of Speak, but you inspire me to check it out, which I guess is the whole point of this thing!!
Yeah it's kind one awesome night where a lot of stupid thing happens but also a lot of fun.
DeleteYour comment thing won't let me post from my movie account, www.assholeswatchingmovies.com , but that's me!
ReplyDeleteHmm, that's weird.
DeleteNIck and Norah is a great pick. Michael Cera is missing from the world these days. I'm a Hunger Games junkie. But I happen to like Catching Fire better than the first. Speak I've heard of but haven't read it nor seen it.
ReplyDeleteHe is, isn't he. He's at the age where he can't do the high school and college aged kids he used to be known for.
DeleteI really need to watch Speak. I was so impressed with the novel.
ReplyDelete