by Philip Hudson, Student Reporter
#1 Die Hard
“Die Hard” was inspired by Roderick Thorp’s “Nothing Last Forever”
“Die Hard” (1988) is a film about a New York police officer trying to stop a robbery at his wife’s company’s Christmas Party. The book the film is based on has several differences: it’s his daughter who works at the company, the group are terrorists but they are sympathetic, and John McClane is actually a WWII vet named Joe Leland. This book is also a sequel book, “The Detective” which was made into a 1968 film starring Frank Sinatra. Good thing they did not go this route. A then 73-year-old actor could not have done all of Willis’ stunts.
#2 Shrek
“Shrek” was inspired by William Steig’s “Shrek”“Shrek” (2001) is a film about an ogre trying to get his home back and ends up falling in love with a princess. This mishmash of fairy tales and comical post-modern references is actually based on a graphic novel of the same name. It was published in 1990 and features a terrifying ogre who is kicked out of the family roost and he explores the world, when he accidentally saves a princess. Another difference is that the princess is ugly. This version would have been much different and less like a “Beauty and the Beast” spoof.
#3 Mrs. Doubtfire
“Mrs. Doubtfire” was inspired by Anne Fine’s “Madame Doubtfire”The 1993 film stars a struggling actor as he tries to stay close to his family by pretending to be a woman. This is the same premise as in the 1986 book, though the couple start off divorce in the book where in the movie they become divorced in the film. Another difference is that the children know right away that Doubtfire is their father in drag in the book. Sadly, there is also no classic dance scene in the book like in the film.
#4 Forrest Gump
“Forrest Gump” is inspired by “Forrest Gump”The novel and film both follow Forrest Gump, who has many misadventures. In the film he is a charming man who makes people happy with his simple thinking. Forrest in the book is very different though. He does drugs while visiting Harvard, uses profanity, explores a career as a professional wrestler, and even gambles. Although the character in the book seems to mean well, he makes many bad decisions and sometimes has angry outbursts, unlike the character in the film. There is also an adventure with Forrest on an island with cannibals.
#5 Goodfellas
“Goodfellas” is inspired by Nicholous Pileggi’s “Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family”“Goodfellas” (1990) is about Henry Hill’s misadventures as an informant who fled the mafia. Several misadventures in the film did not occur in the book, and vice versa. The scene deemed “funny like a clown” occurs only in the film, never in the book. A scene in the book not in the film is Henry and his family getting harassed by a mysterious person, which leads to Henry beating up a gay man. Something else that is different is DeNiro’s character. Jimmy is a man in his mid-twenties and in the film he is supposed to be the same, DeNiro is definitely not in his twenties in the film.