Some stories are so great they just have to go live. And sometimes, the film itself is a fresh twist on a classic story. These classic reads have inspired some surprising movie versions, satires, and interpretations. Try them out in pairs for lively discussions at home!
Read Romeo and Juliet & Watch West Side Story
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tale of star-crossed lovers, but it’s also the story of a stubborn feud. West Side Story brings the feud to America, where the Sharks and the Jets struggle for dominance, and two kids in love get caught in the crossfire.
Read The Little Mermaid & Watch Ponyo
Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved tale of dedication and sacrifice is available on film as a Classic Disney movie and an upcoming live-action film. But it’s also the inspiration for a Miyazaki film about a lively, fun-loving goldfish who is rescued by a five-year-old human boy.
Read Tale of Two Cities & Watch Batman: Dark Knight Rises
Best of times, worst of times, fantastic comic adventure times . . . you can enjoy them all by reading Dickens’s classic tale of social and political crisis and then comparing nineteenth- century England to Bruce Wayne’s twenty-first century Gotham City.
Read Taming of the Shrew & Watch 10 Things I Hate About You
Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew is a much-discussed romantic comedy about the course of true love, Elizabethan style. After more than 500 years, it’s still funny and still clever, but from a feminist standpoint, it’s badly in need of an update. Enter 10 Things I Hate About You, in which Bianca and Katherine vie hilariously for true love.
Read Pride and Prejudice & Watch Bridget Jones’s Diary
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice never gets old. This sly novel of class and society has inspired seventeen movies with the same name, a few sequels, and spinoffs like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. But for a thoroughly contemporary take on the story, watch Bridget Jones’s Diary. You’ll recognize Darcy immediately—and cheer for true love.
Read The Tempest by William Shakespeare & Watch Forbidden Planet
Shakespeare’s The Tempest features a faraway land inhabited by powerful magician, a terrible storm, a vengeful king, and forbidden romance. Forbidden Planet features a distant planet, a powerful robot, a monster from the Id, and a romance of its own. Are they the same story? Watch, read, and decide!
Read Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Watch Apocalypse Now
Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness was a thrilling and sometimes horrifying account of a journey into colonized Congo and into the darker realms of the human spirit. Apocalypse Now updated the journey to reflect the tumult of the Vietnam War. Both are searing, unforgettable tales worthy of long conversations into the night.
Read King Lear by William Shakespeare & Watch Ran
Read to find out how ego, greed, and dysfunctional family dynamics drive an old king mad and destroy his family. And then watch the story play out in feudal Japan, where a brutal warlord destroys his legacy as well as his sons. This film, which is widely considered Filmmaker Hidetora Ichimonji’s finest, may open up a whole new world of movies.
Read Emma by jane Austen & Watch Clueless
Jane Austen’s Emma was one of literature’s first female antiheroes. She's kind and clever, but she’s such a meddler that she almost ruins the lives of the people she loves. Enter Clueless! In this funny and charming movie from 1995, a rich, popular social butterfly tries to be her school’s matchmaker—and gets burned by her own success. kind, and clever, but she’s such a meddler that she almost ruins the lives of the people she loves. Enter Clueless! In this funny and charming movie from 1995, a rich, popular social butterfly tries to be her school’s matchmaker—and gets burned by her own success.