Does the story ever stay the same?

In our class discussions about appropriations, adaptations, and interpretations, I started to think about other books that have been turned into movies, and what is lost and added on in the process. As corny and girly as it may be, two of my favorite books and movies are Notebook and Pride and Prejudice. I love the books themselves, and read them first, but seeing the movies seemed to only complete the experience-in some ways. Being a movie, not all the details and good lines were included, but in both of these examples, the movie stayed very close to the text. There was something fulfilling in seeing these movies for the first time though, and in every time I watch them after since, yes, I do own both of them, and yes, they are presently in my dorm room. And yes, my roommate and I, being the English major freaks we are, watched Pride and Prejudice about two weeks ago. But what makes these books and movies so great is the emotion that they arise in you, the feelings of connection even if you have no reason to feel connected to them at all. There's something in them that the author has captured, some essence that makes them so perfect, and somehow, the director has managed to portray that on film. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's awesome. It makes the books and the movie both so much better. So whether they are appropriations, interpretations, or adaptions, these two books and movies definitely capture some kind of magic.