Hollywood loves a book adaptation, but comedy is one genre that usually proves exempt to this trend. There are a few good reasons for this, with one being that comedy novels often don’t translate well to the big screen. Another reason is that many comedy movies are built around a certain actor, or that they need to focus more on visuals and tone.
There are a few different approaches to book adaptations which can make for some great comedy movies. While straightforward comedy book adaptations do exist – like Bridget Jones’s Diary, for example – it’s also common for filmmakers to take a serious book and turn it into a comedy. In some cases, these movies ends up looking nothing like the books which inspired them.
10
Mean Girls (2004)
Based on Queen Bees & Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman
Queen Bees and Wannabes is a self-help book for parents of teenage girls, detailing the social dangers that tend to crop up around that age. It’s an unusual basis for a movie, but this is what Tina Fey chose to build the structure of Mean Girls around, with the book’s descriptions of cliques and social jostling informing her portrayal of the Plastics.
The book’s descriptions of cliques and social jostling inform Tina Fey’s portrayal of the Plastics.
While Rosalind Wiseman’s book helped Fey come up with the story and the setting of Mean Girls, the brilliant dialogue is all of her own making. Mean Girls is packed with great quotes, which is a big reason why it remains such a beloved teen comedy. Another key factor is that its observations of high school politics are still relevant, even if some of the specifics are outdated.
9
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Based on Red Alert by Peter George
A few of Stanley Kubrick’s movies are book adaptations, but the director was notorious for chopping and changing his source material to fit his own vision. Stephen King’s distaste for Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining is common knowledge, but Peter George has the right to be even more outraged, as Dr. Strangelove is nothing like his novel Red Alert.
Red Alert is a Cold War thriller about two global superpowers barreling toward mutually ᴀssured destruction in an intense death spiral. Dr. Strangelove takes the framework of this story and transforms it into a satirical farce. This comedic approach has little to do with Red Alert, but it drives at the same point that the fate of the world shouldn’t be trusted to something as frail as human emotions.
8
The Princess Bride (1987)
Based on the novel by William Goldman
William Goldman’s The Princess Bride uses a frame narrative so that Goldman can present his fable as it’s been pᴀssed down through generations. This gives the story the feeling of a classic fairy tale, even though it’s all Goldman’s own creation. Rob Reiner’s movie adaptation keeps this same spirit alive, with a frame narrative that shows a man reading the story to his grandson.
The Princess Bride is a brilliant comedy, but it’s also a swashbuckling fantasy story and a heartwarming romance. It has a sincerity and a reverence for its inspirations that’s refreshing in an age of cynicism, and it has stood the test of time. Overall, the movie is a fitting adaptation that maintains the warmth of its source material, and it’s boosted by some memorable performances.
7
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Based on the novel by Helen Fielding
While it’s rare for a novel to inspire a comedy movie, it’s much rarer still for a whole comedy franchise to draw inspiration from literature. This is the case with the Bridget Jones franchise, which has just drawn to a close with its fourth entry, 24 years on from Bridget Jones’s Diary.
Bridget Jones’s Diary is Helen Fielding’s modern take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, with much filthier language, binge-drinking and references to Sєx. It remixes Austen’s style for a new audience, and it’s been praised as a central text of the “chick lit” revolution. The movie has the same irreverent tone, with a wonderful performance by Renée Zellweger, whose British accent is on par with Colin Firth and Hugh Grant.
6
Clueless (1995)
Based on Emma by Jane Austen
Clueless is like Bridget Jones’s Diary in a way, since both movies transpose one of Jane Austen’s novels into a modern setting. The difference is that Bridget Jones’s Diary was filtered through Helen Fielding’s unique lens, while Clueless could be seen as a more direct Austen adaptation. Emma is arguably Austen’s funniest novel, and Clueless makes it feel new.
By casting the character as an image-obsessed high school student, Clueless extracts the essence of Emma Woodhouse, complete with her meddlesome matchmaking and her laughable but oddly sweet naivety. Cher is a protagonist worth rooting for, despite all her apparent flaws.
5
The Graduate (1967)
Based on the novella by Charles Webb
The Graduate remains a hilariously relevant movie for anyone graduating from college or stuck in a transitional phase of their life. Dustin Hoffman’s performance highlights the awkwardness and uncertainty of Benjamin Braddock. It’s a ᴅᴇᴀᴅpan masterclass, but Charles Webb’s novella isn’t quite as comedic.
Charles Webb published a sequel to The Graduate in 2007, Home School.
Although The Graduate adheres to the story of Webb’s novella, it brings out the humor of the situation. The movie doesn’t need to add any proper jokes to make the story funny. It’s all about the characterization of Benjamin. One other important change is the ambiguity that’s injected into The Graduate‘s ending, achieved without a single word of dialogue.
4
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Based on Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine
Robin Williams delivers a virtuoso comedic performance in Mrs. Doubtfire, turning the story into a vehicle for his zany humor. His impressions, improvisations and physical humor combine to make Mrs. Doubtfire one of his most memorable movies, so it’s hard to imagine the story without him.
Anne Fine’s Madame Doubtfire was extremely popular at the time it was published. The movie sticks to the plot for the most part, although Williams is clearly given license to indulge his desire to embellish the script. One major difference is the ending. In the book, Daniel is given a job as Miranda’s gardener so that he can spend more time with his children. He doesn’t host a Mrs. Doubtfire TV show like he does in the movie adaptation.
3
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (2005)
Based on the novel by Douglas Adams
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a must-read for fans of comedic literature, but it started out as a radio sitcom. Before the movie adaptation came out in 2005, there were also comic books, a TV show, stage shows and a video game. There are four other novels in the series, but the movie adaptation never got a sequel, unfortunately.
It’s probably only a matter of time before someone else comes along and tries to adapt The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy into a movie or TV show again. As it stands, there’s a lot to love about the 2005 version, especially Alan Rickman’s performance as a chronically depressed robot and the portrayal of some of Adams’ most surreal, inscrutable ideas.
2
Submarine (2010)
Based on the novel by Joe Dunthorne
Richard Ayoade’s directorial debut is a coming-of-age comedy-drama that’s as dry as they come. It’s not just that the characters deliver hilarious lines with a complete absence of expression; the peculiar world of Submarine often seems entirely devoid of emotion, except when it comes to the parents.
In 2023, it was reported that Richard Ayoade was working on his third movie and his third adaptation, based on The Semplica Girl Diaries by George Saunders.
Submarine is based on a Welsh novel written from the perspective of a socially awkward teenager who explains away his failure to fit in as a sign of immense intellect to protect his fragile ego. Ayoade’s movie preserves this hilarious character detail, and it comes with the added bonus of a great soundtrack by Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner.
1
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Based on the novel by Roald Dahl
While there aren’t many comedy movies based on books, this isn’t necessarily true in children’s literature. Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and more popular children’s movies started out as books. Fantastic Mr. Fox is slightly different, since it shouldn’t really be described as a children’s movie at all.
Wes Anderson builds on the thin source material with his own spin on the crime genre.
Although Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of many great Roald Dahl adaptations, Wes Anderson builds on the thin source material with his own spin on the crime genre. His Mr. Fox is a career criminal struggling to settle down, under pressure from his family and his community to submit to a life of domestic order, but unable to resist his need for adventure. The dialogue is all Anderson’s too, along with about 90% of the plot.
