Please include an image and/or video of the tv show or movie that you think did the best job adapting the source material into a worthy viewing experience. It need not necessarily be the most faithful, just what you feel is the best interpretation!

Apocalypse Now, based on Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Different time periods and turning the ivory industry into military didn't change the soul (or heart ;) ) of the novel at all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snDR7XsSkB4

Sherlock, with a XXI century modernized version of the novels adapted to a tv series, but the characters remain the same: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP5Dr63TbSU

Lord of the Rings- I love Tolkien's work dearly, and I do believe the movie is, with some small reservations, as good as adaptation as possible. It looks and feels pretty much exactly as I always imagined it should, and the cast is absolutely perfect (maybe except Denethor).

Watchmen- again, as faithful to the original work as possible. Not perfect, but very, very good. On of my favourite superhero movies ever. Also, 300 and Sin City make the list as pretty much perfect 1:1 adaptations in the same vein.

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett. The most perfect, unrivaled version of Holmes. The tv series is as faithful to the original as possible, pretty much the textbook perfect adaptation, and Brett is simply superb.

Chronicles of Narnia- the BBC tc series (all four of them). Yes, it's made on a TV budget in the 80s, but I think it still looks pretty damn good, and what's farm ore important it captures the feeling and the mood of the books perfectly. For a kid, I can hardly think of a more magical thing to watch. The music is fantastic, the cast is great and it does the books justice in every respect. Far, far superior to the rather dreadful big-budget effort from Disney some years ago.

There's more of course, if others don't mention them, I might later.

Silence of the Lambs was one of the few times I read the book before watching the movie. I was surprised how closely the movie followed the book. Unlike A Clockwork Orange where a number of chapters of ultraviolence were skipped over probably due to time constants Silence of the Lambs was quite faithful to the original material without much fast forwarding.

For me it's starship troopers.

Although the novel and movie differs greatly, I felt that the movie did a great job in capturing the underlying themes of the book in a visually entertaining movie

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/df/Starship_Troopers_-_movie_poster.jpg

BTW guys, it need not be the most faithful adaptation, just what you feel is the best interpretation!

Postal IMO captured the spirit of Postal 2 perfectly.

Stardust - In fact, I'd say the movie is better than the book.

In The Name of the King captured the spirit of Dungeon Siege as well.

I agree, although the book is also excellent. Usually I hate it when movie adaptations of books feel the need to invent their own additions to the story, while simultaneously cutting out things the author wrote, but in the case of Stardust, the movie's expansion of the Captain Shakespear character makes me wish it had been written like that in the book.

Although it's been many many years since I've either read the book or seen the movie, I'd say that Dances With Wolves is an excellent movie adaptation of a book, but then the screenplay was written by the author of the book.

The Princess Bride is another excellent adaptation. While not exceedingly accurate, the movie perfectly captures the spirit and humor of the book.

Are you serious??? Terboven shat all over the book, and made a mockery of it.

Which doesn't mean it isn't a perfectly valid statement in the context of the thread. Or didn't you read the OP?

Totally agree with these two!

^ Yea, princess bride is one of my guilty pleasures! never knew it was based on a book

I don't know if I'd go that far, but it is a very good fantasy movie. Also, the Coraline movie was really good. I think I liked it better than the book. Really great creepy animation, very good music too.