1. Fight Club

When it comes to movies that are better than the book, Fight Club takes the cake. It really says a lot that the movie is better because the original novel by Chuck Palahniuk is a great read. In an interview with dvdtalk.com, Palahniuk confessed, “I was sort of embarrassed of the book, because the movie had streamlined the plot and made it so much more effective.” Perhaps the superb acting jobs of Helena Bonham Carter, Ed Norton, and Brad Pitt helped this movie to become better than the book!

2. Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump is another story that makes a better movie than book! The novel by Winston Groom has a variety of scenes not depicted in the film. Despite this, somehow the movie is still better! I think it’s because of the way Tom Hanks brings the character to life. Decades later, audiences still laugh and cry while watching this film.

3. The Notebook

The Notebook is a beautiful love story originally told by Nicholas Sparks. However, it didn’t take long before Hollywood turned this story into a movie. The result is one of the greatest romance movies of all time. Maybe one of the reasons the movie is better than the book is that the screenwriters stuck close to the plot of the novel and the actors brought the characters to life.

4. Mean Girls

Did you know that Tina Fey’s Mean Girls is actually based on a book? The novel is Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman. The original book is a self-help guide to teach girls how to deal with those obnoxious high school cliques. Tina Fey’s hilarious writing, Mark Waters' directing, and the talented cast make Mean Girls the movie so much better than the original book!

5. The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride is one of my all time favorite movies. I did enjoy the book authored by William Goldman as well, but there is just something about the film! Rob Reiner adapted this book into film and it landed its way into the hearts of people around the world. There is something so special about seeing the pages in the book come to life on the big screen!

6. Jaws

Peter Benchley tells the tale of a great white shark that stalks and preys upon a small resort town in his novel, Jaws. The book was a great success and even stayed on the best-seller list for 44 weeks! This amazing book was followed up by an even better movie. I think the reason Steven Spielberg’s movie is better than the book is because it left out many of the subplots to focus more on the action of the shark.

7. Mrs. Doubtfire

Before Robin Williams brought Mrs. Doubtfire to life on the big screen, you were only able to read about her in Anne Fine’s novel, Madame Doubtfire. I don’t think there is any secret behind why this movie is better than the book – it’s all about Robin Williams and his ability to delight audiences and make them laugh.

Although it isn’t very often that a movie is better than the book, sometimes it happens. I have found that these 7 films rival their book counterparts. What do you think, are these movies better than the book? Which movies do you think beat the book? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!