Some of the best projects from the decade at hand were based on literary counterparts from around the world. Most of these titles were nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at their respective Oscars ceremony, if they didn’t win the award outright. But they were also directed by absolutely massive names of the industry, with well-known actors amid the respective casts, as well.
You should undoubtedly recognize the movies on this list. But even if not, you'll be familiar soon enough. These are the twelve best book-to-movie adaptations of the 2000s, ranked.
12 The Pursuit of Happyness
Starring Will Smith as a homeless salesman named Chris Gardner, this is perhaps the most poignant project of the bunch just from a standpoint of sheer emotional resonance. Its memoir counterpart of the same name released in this same year, with a unique spelling to its title that sees an eventual explanation within the plot itself.
But what’s perhaps most prominently worth writing home about with The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) is that it costars Jaden Smith, the aforementioned performer’s real-life son. It was the young actor’s debut, nonetheless, and marked the first of several collaborations he would share with his father. They both hit home with their performances, landing this project at the top of the list.
11 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Unlike its many sequels, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) comprises nearly every primary plot point featured in the 1997 novel of the same name. Of course, this juggernaut fantasy franchise was originally created by J.K. Rowling. But here with the movie adaptation, it was director Chris Columbus as the head honcho of Hogwarts.
And while the franchise today is seen in a negative light for a portion of original fans out there, there’s no denying the charm and intrigue featured in the very first live-action romp through the Wizarding World. The Sorcerer's Stone remains the most accurate depiction thereof and should without a doubt be cited among the best adaptations of its decade.
10 The Road
Adapted from Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name, the literary counterpart of The Road (2009) could very well be considered from a standpoint of sheer quality as the best novel of the list. And its adaptation by John Hillcoat is undoubtedly an entertaining joint through an apocalyptic landscape despite coming up short of the novel overall.
There’s solid camerawork herein worth writing home about and of course its plot is well-structured and entertaining from the start thanks to the novel’s rock-solid basis. But there are also several solid performances from thespians like Viggo Mortensen, Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall, and Uma Thurman that helped land The Road here at number ten.
9 American Psycho
Starring Christian Bale as the infamous Patrick Bateman, this of course is among the more fan-favorite films on the list thanks to its devout cult following. And those particular audience members are justified in their obsession with American Psycho (2000), as director Mary Harron faithfully adapted the 1991 novel counterpart, which was in turn penned by Brett Easton Ellis.
It follows Bateman as an investment banker in New York City who — as the title may suggest — can also be classified as a serial killer. The breakthrough performance from Bale really defined the film for most fans, but it also features a generally compelling narrative no matter who filled Bateman’s shoes. It’s just that Bale’s efforts almost single-handedly land American Psycho in the ninth spot.
8 Children of Men
Co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón, there’s much worth noting here from a technical perspective of filmmaking that it feels nearly wasteful to mention the original 1992 novel, The Children of Men by P.D. James. And that’s because this adaptation succeeds from a standpoint of screenwriting, for starters.
But it also has mesmerizing camerawork, genius art direction, and notable performances from everyone involved: Clive Owen, for example, along with Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. But in the end, perhaps the most prominent facet of filmmaking that warrants this placement for Children of Men (2006) would be its action sequences that were filmed in single shots. They were truly inventive cinematographic techniques that remain iconic today.
7 Revolutionary Road
Off the bat: Revolutionary Road (2008) marked the second on-screen collaboration of American performers Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Of course, their first partnership came in the prior decade with Titanic (1997) by James Cameron. And while the project at hand doesn’t hold anywhere near the name value as that epic disaster film, Revolutionary Road is perhaps of greater quality.
Directed by Sam Mendes, it features the aforementioned actors as a married couple going through a bit of a rough patch in their relationship. It featured a great effort from Kathy Bates as well, who also appeared in Titanic with DiCaprio and Winslett. But two other names are truly worth noting: Michael Shannon, who picked up an Oscars nod for Best Supporting Actor, along with Roger Deakins. The latter is among the greatest cinematographers to ever live, and he ultimately played a prominent role in landing Revolutionary Road here on the list.
6 Fantastic Mr. Fox
Directed by Wes Anderson, this critically acclaimed stop-motion animated film was based on a children’s novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. The aforementioned filmmaker cowrote the script for Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) with Noah Baumbach — a talented creative in his own right. But with regard to Anderson: this particular project features all the eccentricities that have defined his career since the mid-1990s.
Shots of perfect symmetry, warm and engrossing color palettes, and a quirky roster of characters all voiced by some of the biggest names that Hollywood has ever produced. George Clooney and Meryl Streep, for example, along with a litany of frequent Anderson collaborators like Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Owen Wilson to name a few. It’s one of Anderson’s best films, and undoubtedly a faithful adaptation.
5 The Pianist
Starring Adrien Brody in the definitive role of his career, this project spelled “Oscar darling” from the onset of production. The aforementioned performer of course picked up the honor for Best Actor with great reason. But The Pianist (2002) also featured admittedly competent direction from controversial American filmmaker Roman Polanski.
But with regard to the plot: it’s based on an autobiography from 1946, and both account for his experiences as not just a survivor of the holocaust, but also a well-revered composer. He’s a wizard when it comes to the piano, and Brody’s performance drove home the poignance that came with the film’s setting to an admirable degree. It comes in here at number five.
4 City of God
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Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, a writer named Bráulio Mantovani penned the script, adapting it from a 1997 novel of the same name by Paulo Lins. And although this might hold the least amount of name value from a perspective of modernity, there’s no denying that the Brazilian film City of God (2002) is among the highest-quality adaptations from the decade at hand.
It’s set in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro and follows the war between a drug dealer called Li'l Zé and a criminal nicknamed Knockout Ned. Most of the actors herein were legitimate residents of favella locations in Brazil, only adding to the caliber of their performances. And the overall product even picked up a couple nominations at the Oscars. Despite coming up short therein, in lands here at number four.
3 There Will Be Blood
Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the critically acclaimed film at hand was adapted from Oil! by Upton Sinclair. And while the final film product was somewhat of a far cry from the literary counterpart, the changes made to its plot were undoubtedly for the better. After all, There Will Be Blood (2007) is often considered among the finest pieces of the 21st century.
It follows the cold-blooded business ventures of an oilman named Daniel Plainview — played to an Academy Award-winning degree by Daniel Day-Lewis. He exhibits pure power in his portrayal of the protagonist as he quests for wealth during the oil boom of Southern California. The film also features performers such as Paul Dano and hit home from nearly every technical perspective that the medium has to offer, from continuity editing to cinematography. It’ll likely go down as a classic.
2 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
This may be a hot take for fans of the famous fantasy franchise from director Peter Jackson, but the penultimate spot should be nothing to hang one’s head about. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) holds tremendous name value today, and upon release it received widespread critical acclaim. Of course, it also dominated at the box office, but neither of those statistics truly indicate the quality of the adaptation at hand.
Each character portrayed their parts with poise and poignance around every corner of the film’s fantasy-based plot. Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, Ian McKellan as Gandalf, Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn — and that’s truly just touching the surface of the performances herein. Of course, its ensemble cast is far from the only qualitative element worth noting with regard to this fantasy epic, but it’s likely you already knew that. Fellowship ultimately comes in at number two.
1 No Country for Old Men
Adapted by Joel and Ethan Coen from Cormac MacCarthy’s 2005 novel of the same name, No Country for Old Men (2007) basically swept the 80th Academy Awards. It should go down as not just the best book adaptation of the 2000s, but one of the greatest titles thereof, ever. Just look at how perfectly they were able to portray the sociopathic tendencies of Anton Chigurh, the story’s main antagonist.
But there’s more to the brilliance of No Country for Old Men than the character therein. The subtext of its plot and dialogue in tandem with brilliant sound design rendered the film’s atmosphere palpable, almost macabre from the start. And that tone is seen into fruition until the film’s final frame, with thrilling moments and wonderful camerawork around every compelling corner. It undoubtedly deserves the top spot.