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Best Movies Based on Play

by khadafimusaad • Created 1 year ago • Modified 1 year ago
Which of these movies based on a play best adapts that play?

Please discuss here.
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  • 35 titles
  • Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

    1. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

    19752h 13mR84Metascore
    8.7 (1.1M)
    A rebellious convict is sent to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation in 1963 Oregon, and encourages his docile companions to take more control of their lives and defy the tyrannical head nurse.
    DirectorMilos FormanStarsJack NicholsonLouise FletcherMichael Berryman
    Based on Play by:
    Dale Wasserman (the play version: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by)
  • Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, Paul Henreid, and Conrad Veidt in Casablanca (1942)

    2. Casablanca

    19421h 42mPG100Metascore
    8.5 (639K)
    A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.
    DirectorMichael CurtizStarsHumphrey BogartIngrid BergmanPaul Henreid
    Based on Play by:
    Murray Burnett (from a play by) and
    Joan Alison (from a play by)
  • Amadeus (1984)

    3. Amadeus

    19842h 40mPG87Metascore
    8.4 (454K)
    The life and work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart seen through the eyes of his contemporary and rival, Antonio Salieri.
    DirectorMilos FormanStarsF. Murray AbrahamTom HulceElizabeth Berridge
    Based on Play by:
    Peter Shaffer (original stage play)
  • Andrew Keegan, Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Gabrielle Union, Susan May Pratt, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, David Krumholtz, and Larisa Oleynik in 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

    4. 10 Things I Hate About You

    19991h 37mPG-1370Metascore
    7.4 (429K)
    A high-school boy, Cameron, cannot date Bianca until her anti-social older sister, Kat, has a boyfriend. So, Cameron pays a mysterious boy, Patrick, to charm Kat.
    DirectorGil JungerStarsHeath LedgerJulia StilesJoseph Gordon-Levitt
    Based on Play by:
    William Shakespeare (play) (uncredited)
  • Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Sacha Baron Cohen, Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried, and Eddie Redmayne in Les Misérables (2012)

    5. Les Misérables

    20122h 38mPG-1363Metascore
    7.5 (357K)
    In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who, for decades, has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after breaking parole, agrees to care for a factory worker's daughter. The decision changes their lives forever.
    DirectorTom HooperStarsHugh JackmanRussell CroweAnne Hathaway
    Based on Play by:
    Alain Boublil (based on: the original stage musical "Les Misérables") (as Boubil) and
    Claude-Michel Schönberg (based on: the original stage musical "Les Misérables") (as Schönberg)
  • Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men (1992)

    6. A Few Good Men

    19922h 18mR62Metascore
    7.7 (307K)
    A military lawyer intends to prove that two US Marines charged with murdering a fellow Marine were only following their base commander's orders.
    DirectorRob ReinerStarsTom CruiseJack NicholsonDemi Moore
    Based on Play by:
    Aaron Sorkin (play)
  • Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Robin Williams, Bob Hoskins, Dante Basco, David Crosby, Robert Amico, Jasen Fisher, Stephanie Furst, Raushan Hammond, James Madio, Regina Russell Banali, Alex Zuckerman, and Paul Babb in Hook (1991)

    7. Hook

    19912h 22mPG52Metascore
    6.8 (285K)
    When Captain James Hook kidnaps his children, an adult Peter Pan must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit in order to challenge his old enemy.
    DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsDustin HoffmanRobin WilliamsJulia Roberts
    Based on Play by:
    J.M. Barrie (play)
  • Meet Joe Black (1998)

    8. Meet Joe Black

    19982h 58mPG-1343Metascore
    7.2 (289K)
    Death, who takes the form of a young man killed in an accident, asks a media mogul to act as his guide to teach him about life on Earth and, in the process, he falls in love with the mogul's daughter.
    DirectorMartin BrestStarsBrad PittAnthony HopkinsClaire Forlani
    Based on Play by:
    Alberto Casella (play) (inspiration)
    Walter Ferris (play) (inspiration)
  • Claire Danes, Leonardo DiCaprio, John Leguizamo, Jamie Kennedy, Dash Mihok, and Harold Perrineau in Romeo + Juliet (1996)

    9. Romeo + Juliet

    19962hPG-1360Metascore
    6.7 (254K)
    Shakespeare's famous play is updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona still retaining its original dialogue.
    DirectorBaz LuhrmannStarsLeonardo DiCaprioClaire DanesJohn Leguizamo
    Based on Play by:
    William Shakespeare (play)
  • Richard Gere, Renée Zellweger, and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Chicago (2002)

    10. Chicago

    20021h 53mPG-1381Metascore
    7.2 (252K)
    Two death-row murderesses develop a fierce rivalry while competing for publicity, celebrity, and a sleazy lawyer's attention.
    DirectorRob MarshallStarsRenée ZellwegerCatherine Zeta-JonesRichard Gere
    Based on Play by:
    Maurine Dallas Watkins (play)
  • Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, and Clive Owen in Closer (2004)

    11. Closer

    20041h 44mR65Metascore
    7.1 (247K)
    The relationships of two couples become complicated and deceitful when the man from one couple meets the woman of the other.
    DirectorMike NicholsStarsNatalie PortmanJude LawClive Owen
    Based on Play by:
    Patrick Marber (play)
  • George Clooney and Ryan Gosling in The Ides of March (2011)

    12. The Ides of March

    20111h 41mR67Metascore
    7.1 (236K)
    A campaign press secretary becomes involved in a scandal that threatens his candidate's election chances.
    DirectorGeorge ClooneyStarsPaul GiamattiGeorge ClooneyPhilip Seymour Hoffman
    Based on Play by:
    Beau Willimon (based on the play "Farragut North" by)
  • Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail (1998)

    13. You've Got Mail

    19981h 59mPG58Metascore
    6.7 (240K)
    Book superstore magnate Joe Fox and independent book shop owner Kathleen Kelly fall in love in the anonymity of the Internet, both blissfully unaware that he's trying to put her out of business.
    DirectorNora EphronStarsTom HanksMeg RyanGreg Kinnear
    Based on Play by:
    Miklós László (play) (as Nikolaus Laszlo)
  • Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet in Finding Neverland (2004)

    14. Finding Neverland

    20041h 46mPG67Metascore
    7.6 (216K)
    The story of Sir J.M. Barrie's friendship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan.
    DirectorMarc ForsterStarsJohnny DeppKate WinsletJulie Christie
    Based on Play by:
    Allan Knee (play)
  • Memories of Murder (2003)

    15. Memories of Murder

    20032h 12mNot Rated82Metascore
    8.1 (250K)
    In a small Korean province in 1986, two detectives struggle with the case of multiple young women being found raped and murdered by an unknown culprit.
    DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoKim Sang-kyungKim Roe-ha
    Based on Play by:
    Kwang-rim Kim (play)
  • The Seventh Seal (1957)

    16. The Seventh Seal

    19571h 36mNot Rated88Metascore
    8.1 (211K)
    A knight returning to Sweden after the Crusades seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.
    DirectorIngmar BergmanStarsMax von SydowGunnar BjörnstrandBengt Ekerot
    Based on Play by:
    Ingmar Bergman (play)
  • Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin in Incendies (2010)

    17. Incendies

    20102h 11mR80Metascore
    8.3 (236K)
    Twins journey to the Middle East to discover their family history and fulfill their mother's last wishes.
    DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsLubna AzabalMélissa Désormeaux-PoulinMaxim Gaudette
    Based on Play by:
    Wajdi Mouawad (play)
  • Brendan Fraser in The Whale (2022)

    18. The Whale

    20221h 57mR60Metascore
    7.6 (252K)
    A reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.
    DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsBrendan FraserSadie SinkTy Simpkins
    Based on Play by:
    Samuel D. Hunter (based on the play by)
  • Grace Kelly and Anthony Dawson in Dial M for Murder (1954)

    19. Dial M for Murder

    19541h 45mPG75Metascore
    8.2 (200K)
    A London playboy plots the perfect murder of his rich, unfaithful Wife.
    DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsRay MillandGrace KellyRobert Cummings
    Based on Play by:
    Frederick Knott (as adapted from his play)
  • Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman in The Father (2020)

    20. The Father

    20201h 37mPG-1388Metascore
    8.2 (219K)
    A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. When he tries to understand what is happening around him, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.
    DirectorFlorian ZellerStarsAnthony HopkinsOlivia ColmanMark Gatiss
    Based on Play by:
    Florian Zeller (play)
  • Jeremy Irvine in War Horse (2011)

    21. War Horse

    20112h 26mPG-1372Metascore
    7.2 (171K)
    A young farm boy enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. His hopeful journey takes him out of England and onto the front lines as the war rages on.
    DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsJeremy IrvineEmily WatsonDavid Thewlis
    Based on Play by:
    Nick Stafford (based on the stage play by)
  • Robert De Niro, Lillo Brancato, and Chazz Palminteri in A Bronx Tale (1993)

    22. A Bronx Tale

    19932h 1mR80Metascore
    7.8 (176K)
    An intense drama about a boy torn between his tough, hard-working father and a violent yet charismatic crime boss.
    DirectorRobert De NiroStarsRobert De NiroChazz PalminteriLillo Brancato
    Based on Play by:
    Chazz Palminteri (based on his play)
  • James Stewart, Joan Chandler, and John Dall in Rope (1948)

    23. Rope

    19481h 20mApproved73Metascore
    7.9 (162K)
    Two men try to convince themselves they've committed the perfect murder by hosting a dinner party after strangling a former classmate to death.
    DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartJohn DallFarley Granger
    Based on Play by:
    Patrick Hamilton (from the play by)
  • June Foray, Kathryn Beaumont, Tony Butala, Candy Candido, Paul Collins, Hans Conried, Bobby Driscoll, Robert Ellis, Connie Hilton, Margaret Kerry, Tommy Luske, John Wilder, Jeffrey Silver, and Stuffy Singer in Peter Pan (1953)

    24. Peter Pan

    19531h 17mG76Metascore
    7.3 (162K)
    Wendy and her brothers are whisked away to the magical world of Neverland with the hero of their stories, Peter Pan.
    DirectorsClyde GeronimiWilfred JacksonHamilton LuskeStarsBobby DriscollKathryn BeaumontHans Conried
    Based on Play by:
    J.M. Barrie (an adaptation of the play "Peter Pan" by) (as Sir James M. Barrie)
  • Philip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and Amy Adams in Doubt (2008)

    25. Doubt

    20081h 44mPG-1368Metascore
    7.5 (143K)
    A Catholic school principal questions a priest's ambiguous relationship with a troubled young student.
    DirectorJohn Patrick ShanleyStarsMeryl StreepPhilip Seymour HoffmanAmy Adams
    Based on Play by:
    John Patrick Shanley (play)

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