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Looking for Help: Sports Books Made Into Movies

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Gold, Oct 25, 2008.

  1. Gold

    Gold Active Member

    My nephew is in 7th grade and has to do a book report on a book made into a movie - and they have to read the book, not just see the movie. The book can be fiction or non-fiction.

    He asked about some sports books, and the first I thought of were The Natural and Bang the Drum Slowly. I also thought of Eight Men Out and Paper Lion, and I thought of the Rookie, although I'm not sure whether that was a book before it was a movie.

    I'm sure there are more recent or other examples, and I am wondering if somebody can provide some more examples. Comments are appreciated. I thought Eight Men Out was an example where the book and the movieboth told pretty much the same story idea, while the Natural is an example of how the story ends up completely different.
     
  2. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    I Am Third by Gayle Sayers was the basis for "Brian's Song."
    Say it Ain't So Joe by Phil Kinsella was the basis for "Field of Dreams"
    I'd also recommend The Junction Boys book and movie about Bear Bryant's first team at Texas A&M.
     
  3. buckweaver

    buckweaver Active Member

    You're on the right track, Gold. Both "Eight Men Out" and "The Natural" lend themselves to pretty easy book reports -- especially the latter.

    The story "Shoeless Joe" was made into "Field of Dreams," and that's another one where there are enough similarities and differences to turn in a well-written, standard five-paragraph essay.

    But there's plenty of books made into movies, if he doesn't want to go the sports route:
    - "The Godfather"
    - "The Hobbit"/LOTR trilogy
    - "The Da Vinci Code"
    - "A Time to Kill" (or any other Grisham books)
    - "No Country for Old Men"
     
  4. buckweaver

    buckweaver Active Member

    "Shoeless Joe."
    Bill Kinsella.

    Double whammy. ;)
     
  5. PopeDirkBenedict

    PopeDirkBenedict Active Member

    Friday Night Lights
     
  6. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    I suck, Say it Ain't So ME!
     
  7. Fran Curci

    Fran Curci Well-Known Member

    "The Harder They Fall," the great Budd Schulberg book made into a movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Rod Steiger.

    More recently, "Seabiscuit."
     
  8. EStreetJoe

    EStreetJoe Well-Known Member

    The Natural would be a great pick because of the different endings. Changing the ending changes the meaning of the story.

    Non-sports division: countless books by Stephen King
     
  9. JR

    JR Well-Known Member

    Unless Gold's nephew is a voracious reader, some of these suggestions, great as they are, are way beyond a 7th grade kid
     
  10. buckweaver

    buckweaver Active Member

    No way. I was reading Stephen King in fifth grade. Fun times.
     
  11. JR

    JR Well-Known Member

    Buck, I wasn't thinking of King. More like Malamud, McCarthy or Seabiscuit.
     
  12. buckweaver

    buckweaver Active Member

    McCarthy, I'll grant ya. Not "The Natural" or even "Seabiscuit." A seventh-grader (who likes to read, granted) should have no problem with those.
     
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