<p>Since the dawn of filmmaking, people have been making movies out of books. For whatever reason the concept of adaptation just seemed natural to filmmakers, and it continues to hold true today. Films based on books don’t always make as much money or have as much artistic merit, but when executed with a certain degree of finesse, can be gems of the Hollywood tradition. The gems include Gone with the Wind, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Godfather, and many more. Duds include the recent Watchmen, Salem’s Lot, and Starship Troopers, and more.</p><p>However, this year, despite the critical dud Watchmen, promises to be different, with a string of adaptations of good novels by acclaimed directors: The Lovely Bones, directed by Peter Jackson; Shutter Island, by Martin Scorsese; Youth in Revolt, by Miguel Arteta; Where the Wild Things Are, by Spike Jonze; and The Road, by John Hillcoat. Hopefully readers and movie-going audiences everywhere will be able to forget about Watchmen and Angels and Demons and enjoy the string of quality films that are set to release this year.</p>