Many excellent television programs and motion pictures have been adapted from novels such as the Lords of the Rings trilogy, David Fincher’s Gone Girl, or most recently, Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragons. In addition to fictional books, memoirs are another excellent source of outstanding adaptations because they are based on real people with real memories.
There are a lot of memoirs available that have the potential to be the next big thing in movies, with exciting cinematic components that may be overlooked. Ranging from a Sex and the City-like memoir to some somber reflections about approaching death.
Educated - Tara Westover
Tara Westover, who was raised by survivalists in the Idaho mountains, didn't go to the doctor or set her feet in a classroom until she was 17 years old. Educated tells the story of how Westover educated herself to gain admission to Brigham Young University and later, Cambridge and Harvard, where she studied history and learned about significant world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement, as well as how different she was from other members of her family.
The drama in the Westover family or the difficulties she had in school are only a few examples of the cinematic elements that Educated has to offer for a great adaptation. Additionally, this memoir needs to be turned into a motion picture because it will send a chilling and important message to mass audiences about the value of education.
The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying - Nina Riggs
Through the narrative of Nina Riggs, a mother of two who was initially diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 37, The Bright Hour examines motherhood, marriage, friendship, and living on borrowed time. She was devastated to learn that her cancer was terminal within a year.
Examining a cancer patient's life and the lives of others around her is important, but rarely something people want to witness since it’s too painful. Additionally, the book conveys a crucial message about what makes life worthwhile in the face of mortality through the comprehensive account of Riggs' treatment, hence, it ought to be widely delivered to everyone through a feature film adaptation.
Unwifeable: A Memoir - Mandy Stadtmiller
Mandy Stadtmiller arrived in Manhattan in 2005, freshly divorced, 30 years old, employed by the New York Post, and prepared to take over the city by storm. Stadtmiller went on to write about dating, networking, celebrities, psychology, relationships, and addictions with some dark secrets like a real-life Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) from Sex and the City in her memoir, Unwifeable.
The book has enough glamorous and cinematic qualities to be turned into a TV show that might draw a sizable female audience as well as individuals looking to start their careers in New York. Additionally, Unwifeable: A Memoir is brazen and unapologetic in that it criticizes a subject rather than romanticizes it, which might open a new door for the dark humor TV show genre.
The Woman Warrior - Maxine Hong Kingston
The Woman Warrior is one of the most significant tales that has to be recounted on the big screen, having been released more than 40 years ago. The author, Maxine Hong Kingston’s Chinese myths, family tales, and events from her California childhood that have influenced her identity as a Chinese American woman, was narrated beautifully in her memoir.
The story veers and alternates between the actual world, the ghost world, and family lore, creating fascinating on-screen storytelling. Moreover, Kingston's story, which provides an emotional and in-depth insight into the lives of immigrants and shows how torn and confused they were at the crossroads of adapting and conserving, can be related to many.
Give a Girl a Knife - Amy Thielen
Give a Girl a Knife details the author Amy Thielen's journey in quest of her culinary roots from her small-town Midwestern hometown to the seductive world of gourmet dining in New York City. And in the end, she is forced to confront her past and learn a startling fact: the most crucial component in cooking is a taste memory.
Give a Girl a Knife includes a lot of fascinating insights into the posh world of fine dining as well as delectable food components that can greatly enhance an adaptation. In addition, Thielen's confidence also opens up the option for the adaptation to be much more than just another food-related film or TV series. Depending on the filmmakers' point of view, there are countless possibilities.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons From The Crematory - Caitlin Doughty
The author, Caitlin Doughty was a twenty-something woman with a degree in medieval history and a penchant for the macabre when she took a position at a crematory and made morbid curiosity her life's work. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes is an interesting coming-of-age tale filled with odd interactions and memorable situations.
This ordinarily taboo subject is made approachable and compelling by Doughty's engaging writing style, making it potentially fascinating textual material for cinema. In addition, there aren’t many films exist that tell the story of the unsung hero of the crematory; but, with the help of this exquisite memoir and its vividly engaging characters, it may become the first.
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood - Trevor Noah
In his autobiography, Trevor Noah, the well-known anchor of The Daily Show, details his boyhood in South Africa, where the birth of children of mixed parents during the apartheid era was considered a criminal act. Born a Crime also centers on the bond between Noah and his daring, rebellious, and ardently devout mother, who was committed to delivering her son from the cycle of destitution, abuse, and violence that would inevitably endanger her own life.
Noah depicts a harsh and traumatic childhood that deserves to be on the big screen with the same humor and depth he utilizes in his stand-up comedy. In addition, many people will be made aware of the horrible history of oppression thanks to the big screen, and from the perspective of an innocent child.
When They Call You A Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir - Patrice Khan-Cullors & Asha Bandele
When They Call You a Terrorist is about the meaning of being a Black woman in America through the perspective of the author, Patrice Khan-Cullors, and how her outrage after Trayvon Martin’s killer went free in 2013, inspired her to co-found the Black Lives Matter movement with Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi.
The memoir is an unvarnished and honest book that contains enough information to produce an instructive and enlightening adaptation. Films like these should be produced, especially now when the movement is more powerful than ever, to widely convey the idea that all lives matter.
3 Sisters 3 Weeks 3 Countries (Still Talking): A Humorous and Heartfelt Memoir - Elizabeth Moore Kraus
The three Moore sisters, all in their mid-sixties and feeling secure in life, decided to embark on their first ever journey together, visiting Scotland, England, and Ireland is documented in 3 Sisters, 3 Weeks, 3 Countries written by Elizabeth Moore Kraus, one of the three protagonists.
A TV show or feature film adaptation of this novel would be interesting because it is full of ups, and downs, sisterhood, friendship, comedy, and life lessons. The adaptation will undoubtedly entice not only audiences with sisters but also ones who are yearning for a feel-good family movie that will motivate a quick family trip or simply inspire them to be better people.