Since the days of silent pictures, the film industry has been using the stage as a source of material for the silver screen. With original material becoming harder and harder for studios to green light, the number of movies hitting cinemas and streaming services that have been adapted from plays is only increasing.
Because of their focus on sharp dialogue and tensing drama, stage plays often translate very fluently to the big screen. While films such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and West Side Story became big hits on the screen, there are a number of great theater adaptations that went under the radar throughout movie history.
'The Whale' (2022)
Over the last decade, through films such as Noah and Mother!, Darren Aronofsky has proven to be one of the most talented yet divisive filmmakers working in Hollywood. His latest film The Whale, adapted from the play of the same name by Samuel D Hunter, stars Brendan Fraser as a reclusive teacher who tries to reconnect with his teenage daughter.
As he did with Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, Aronofsky rips out a transformative performance from a former leading man that has already begun to garner heavy praise. A faithful adaptation of the original, The Whale works as powerfully in a theater as it did on the stage, mostly because it manages to retain its intensity and intimacy.
'Tape' (2001)
Perhaps the most underrated film in the extensive catalog of Richard Linklater, Tape's quality far outstretches its measly $100,000 budget. A three-person ensemble piece of Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Uma Thurman, Tape starts off as a meeting between two old high school friends which quickly reveals unresolved secrets.
The script, by the original playwright Stephen Belber, moves effortlessly through the plot with perfect pace and timing. Confined to one location like in the stage production, Tape showcases premium acting, with Hawke, in particular, showing incredible versatility and range as an actor. Clever and suspenseful, the secrets of Tape unravel to create a dark and thought-provoking adaptation.
'SubUrbia' (1996)
Not to be confused with Penelope Spheeris's 1984 cult classic of the same name, 1996's SubUrbia affirms Richard Linklater as a master of the stage adaptation. Written and adapted by actor, monologuist, and all-around renaissance man Eric Bogosian, SubUrbia is set around the monotonous lives of five teenagers in the fictional small town of Burnfield. The darker and more desolate cousin of Dazed and Confused, SubUrbia also showcases an immaculate 90s soundtrack.
Coming off the critical and commercial hits of Dazed and Confused and Before Sunrise, it would have seemed like a perplexing choice at the time for Linklater to direct an indie film from another writer. However, that just proves the quality of writing that SubUrbia possesses. Featuring an ensemble cast with some of the finest character actors of the 90s such as Parker Posey and Nicky Katt, SubUrbia is an at times hilarious, at times melancholy look at teenage hope and malaise.
'When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?' (1979)
Directed by veteran stage director and acting instructor Milton Katselas, When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? is almost two hours of pure ferocity on screen. Starring former evangelist and occasional actor Marjoe Gortner, the film centers around a troubled Vietnam veteran who holds the customers of a roadside dinner hostage and subjects them to his wrath and anger.
Written by Mark Medoff, who would later go on to be nominated for an Oscar for Children of a Lesser God, When You Comin' Back Red Ryder? is a direct and unapologetic retrospective critique of 1960s American culture. With minimal attention upon release, the film isn't widely known, but with its vivid winning supporting performances and wild energy, it certainly should be.
'Rabbit Hole' (2010)
Rabbit Hole delicately explores its subject matter, which includes loss and grief, to deliver a wildly affecting and profoundly tragic film. Starring Aaron Eckhart and Nicole Kidman, who would be nominated for an Academy Award for her role, Rabbit Hole explores a couple who explore solace in different ways after their young son gets killed in a road accident.
The movie, adapted by David Lindsay-Abaire from his Pulitzer Prize-winning play, features several expanded scenes and storylines from the stage version. However, this proves to be beneficial, allowing for rich supporting performances, notably from Sandra Oh and Dianne Wiest. John Cameron Mitchell's direction is gentle, making the film a difficult but ultimately rewarding Rabbit Hole to go down.
'Six Degrees of Separation' (1993)
Six Degrees of Separation didn't prove Will Smith was a movie star, but it proved he was a great actor. Written by John Guare from his acclaimed 1990 play, the film concerns Paul, a young man who shows up unannounced at the apartment of a wealthy New York couple, claiming to be a friend of their children as well as the son of actor Sidney Poitier. Although an adaptation of a well-known play, the film failed to gain traction at the box office, grossing a meager $6.4 million.
Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing are exceptional as the waspy socialites, but it's Smith who steals the show. His multifaceted performance shows off his vulnerability, charm, and cunning, highlighted by one of the great monologues of the decade. Both a biting social satire and ingenious comedy, Six Degrees of Separation expands its source material to make it a brilliantly literate and engrossing watch.
'Melvin Goes to Dinner' (2003)
It's hard to find a movie with more beloved actors in it than Melvin Goes to Dinner. Not to mention one that grossed less than five thousand dollars at the box office. Written and co-starring Michael Blieden, based on his play Phyro-Giants!, Melvin Goes to Dinner is about four vaguely connected friends who engage in lively conversation one night over dinner.
Directed by Bob Odenkirk, the movie features cameos from Jack Black, Fred Armisen, and Kristen Wiig, as well as many other well-known actors and comedians. While the dialogue is the star of the film, Melvin Goes to Dinner has an uncharacteristically engaging plot with an impressive twist at the end, making it a continuously funny and entertaining watch.
'Vanya on 42nd Street' (1994)
This one is cheating a bit. A filmed adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, Vanya on 42nd Street features an ensemble of actors performing Chekhov's masterpiece as adapted by the great American playwright David Mamet. Documented by Louis Malle in his final film, the idea was conceived by longtime Malle collaborator Andre Gregory as a filmed rehearsal of a real production Gregory had been working on.
The movie stars Wallace Shawn, another longtime partner of Malle and Gregory, as the titular Vanya, while Julianne Moore portrays Yelena. While the public fanfare was modest, the film ended up on the year-end lists of many critics including Kenneth Turan and Gene Siskel. With Moore giving a striking showing, Vanya on 42nd Street is an unfiltered showcase of a first-rate production of a renowned play.
'The Shape of Things' (2003)
Since being one of the most riveting playwrights and screenwriters of the late 90s and early 21st century, Neil LaBute has slowly faded into oblivion. Once crowned the "reigning misanthrope" of American theater, LaBute's recent work has been largely dismissed. That recency bias is what has made his 2003 film The Shape of Things criminally underrated. The film is a four-person affair led by Rachel Weisz as Evelyn, an art student who starts to date the impressionable Adam, played by Paul Rudd.
All the actors reprise their roles from the original production of LaBute's play. The film, which LaBute adapted and directed himself, explores the themes that put him on the map with 1997's In the Company of Men, including intimacy and psychopathy. Almost 20 years in, The Shape of Things is sharp, cruel, and above all should not be forgotten.
'Death and the Maiden' (1994)
A masterclass in acting, Death and the Maiden is a tense showdown between a woman, and the man she believes to be her former attacker. Starring Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley alongside Stuart Wilson, the movie slowly disentangles to reveal its painful mystery with expert skill.
Directed by Roman Polanski, the film failed to garner mainstream exposure, despite it being adapted by Ariel Dorfman from his own quite prominent play. The combination of masterful direction and world-class acting from Kingsley and Weaver make Death and the Maiden a seamless, although underappreciated screen adaptation.