Movies in which they changed the ending from the book.

[vansmack]

The Natural is the one that seems to shock most people.  As Mr. Wallace pointed out, he does strike out in the book - this traumatized me as a child in the theater when he didn't strike out.  I just couldn't believe at age 10 that somebody would have the gall to drastically change the ending.
 
 I was also surprised at how the ending of "About A Boy" was changed from the book.  It was verbatim for the first 3/4 of the movie and then just went in a completely different direction.

[kosmo vinyl]

and of course the whole clan tartan was an invention of an Englishmen

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

Originally posted by Brian Wallace:
 ...a "triple threat" at NOTHING...

I've used that expression for years to describe Jennifer Lopez. You know, when I'm not using "fat."

[Jaguar]

Not really the ending but the entire focus of the story itself: The Fountainhead. I loved the book but the film absolutely sucked. All they really did was extract the very basics of the love story from the book and put that on film which was actually the least important part of the entire book. Worse yet, it was so flat it almost seemed plotless. It was bad enough that they left all the important good stuff out but they even ruined what they did use.
 
 The book is extremely good but don't ever waste your time on the movie.

[Chip Chanko]

The Bridge On The River Kwai. They changed it to "on" instead of "over." And the order of things blowing up changed.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by Jaguar:
   The Fountainhead. I loved the book but the film absolutely sucked.

Ahh, Dominique Francon.  I couldn't agree more Jag.

[Mobius]

Apparently they changed the ending of the The Last Detail so that Buddusky doesn't die, although I haven't read the book (and I'm not sure anyone has).  That's an awesome movie.  Maybe Nicholson's best work.

[smakawhat]

most books are completely re-written for the screen.  Elmer Gantry is a perfect example (the movie is just awful with the exception of Lancaster's performance).  The book is great btw.
 
 York was never sacked by the way...

[nkotb]

The best re-write is the Scarlet Letter.  I always found the book tedious, but man, if you add in a happy ending AND an indian attack, you've sold me.  And that slave bathroom candle masturbation scene?  GOLD!

[Frank Gallagher]

Angelas Ashes

[evilizac]

Not a book, book per se but a graphic novel, "Ghostworld" took what was maybe a minute fraction of the story (maybe two to four pages) and turned it into a whole plot thread. It does boast having America's sweetheart Scarlett Johansson in a she's not quite America's sweetheart co-star role.
 Also Steve Buschemi whom always seems to make a movie that much more watchable. So eh.