Awesome Adaptations (9) - Much Ado About Nothing

Awesome Adaptations is a weekly bookish meme, hosted at Alisa Selene’s books blog, Picturemereading.  Anyone can play along! Each week there is a new category of adaptation to blog about. Any format (television series, film, web series, etc.) is acceptable as long as it is based in some form on a book. If you’re playing along on your own blog, just mention Picturemereading in your post and include the banner above. Let them know which film you’d pick and why it is an awesome adaptation worth watching. Oh, and don’t forget to share the link to your own post in the comments for that week’s challenge so that everyone can read your thoughts!

A story so awesome they adapted it twice

Title: Much Ado About Nothing

Adapted from Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Much Ado About Nothing has been adapted more than twice, but these two versions stand out to me as exceptional adaptations that easily encompasses the wit and humor and drama in the play and also has that extra kick of awesomeness.

The 1993 film

The cast, the film locations, the music, and even the colors make this film so vibrant and beautiful to watch and makes this story of love and jealousy and misunderstanding exuberant and joyful. And just look at the cast!  An amazing collection of talent and they embody their characters so well. The actors make the dialogue flow so effortlessly and the drama so believable, which is important because it could so easily tend to the melodramatic.  The whole film just makes you want to go on swings, ride horses, have parties, wear masks, fall in love - live life!  

The 2005 TV movie

This version is a modern update of the story, and is set around a television news show. With the changes, and the focus more on Benedick and Beatrice, this adaptation emphasizes the humor but still maintains the heart of the story.  It's a wonderful adaptation with all the characters completely recognizable from the original, but with added dimension and character.  The updates also work surprisingly well considering some of the old fashion plot points in the original.  They do make one change to the ending which is a little sad, but completely understandable.  All the actors in this film stand out, but I must admit that Damien Lewis is especially awesome as self-absorbed, playboy Ben and his chemistry with Sarah Parish as Beatrice is palpable.  This is such a fun adaptation!