8 Films inspired by Classic Literature

8. Clueless

This film about a rich, beautiful teenager dabbling in matchmaking and finding herself confused about love in the process, is the film that really launched Alicia Silverstone. It also inspired a passable TV series, but at the heart of its plot, was the 1815 novel Emma, by Jane Austen. Even the writers admit that it was only a loose inspiration.


7. What Love is

Panned on release, this indie release actually has a very good cast to it. Its basically one extended conversation about love, and bears more than a resemblance to Plato's classic musing on love, "The Symposium"


6. A Knight's Tale

A lowerclassman dupes the world into believing he is a noble, so that he can joust his way into the pants of his beloved, and beat the nobleman who once mocked him. Its a tale of Knights and gladiatorial spectacles, with an MTV twist and dollops of hit and miss humour. Surprisingly, it is based (very) loosely on The Knights Tale from The Canterbery Tales


5. O

A High school adaptation of Othello, this one sticks fairly close to the original plot, and unlike most of the other teen films of its type is placed deadpan without laughs, as the source material dictates. Look out especially for Julia Stiles in one of her better roles

4. Forbidden Planet

This sci-fi classic gave us Robby the Robot, and a chance to see Leslie Nielson in an early, non-comedy role. It even had a chain store named after it, but funnily enough, it was based on Shakespeare's The Tempest

3. O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Taking its title from Sullivan's travels, this is a depression era comedy about 3 escaped convicts on the long road to a soon-to-expire treasure. Despite the rural Mississippi setting, the film is based on an old Greek text, Homer’s Odyssey.

2. 10 Things I Hate About You

Stiles and Ledger again, this time joined by Alex Mack in a High school romcom retelling of the taming of the shrew. I have a soft spot for this film, its sweet and funny and oddly witty, but the less said about the TV spin off the better


1. Easy A

This is a great throwback to the teen films of old, and features the always delightful Emma Stone. The plot is a very loose, modern reworking of The Scarlet Letter, the book itself even being mentioned in the film