Academy Award frontrunners like Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock delivered the right stuff on screen in 2009. But, their golden trek to the Oscars began thanks to these authors and their acclaimed books. Read all about it!
A Single Man
If not for Christopher Isherwood's 1964 novel "A Single Man" and Tom Ford's resolve to film it, Oscar contender Colin Firth would still be known to North Americans as that British guy who wooed Bridget Jones.
The story: A gay professor (Firth) struggles to find meaning in his life after the death of his partner (Matthew Goode).
The author: "A Single Man" was one of the first novels about the gay liberation movement. English-born Isherwood (1904-1986) is best-known for the book "Goodbye to Berlin." It developed into the musical "Cabaret," which later became a film starring Liza Minnelli. It went on to win eight Oscars.
Book facts: Like the book's hero, Isherwood was a professor in Los Angeles during the 1950s and early '60s.
Book-to-film facts: Designer Ford first met Firth at a party thrown by Madonna, and they reconnected at the opening of "Mamma Mia!" Although the role of George was already cast, Ford reportedly vented, "Goddamn it, goddamn it, goddamn it. I need Colin Firth."
Oscar nod: Best Actor (Firth).
An Education
Carey Mulligan is Hollywood's ingénue to know thanks to the golden coming-of-age tale, "An Education." Based on Lynn Barber's hit memoir, Mulligan turned real-life teen heartache into a star-making performance.
The story: An ambitious 16-year-old schoolgirl meets an older man and begins an illuminating relationship.
The author: British journalist Barber works for The Sunday Times. Best-known for her interviews, Barber's earlier books include "Mostly Men" and "How to Improve Your Man in Bed."
Book facts: "An Education" started as a short piece written for a British literary magazine. Barber's teen experiences taught her not to trust people. As she says, "I learned to suspect that anyone and everyone is capable of living a lie."
Book-to-film facts: Screenplay writer Nick Hornby liked "An Education" because its heroine was afraid of missing out on life. As Hornby says, "That, to me, is a big story in popular culture. It's the story of pretty much every rock 'n' roll band."
Oscar nods: Best Actress (Mulligan); Best Adapted Screenplay (Hornby); Best Picture.
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
"Precious" scored loads of attention thanks to producers Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry. But, "Precious" owes its award-show glow to "Push" author Sapphire.
The story: A Harlem teen breaks free of abuse thanks to the help of a caring teacher.
The author: Based in New York City, 59-year-old Sapphire was a performance artist, social worker and teacher before becoming a celebrated author.
Book facts: "Push" was discovered by feminist literary agent, Charlotte Sheedy. Sapphire submitted the first 100 pages to a publisher auction in 1995. The highest bidder offered her $500,000 to finish the novel.
Book-to-film facts: It took eight years before Daniels convinced Sapphire to let him turn "Push" into a movie. As Daniels told examiner.com, "She felt that it was meant for literature, and only literature. I had to explain to her…‘Your book is etched in stone forever.' Like, nobody's gonna say, ‘The book sucks because the movie sucks.'"
Oscar nods: Best Director (Daniels); Best Actress (Gabourey Sidibe); Best Supporting Actress (Mo'Nique); Best Film Editing (Joe Klotz); Best Picture; Best Adapted Screenplay (Geoffrey Fletcher).
Crazy Heart
Inspired by Thomas Cobb's obscure 1987 novel, Jeff Bridges turned "Crazy Heart" into an awards-show annihilator in 2010.
The story: A washed-up country-music star (Bridges) breaks free from the bottle and finds redemption.
The author: Cobb is an English professor at Rhode Island College.
The inspiration: In the early-80s Cobb saw country legend Hank Thompson open for Conway Twitty. Best known for his 1952 hit "The Wild Side of Life," Cobb was shocked to see this icon playing with a pickup band. He used the incident to create the character of Bad Blake for a PhD writing class.
Book facts: "Crazy Heart" sold less than 20,000 copies and went out of print. The film's success prompted a reprinting after 23 years.
Book-to-film-facts: Film rights were first sold to "Gong Show" emcee Chuck Barris, and later resold over the years. Director Scott Cooper asked Cobb to write the screenplay. Cobb declined.
Oscar nods: Best Actor (Bridges), Best Supporting Actress (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Best Original Song
Up in the Air
Inspired by Walter Kirn's 2001 novel, Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air" captured the era of corporate downsizing while it was still happening.
The story: A career transition counsellor tries to earn one million frequent flyer miles as he preps laid-off workers to reenter the job market.
The author: Princeton-grad Kirn is an American novelist, literary critic and essayist. His earlier novel, "Thumbsucker," was made into a 2005 movie featuring Keanu Reeves.
Book facts: Kirn wrote "Up in the Air" during a snowbound winter on a ranch in Montana. His inspiration came from a conversation with a passenger in a first class cabin. On the road 300 days a year, the passenger described the flight crew as "family."
Book-to-film facts: Director Reitman stumbled on Kirn's novel in the L.A. bookstore, Book Soup. He persuaded his father, Ivan Reitman, to purchase the film rights.
Oscar nods: Best Actor (George Clooney); Best Supporting Actress (Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick); Best Director (Reitman); Best Adapted Screenplay (Reitman, Sheldon Turner); Best Picture.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
First published in 1970, Roald Dahl's celebrated children's novel got a new lease on life in 2009 thanks to Wes Anderson's cheeky film adaptation.
The story: Tired of his boring life, Mr. Fox outwits his farmer neighbours and steals their food right from under their noses.
The author: Dahl was a British novelist and screenwriter. He rose to prominence in the 1940s with works for children and adults. His best-known books include "James and the Giant Peach" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
Book facts: "Fantastic Mr. Fox" was originally published with illustrations by Donald Chaffin. The book was later published with new illustrations by Quentin Blake, Tony Ross and Jill Bennett.
Book-to-film facts: Dahl was one of Wes Anderson's heroes. That is why he agreed to turn "Fantastic Mr. Fox" into a stop-motion movie.
Oscar nods: Best Original Score; Best Animated Feature Film.
Coraline
Neil Gaiman's 2002 fantasy novel, "Coraline," has often been compared to Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland." That comparison, plus a fine film adaptation by director Henry Selick, gave "Coraline" more golden glow in 2009.
The story: Coraline Jones moves in with her busy mother and father in the Pink Palace Apartments. Tired of being ignored, the child goes through a secret door and discovers a fantasy world that is far from perfect.
The author: British author Gaiman is called the "rock star" of the literary world. His best-known sci-fi tales include "Stardust," "American Gods" and "The Graveyard Book."
Book facts: "Coraline" nabbed the 2002 Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers.
Book-to-film facts: It took 450 people, including animators, digital designers and technicians, to bring "Coraline" to the screen. Selick called this film a risk. As he says, "These days in animation, the safest bet is to take a risk."
Oscar nods: Best Animated Feature (Selick).
Invictus
Clint Eastwood's "Invictus" gave Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon plenty of Oscar ammo in 2010. That they owe to John Carlin's inspiring 2008 book, "Playing The Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation."
The story: Newly elected as South Africa's president, Mandela uses the 1995 Rugby World Cup to unite his country.
The author: Raised in Buenos Aires and England, Carlin became a well-known journalist and author with a taste for sports and politics.
Book facts: "Playing The Enemy" was released in the United States in 2009.
Book-to-film facts: Freeman was the first actor cast by Eastwood, followed by Damon. Damon also underwent rigorous training to portray Francois Pienaar, the captain of the South African rugby team.
Oscar nod: Best Actor (Freeman); Best Supporting Actor (Damon).
The Blind Side
Thanks to Michael Lewis' 2006 football book, Sandra Bullock found the right stuff to take her from "Miss Congeniality" fare to Oscar frontrunner.
The story: A homeless black teenager named Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) drifts in and out of the school system until one caring family transforms his life.
The author: Lewis is an American non-fiction author and financial journalist. His other bestsellers include "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game" and "Liar's Poker."
Book facts: Lewis blended his shrewd take on football strategy with Oher's rise from homelessness and poverty to football star.
Book-to-film facts: Bullock reportedly took a pay cut and percentage points on profits to land the lead in director John Lee Hancock's movie.
Oscar nods: Best Actress (Bullock); Best Picture.
The Lovely Bones
Stanley Tucci and the radiant Saoirse Ronan turned "The Lovely Bones" into a must-see fantasy flick in 2010. But, the real star here is Alice Sebold's 2002 bestseller. As Ronan told CTV.ca, "If it weren't for Alice none of this would have happened."
The story: A brutally murdered teenage girl looks down from heaven as her family get on with their lives.
The author: American novelist Sebold launched her career in 1999 with the memoir, "Lucky." It chronicled her rape, which happened while Sebold was a freshman at Syracuse University.
Book facts: Violence plays a crucial role in "The Lovely Bones." As Sebold told Publisher's Weekly, "I see it as just a part of life."
Book-to-film-facts: Director Peter Jackson liked "The Lovely Bones" because he found the narrator's humour "curiously optimistic." Jackson's biggest challenge was portraying the afterlife. As Ronan says, "Peter put all his energies into creating that in-between place Susie Salmon inhabits after her murder rather than a true picture of heaven."
Oscar nod: Best Supporting Actor (Tucci).
