7. Pitch Perfect (2012)
For many, Pitch Perfect is something of a guilty pleasure. A musical comedy that somehow made a cappella music seem cool, it managed to combined the feel of the typical college movie with a slightly cheesy musical using a slew of pop songs. The result was far better than it deserved to be – so good, in fact, that it far outshone the book it was inspired by.
It’s not the most well-known factoid, but Pitch Perfect is actually based on a nonfiction book called Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate a Cappella Glory by Mickey Rapkin. The reason that fact isn’t so well known really speaks to why it’s included on this list. Basically, a nonfiction book about a capella really doesn’t carry the same mass appeal as a major musical blockbuster.
Pitch Perfect takes the essence of Rapkin’s book and quite literally brings it to life. The film’s ensemble cast, snappy musical numbers, and raucous comedy all help to elevate the movie far beyond the original book. After all, movies about music have the advantage of actually being able to contain music, rather than books which just contain… words about music? No contest, really.