6. Election (1999)
Neither Tom Perrotta’s 1998 novel or the 1999 film Election are the most well-known, but the latter is certainly better than the former. Both follow high school teacher Jim McAllister as he attempts to sabotage the class president election campaign of a ruthlessly ambitious student named Tracy Flick. However, when directly comparing the two, the film is simply superior to the book on which it is based.
The novel is written from multiple perspectives – not just Tracy and McAllister but also other students involved in the election. However, the film focuses specifically on the two main characters, played by Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick. It’s in doing so that it quietly proves to be ones of those movies that are better than the source material.
By subtly cutting out a handful of less important plot points from the book, the film’s story feels more concise. However, it does maintain narration from other characters, offering some of their perspectives much as they’re presented in the book. In doing so, the film manages to improve upon the book’s story while still keeping it entirely intact. Adding in a few major Hollywood stars didn’t hurt either. It also offers a darker ending than the book, which fits the narrative perfectly.