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as i've said in class, i think that a good adaptation departs from the original so that it can be a new work of art, great in its own right. for example vincent minelli's madame bovary from 1949 starring jennifer jones and van heflin invents a scene that does not exist in flaubert's novel. it does this because it is too short to show a slow progression of feelings, so it makes all of the tension that mounts in the book explode at the ball. (the ball scene exists in the book, but charles does not get drunk and embarrass emma, windows aren't broken and she doesn't faint, it's just a typical ball). another great adaptation is "the heiress" from 1939 starring olivia de havilland and montgomery clift.