NPR Highlights Books to Film in 2011

In a recent article, NPR highlighted several books that are being turned into films this year. Read the entire article here, or check out a couple below:

Adjustment Bureau (March 4)

The Book: This rom-thriller is "loosely" based on the short story "Adjustment Team" by science fiction master Philip K. Dick. In Dick's story, first published in Orbit in 1954, a real estate salesman named Fletcher suddenly gets caught up in a complex scheme to ease Soviet-bloc tensions — a series of mysterious events ensues.

The Film: Matt Damon plays an affable U.S. congressman who falls for a modern dancer in New York City (Emily Blunt), but strange forces (and yes, mysterious events) keep them apart. Watch the trailer.

See It With: The conspiracy theorist in your life.

The Lincoln Lawyer (March 18)

The Book: Crime novelist Michael Connelly can't and won't stop churning out hit books, and this is his 16th — the story of Micky Haller (half-brother of Connelly's main protagonist Heironymous Bosch), who operates a two-bit law practice out of the back of a Lincoln Town Car. Haller lands a wealthy client who wants off the hook for attempted murder charges against a lovely young woman, and the lies and demons spool out from there.

The Film: It is exciting to see Matthew McConaughey back in a meaty, dramatic role after he has spent so much time in board shorts (there are serious Time To Kill flashbacks here). With an ensemble cast that includes Marisa Tomei and Ryan Phillippe and the kind of grimy cinematography that popcorn was made for, The Lincoln Lawyer should be one of spring's big box office draws. Watch the trailer.

See It With: A second date. The action sequences and the soapy legalese will give you plenty to talk about over spaghetti.

Moneyball (Sept 23)

The Book: Uber-journalist Michael Lewis simply cannot write a bad book — he wrote The Blind Side, Liar's Poker, The Big Short and about 100 amazing magazine investigations. Moneyball is Lewis' glimpse inside the world of professional baseball. Published in 2003, the book follows the Oakland A's and their GM Billy Beane as the team attempts to win despite being one of the more broke franchises in the American League.

The Film: Brad Pitt. Philip Seymour Hoffman. Robin Wright. Jonah Hill (okay, that one is not like the others). Director Bennett Miller of Capote. That's all we need to say for now.

See It With: Your dad (or whoever drove you to tee-ball practice).