We’ve reached the final matchup in our legendary quest to find the best literary film adaptation of the last 50 years.

Given the state of reality, it’s not too surprising that, after this weekend’s decisive voting, we’ve landed here: with two bombastic, widely rewatched movies set in far-off fantasy realms. They represent two different avenues for escapism: One is goofy, the other epic. And they represent two different metrics of “best”: One is a beloved cult classic (though not as esoteric as some who quote it in the wild might like to believe), the other a ubiquitous cultural juggernaut.

But which is the best? Your final choice remains.

[Click image to enlarge and zoom]

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INSTRUCTIONS:

We’re looking for the best contemporary film based on a book, short story, or play. In some cases we considered the difficulty and/or finesse of the adaptation itself, but mostly the question at hand is an easy one: Which movie, given the options, do you like best? That’s what you should vote for.

We’ve sorted our top 64 choices into four genre categories: Comedy, Drama, Action & Thriller, and Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror. Normal bracket rules apply, because sports. Each quadrant’s winner will face off on Friday, before the final head-to-head on Monday, April 20th to crown our winner.

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VOTING SCHEDULE:

Round of 64: Voting open Monday, April 13th from 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM EDT (See the results)

Round of 32: Voting open Tuesday, April 14th from 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM EDT (See the results)

Round of 16: Voting open Wednesday, April 15th from 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM EDT (See the results)

The Quarterfinals : Voting open Thursday April 16th from 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM EDT (See the results)

The Semifinals: Voting open Friday, April 17th from 10:00 AM, until Sunday April 19th at 7:00 PM EDT (See the results)

➤ The Finals: Voting open Monday, April 20th from 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM EDT

And the winner will be announced on Tuesday, April 21st!

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HOW TO VOTE:

We’ve got handy voting forms embedded below. Simply select which movie you think should advance, and we’ll tabulate the votes at the end of each day.

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And now, your feature presentation…

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MATCHUP:

The Princess Bride (1) vs.
The Return of the King (1)

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The Princess Bride
dir. Rob Reiner, 1987

Based on William Goldman’s The Princess Bride (1973)

Sub-genres: Your Bisexual Awakening • Cult Movies of Unusual Resonance(s) • Endlessly Quotable • Peak Patinkin

There are few films with a higher delight-to-runtime ratio than The Princess Bride. Its particular alchemy of postmodern irreverence and slapstick buffoonery has made it an enduring cult classic despite its initially underwhelming box office returns. Of course, it benefits from being adapted by Goldman himself—not so often is the author of the source text also an Academy Award-winning screenwriter—and from the fact that it was a particular passion project for Reiner, whose father had given him the book, and who was determined to adapt it despite the fact that Hollywood considered it unadaptable.

“When I first met Bill Goldman to talk about this,” Reiner remembered, “he said, ‘This is my favorite thing I’ve ever written, and I want this on my tombstone. And what are you going to do with it?’” Well, we all know the answer to that. –Emily Temple, Managing Editor

See also:

What Makes The Princess Bride Such a Great Movie • How Loving The Princess Bride Led Me to Buddhism

••••••••••vs••••••••••

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
dir. Peter Jackson, 2003

Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Return of the King (1955)

Sub-genres: Extended Edition or Die • Movies That Make Me Cry For Over One Full Hour • Sam Gamgee You Will Always Be Famous

The Lord of the Rings movies are some of the best films—let alone the best adaptations—ever made. What Jackson (and his co-writers Phillipa Boyens and Fran Walsh) manage to do with Return of the King is uphold the world and themes of the book while also clarifying the message and emotional stakes of the original text. They’re talented editors as much as they’re talented adaptors. There is a deep care and respect in every choice made, and no change is made lightly, no cut is made thoughtlessly. Like Tolkien’s novel, this movie is a masterwork of craft. Unlike Tolkien’s novel, we get to see many different crafts succeed at once: writing, editing, directing, costuming, acting, designing, and more. I could talk about this movie for a very long time, but instead I’ll just say: it’s probably been too long since you watched it. Throw it on and have a good 4+ hour cry. –MC

See also:

The Literary Power of Hobbits: How JRR Tolkien Shaped Modern Fantasy • Did Tolkien Write The Lord of the Rings Because He Was Avoiding His Academic Work? • Is The Lord of the Rings a Work of Modernism? • On the time J.R.R. Tolkien refused to work with Nazi-leaning publishers • Imaginary Histories: How Tolkien’s Fascination with Language Shaped His Literary World • Why We Feel So Compelled to Make Maps of Fictional Worlds

Tune in tomorrow to find out who won!