Film As Art

I recently watched again the movie “Stand by Me.” Stephen King commented that one pivotal scene that he had in the book had been changed in the movie. He said that he did not have a problem with that, because a film is an independent work of art. I totally agree. A film should not be judged on how well it may follow a book on which it is based but as a work of art completely separate from the book. Everything in a book does not translate well to a movie. If a movie contained everything in a book it would create a dull film. Filmmaking is a visual medium. It must be judged as a visual medium not on how well it follows some book!