The Magic School Bus

Length:  20 Minute Episodes (Nearly Complete set, missing Disc 1)

I've seen this one.

Is it loyal to the book? Although the TV series and the (original) book series don't sync up perfectly the series is very definitely in the spirit of the books and is one of the better 'for TV' adaptations.

Best character: Uh, hello. Miss Frizzle, she is one of my teacher inspirations. Take Chances! Make Mistakes! Get Messy!

But is it art? Fairly high-quality animation for syndicated children's television combined with a witty script make this a show that can be enjoyed by almost anyone.

Major Flaws: Really for what this show was trying to be there are no major flaws to speak of. Being a show about science it does have a couple episodes where the ill-effects of being a couple decades old show through. (Personally I also get kind of sick of Phoebe.)

Harry Potter and the Everything

This actually has nothing to do with the movies... it just has been stuck in my head.

Length:  1179 Minutes 
SS: 152 Minutes
CS: 160 Minutes
PA: 142 Minutes
GF: 157 Minutes
OP: 139 Minutes
HP: 153 Minutes
DH1: 146 Minutes
DH2: 130 Minutes

I've seen all of these... in one day even.

Is it loyal to the book? Remarkably so for a series of its size.

Best character: Hermione Granger is my spirit animal.

But is it art? YES! YES! YES! If you ever indulge in a Harry Potter Binge Fest... an event I like to refer to as the Magical Mega Movie Marathon, it is fun to create lists... some of which I need to start writing down because I find them greatly amusing at the time. Such as my list of The Most Awkward Moments for Everyone in the Audience.

Major Flaws: The freeze frame ending for HP&PA comes straight to mind. Really though this series nailed it right on the head pretty nicely.

Freedom Writers

Length: 122 Minutes

I've seen this one.

Is it loyal to the book? Another tricky one. The movie clearly draws a lot of information from the book but focuses on a much smaller group of students. The book contains anonymous entries from the students' diaries and it is hard to make a continuous narrative.

Best character: I love Erin Gruwell and her students. There is no doubt in my mind that this film impacted my desire to become a teacher. 

But is it art? When I watched this movie with friends at the theatre and first saw the MTV logo flash across the screen I was certain that I had made a big error. But I remember being incredibly moved by this film. So much so that I went straight from the theatre to computer to reserve the book down at the library. So many people in high school read this book, including people that never read. At first my delicate ears burned viciously while watching, but as I watched the themes became clearer and found myself totally immersed in the story.

Major Flaws: Hmmm... parts of the film feel a little romanticised in a negative way (is that a thing?). However, I'm aware that there are places where this is still the norm. 

The Emperor's Club

Length:  110 Minutes

I haven't seen this one.

Is it loyal to the book? No book as far as I can tell.

Best character: ?

But is it art? ?

Major Flaws: ?

Akeelah and the Bee

Length: 112 Minutes

I've never seen this one.

Is it loyal to the book? No book.

Best character: ?

But is it art? ?

Major Flaws: ?

Have a link.