With Earth Day this week, it’s a good time to revisit book-to-screen stories where nature takes center stage.

Here are five films based on books where Mother Nature lets her presence be known—and not always in a good way. Each adaptation looks at Earth in a different way.

‘Gorillas in the Mist’ – Earth as responsibility

The 1988 film “Gorillas in the Mist” was adapted from Dian Fossey’s 1983 memoir of the same name. The story follows Fossey (Sigourney Weaver), a primatologist who travels to Rwanda to study mountain gorillas and becomes deeply committed to protecting them from poachers. As her work gains attention, so do the dangers surrounding it. The film highlights the bond between humans and animals, as well as the risks involved in conservation efforts. Bryan Brown stars as photographer Bob Campbell. 

‘A Walk in the Woods’ – Earth as reconnection 

Based on the 1998 book by Bill Bryson, the adaptation was released Sept. 2, 2015, and features Robert Redford, Nick Nolte and Emma Thompson. Ken Kwapis directed the film. Part humor, part adventure, the story follows author Bryson (Redford) as he hikes the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail with his old friend Stephen Katz (Nolte). The pair last traveled together 40 years ago—and it did not end well. The two set out on the trail, where they meet fellow hikers, try not to be eaten by bears and, along the way, reconnect with nature.

‘Into the Wild’ – Earth as ideal

Jon Krakauer’s 1996 nonfiction bestseller “Into the Wild” was adapted into a film in 2007, with Sean Penn serving as screenwriter, director and co-producer. It tells the true story of Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), who, after graduating college, gives away his belongings and sets out on a journey across North America. He eventually makes his way to the Alaskan wilderness, seeking a life off the land. While he embraces solitude, his choices lead to increasingly dangerous circumstances. Hal Holbrook, Marcia Gay Harden, Catherine Keener and Jena Malone also star.

‘Wild’ – Earth as healer

The 2014 film “Wild,” starring Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern, was adapted from Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 memoir “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.” The story follows Cheryl, who spirals after the death of her mother, Bobbi, from cancer. In her grief, she turns to destructive behavior and ultimately sets out alone on the Pacific Crest Trail in an attempt to rebuild her life. Along the way, she faces physical and emotional challenges while forming unexpected connections. Gaby Hoffmann and Michiel Huisman also star. Nick Hornby wrote the screenplay, and Jean-Marc Vallée directed the film. 

‘The Revenant’ – Earth as brutal

The 2015 film “The Revenant” was adapted from Michael Punke’s 2002 novel of the same name. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the story follows frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio), who is left for dead after a brutal bear attack while on a fur-trading expedition in the 1820s. Determined to survive, Glass treks through the unforgiving wilderness, facing extreme weather, injury and isolation. The film also stars Tom Hardy and Domhnall Gleeson.  

About the writer

S. Lynn Bonanno was warned to avoid the “sad loss of a mother” storyline in “Wild,” but she thinks she’s ready for it. Of course, she’ll read it first.