Beloved books rarely make an artful transition to the silver screen. Complex characters, interior musings and weighty subjects demand more skill than most cinematic auteurs can deliver.

Most memorable screen lovers in annals of moviemaking.

Gone With the Wind delivered the goods with its sweeping cinematography and score, redoubtable storytelling and charismatic leads (mopey Leslie Howard as Ashley aside) adroitly channeling their fictional counterparts. Even author Margaret Mitchell graciously bestowed her approbation. My all-time favorite page-to-frame retelling? To Kill a Mockingbird. Its bleak ambiance, lyrical, melancholy score, spot-on performances, and intuitive depiction of disturbing subject matter bequeathed a small, enduring treasure to the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel’s legions of lovers. Harper Lee was also pleased with the cinematic endeavor, commenting to a bemused Gregory Peck that his small tummy pooch reminded her of own beloved father—the inspiration for her indelible protagonist Atticus Finch. Outlanderjust wrapped its debut season…