I was extremely disappointed in
The Natural, mostly because of the ending. I read the book and saw the movie long ago, but the details of both had become quite hazy over time, and I'd forgotten how different they were; I prefer the story told in the movie.
Issybird mentioned
On the Waterfront; the beauty of that film is that Terry gets to redeem himself. He's been a bum who sold out, but he gets his chance to be a hero. By contrast, Malamud first punishes his protagonist for little more than youthful hubris by destroying his dreams and nearly killing him. Then, when Roy has managed to get another chance, he crushes him
again--even after Roy has had his epiphany. Where's the hope? Where's even a glimmer of a reason to try to be better?
I was thinking of
The Man With the Golden Arm, another book-to-film with an altered ending (I've only seen the movie).
The ending of
The Natural was a punch to the gut. I don't need or want a totally sappy, hearts-and-flowers ending when I read a novel, but I don't want to be left with hopelessness, even when the protagonist is flawed.