Salem's Lot
I would have liked to see more on the Father Callahan given his roll the series. The novel was the story of an addict priest with a faith problem, the movie is a vampire thriller. Both are good.
The cinematic treatment I recall was heavily focused on the boy and the priest – this longer format allows for an equal look at all of the major players. I’m two and a half hours into it right now and it’s not half over. If you have the time, check it out.
UPDATE: Just finnished it. 4 hours of my Sunday and it was ruined in the last 10 minutes. Weak ending, Very weak. – While I’m complaining, can we have a thriller movie that doesn’t end with Paint it Black or Sympathy for the Devil?