it's not life that matters but the journey...

I'm afraid I do disagree with you. I absolutely adore Pride and Prejudice and the BBC adaptation brought the book to life and was extremely true to the book. With this in mind, I was a bit reluctant to go and see the 2005 film with Kiera Knightley. I felt that a 2 hour film could not do the book justice. However, I went. It wasn't the same, by any means, but what stood out for me were the differences which gave the film it's own charm. And, I have it on DVD.
I'm also surprised about your comment about Burtons/Depp's Willy Wonka. At least that version was close to the book, where the previous rubbish is not!
As for Alice in Wonderland, I've never read the book, but the film was absolutely amazing and I'm sure it will stand out on it's own as a brilliant bit of filmmaking :)