The contrast between No Reservations (2007) directed by Scott Hicks and Mostly Martha (2001) is fascinated as the director and writer for the original German version also co-wrote the screenplay for the remake. The dialogue in both movies is strikingly similar and in many instances word for word (taking different languages into account.

[Minor spoilers]

In the original version the father actually has a role in the movie while in the remake the father doesn't have a role at all. The neighbor downstairs in the original version is somewhat different in the first scene that appears also to be both better and worse, better in that it tells more about the main protagonist in the movie but also leads to a more dissonance in terms of consistent behavior on his part when he turns up next. The remake has a more unbelievable scene when the girl in the movie feels rejected by her aunt while in the original version the problems at school are handled more realistically.

The original movie is more sedate, more authentic, but less dramatic while the remake is more emotionally elevated, acting more exaggerated, the plot more thick with conflict. Personally, I think the more authentic, original version works better for it offers the audience more to experience on their own and the acting needs to be more true in order to pick up the experience on the screen. Oddly enough my preferences reverse when it comes the remake of La Femme Nikita that became Point of No Return for the same reason except that I believe that for an action-thriller the exaggerated, heightened American version is more potent in this context than the more refine and subtle French version.