Fight Club
Brett Van Patten
Meeting
In the movie the narrator meets Tyler when he is flying back home from a business trip. The two sit down next to each other and realize they have the same briefcase and start up a conversation. Tyler tells the narrator that he is a soap salesmen and the narrator takes a slight interest in Tyler. However in the book the narrator first meets Tyler while falling asleep on the beach. Tyler is building some type of structure which causes a shadow to be formed on the beach and wakes the narrator. It was two completely different ways that the two met, but they both worked out well so I don't see anything wrong with having the different beginning.
Golf Balls
When the narrator goes to Tyler's house on Paper Street they hit golf balls in the front yard and talk in the movie, but in the book this never even happened. The relationship between Tyler and the narrator is a lot more close knit in the movie, and this is one of the scenes that shows that.
Famous People to Fight
In the movie Brad Pitt and Edward Norton have a series of conversations where they discuss who they would fight. One time they were in the bathroom talking and Brad Pitt said he would fight Hemingway while Norton replied with Shatner. In the book this back and forth never occurs. It's just an additive to the movie that gives it a sense of humor. There was really no need for any of their discussions.
Angel Face
In the book the narrator beats a good looking man to near death just because he is envious of his good looks. In the movie however Angel Face is a threat to Edward Norton because he thinks Angel Face is taking over his spot as Tyler's main friend and doesn't like it. After he finishes beating up Angel Face he tells Tyler he wanted to "destroy something beautiful" and walks off. The rest of the guys in the fight club take him to the hospital. The movie is showing how much more the narrator needs the affection of Tyler then the book does.
Suicide
In the book Marla calls the Paper Street house and Tyler immediately answers the phone. Marla is calling to tell him she is going to commit suicide and nothing can be done to stop her. Tyler goes over to her house and saves her and bring her back to the Paper Street house. In the movie the narrator answers the call first, listens for a minute or two then leaves the phone with Marla still talking. Tyler walks by it and picks it up and listens to Marla rant about killing herself and then goes over to her apartment and saves her. This scene shows how the movie put more effort into showing how little the narrator cared about Marla, while the book didn't touch down on that quite as much.