Smiley's title novella from The Age of Grief was adapted in 2002 as a feature film titled The Secret Lives of Dentists. The film was produced by Holedigger Films and Ready Made Film and was directed by Alan Rudolph. It stars Campbell Scott, Denis Leary, Robin Tunney, and Peter Samuel.

Smiley's novel Good Faith was produced as both an audiobook and audio CD in 2003 by Recorded Books Unabridged.

Smiley's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, A Thousand Acres, was adapted as a feature film by Touchstone Pictures in 1997. The film, directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, featured an all-star cast including Jessica Lange, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jason Robards, Colin Firth, and Keith Carradine. It is available on VHS and DVD from Buena Vista Home Video.