Roberts, Baldwin, Bomer, Parsons Join NORMAL HEART

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 2:03am

Julia Roberts, Alec Baldwin, Matt Bomer, and Jim Parsons have joined Mark Ruffalo in Ryan Murphy's film adaptation of THE NORMAL HEART. Roberts will play Dr. Emma Brookner, Baldwin will play Ben Weeks, Bomer will play Felix Turner, and Parsons will reprise his role as Tommy Boatwright.

I think most of this is pretty great. On the surface, Roberts (who was previously pursued by Barbara Streisand for her incarnation of the project) seems unorthodox casting, but I could actually see her being great. The big, puzzling question mark to me is Bomer. He would be absolutely perfect as Bruce, but what on earth is he doing playing Felix? He's all wrong.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/julia-roberts-alec-baldwin-star-283732

Updated On: 1/21/12 at 02:03 AM

[RainbowJude]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 2:20am

The big, puzzling question mark to me is Ryan Murphy and whether he's learned how to direct and tell stories with any sense of integrity at all.

[Idiot]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 2:27am

Ooo, RainbowJude, you speak the truth. Ryan Murphy is a spectacularly successful bad storyteller. At least with NORMAL HEART, the story's already been told.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 2:29am

Ryan Murphy directing this is not a big mystery at all. A giant studio movie about the AIDS crisis is a huge risk, and given how hot he is right now (and how many big stars he's connected to, as this casting proves,) he's probably one of the only directors who could ever get the movie made. It notoriously went into development purgatory in the years after Barbra Streisand walked away from directing it because no studio wanted to touch it without her, so take that for what you will.

I completely agree that Murphy is far from the best choice, but, without him, this would never be happening.

Updated On: 1/21/12 at 02:29 AM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 2:50am

I wonder if this means Matt Bomer will come out publicly.

Updated On: 1/21/12 at 02:50 AM

[bjh2114]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 7:47am

I actually like Bomer as Felix more than I do as Bruce. I think he and Ruffalo could potentially have great chemistry. I still hate that Ryan Murphy is directing this, and I think that Julia Roberts is ultra miscast.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 8:52am

Ugh.

I still cannot get behind the idea of Julia Roberts as Emma. I just don't see her being able to deliver that monologue with any sort of gravitas.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 8:55am

Julia is a PHENOMENAL actress and just because she's also one of the biggest stars in the world she gets shlt on so much on this board and everywhere else. She's going to be great, I know it.

[Owen22]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 9:05am

Um, Jordan...did you SEE "Three Days of Rain".

Of course, that's harsh, she is a fine film actress, she just had no idea what she was doing onstage. But I think the cap'd "phenomenal" is just a little bit too much...unless you meant it ironically.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 10:01am

Julia Roberts is cute in little romantic comedies, but she's going to be out of her league in this.

[luvcaroline]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 10:28am

I am somewhat surprised at all the hate for Murphy. Parts of American Horror Story were absolutely spectacular

Updated On: 1/21/12 at 10:28 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 10:35am

Yes Owen, I did see THREE DAYS OF RAIN. I saw it around 20 times. Did YOU see it? Because what strikes me as funny when people talk about that show is they never mention that the play itself isn't that good of a play to begin with and they always seem to trash Julia's performance which (just as it was back then) is nothing but a way to trash a big star. What Julia did on stage was exactly what she does on the screen. I don't know what people expected from her but the role as written didn't exactly showcase a huge transformation in anyone that would have played her.

And Adam, you KNOW i love you, but she's not out of her league on this. She's IN her league. She's a great actress taking on a great role. I don't see any downside to this.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 10:36am

Ruffalo as Ned Weeks is genius. Parsons recreating Tommy is a boon for the project.

I love Julia Roberts and couldn't agree more with Jordan that people love to trash her because she's a big star. I didn't see Three Days of Rain, assume for the sake of the argument (for that sake alone, Jordan) that she justifiably bombed, but don't see what that has to do with anything. I don't see Emma being wrong for Roberts at all. I would also add, at the risk of incurring the wrath of half of NYC, that while I have greatly admired Ellen Barkin for decades, and was happy to see her have a great success on stage, her bombastic take on Emma left me cold.

Sorry, just my opinion, which should go without saying, but apparently one has to be emphatic about that on bww, especially when taking the road not taken.

Updated On: 1/21/12 at 10:36 AM

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 10:41am

Baldwin is a great choice for Ben, and I'm glad that Parsons is reprising his role from the revival. He's absolutely perfect as Tommy. If we're comparing Bomer to John Benjamin Hickey's appearance and acting style, then yes, he might appear miscast; however, he seems more in the vein of other actors (like DW Moffett or Billy Warlock) who've played Felix--younger, more traditionally handsome, perhaps a bit more straight-acting. I think it will be a great part to show off Bomer's range.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 10:42am

I just watched THREE DAYS OF RAIN a couple of days ago as a matter of fact with a friend who had never seen it. And even on video she's pretty great. The play, as I said before, is still incredibly weak.

I think part of her on stage trashing is that she chose to make her Broadway debut in something that wasn't flashy and that was very very very "safe". And I can't blame her for that. She'd never done it before and wanted to make sure that she could handle it, which she did. She does want to return to Broadway (thank God, even after she was treated so horribly by people) so maybe she'll do something more up to people's standards next time.

[Owen22]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 10:44am

Well I went in with "Three Days of Rain" being one of my favorite plays. And I'd seen Patricia Clarkson do it at MTC and another very good actress do it in Michigan. So to me Julia's performance paled. But I usually love Paul Rudd and I didn't like him in it either, (though a hundred times better than Roberts) though I loved Bradley Cooper.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 10:50am

I saw Patricia Clarkson do it as well and even being a fan of hers, it was nothing special. But that's because it's the role. Clarkson and Roberts both did on stage what they do on screen because the role allowed them to do nothing else.

But Clarkson is more "artsy" so she's given a pass on that one.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 10:57am

And by saying she's only good in cutesy little rom coms, I assume you're referring to things like Closer, Erin Brockovich, The Pelican Brief, Stepmom, Charlie Wilsons War, etc etc?

Updated On: 1/21/12 at 10:57 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 11:43am

Bomer's not really miscast as Felix. All we get in the script for a descriptor is that he's conservative, outgoing, and "completely masculine", plus references to him being attractive. I always pictured someone along the lines of Bomer when I read the script.

Of course, Bruce is then described as "exceptionally handsome". I wonder who they'll find.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 12:24pm

I would love to see Lee Pace reprise Bruce.
But how wonderful if Patrick Breen, for me the highlight of the revival, would play Mickey.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 1:09pm

Ya, Stepmother is one of the funniest fins of the past 25 years and Erin Brockovich has me in stitches every singe time. Go look at this woman's resume again, I agree with Jordan. People need to stop going on witch hunts and give people chances.

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 1:10pm

Bradley Cooper, who was apparently interested in playing Felix at one point, would make an excellent Bruce. And like Henrik, Patrick Breen's performance as Mickey is so ingrained in my mind that I can't imagine anyone else doing it. But I doubt he'll be cast. Michael Shannon might be an interesting Mickey.

[sondheimonmymind]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 2:37pm

Bomer as Felix certainly does up the ante as far as potential Bruce's go.

What about Brad Pitt, who's company is producing the picture?

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 2:54pm

AC126748, Bradley Cooper had actually signed on to play Felix when Streisand was attached to direct, with Craig Zadan and Neil Meron producing. Ironically, Ryan Murphy seems to just be reassembling everyone Streisand wanted for her version, because she'd also offered Ned to Mark Ruffalo and Emma to Julia Roberts (who turned it down) before creative disagreements between she and Larry Kramer caused the whole thing to fall apart.

Kramer and Streisand collaborated on several initial drafts of the script, but the studio still wasn't happy with what Kramer had produced. Streisand hired another writer to take a pass at the screenplay, and the studio loved their version and was ready to greenlight the film for the first time in fifteen years, but Kramer refused to allow it to be made without his adaptation. The studio balked, and the movie went back into limbo. Even without their financing, Streisand tried to get it made at HBO when the studio walked away, but Kramer wouldn't accept the significantly lower fee he would be paid for the rights for a television version, so he killed the deal yet again (even though he falsely blames Streisand, who was the only reason the film was even in development.)

Years went by, and Kramer himself still wasn't able to get the movie made without Streisand. The success of the revival on Broadway last year reinvigorated interest from Hollywood, and right before they offered the movie to Murphy, Kramer offered it to Streisand one last time. Unfortunately, he made it clear he would still only allow the film to be made if it was with his screenplay. Streisand wouldn't agree to that, given the horrific creative and personal experience she'd already endured with Larry (including him outing her son to the press,) and he moved on without her.

Updated On: 1/21/12 at 02:54 PM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 2:59pm

I think any chances of the movie being half-decent were gone the second Ryan Murphy came in. Even if he's the only director who could get a film like this made, I rather the movie doesn't get made at all if it's under his hands. He just doesn't know any basics of directing a movie, his films rarely make much sense, the acting usually sucks, and the politics involved are so misguided. I still think RUNNING WITH SCISSORS (which had an amazing cast) was one of the worst movies I've seen at the theatre. It's a shame he's at all involved with this.