Catherine Zeta-Jones in the FOLLIES film?- Page 2

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/9/09 at 11:58pm

Having sung "One More Kiss" and knowing how difficult it is, I doubt anyone in Hollywood can do it unless they lower the key. Which would be really sad.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 12/9/09 at 11:59pm

Not to mention it would be incredibly boring on film.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 12:01am

I can see the character of Heidi being entirely cut.

[Tony2600]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 12:08am

Jane Powell along with Kristin Chenoweth?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 12:11am

Which one would be playing young Heidi?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 12:17am

Ouch!

[Tony2600]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 12:19am

Amanda Seyfried, Ann Hathaway, Emily Rossum???

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 12:20am

^ Yes, I am sure they would love a role with NO lines. Just a duet. I really can't see them keeping the Heidis. Updated On: 12/10/09 at 12:20 AM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 12:22am

They should cut it. They should also cut THE ROAD YOU DIDN'T TAKE and THE RIGHT GIRL. And truncate most of the songs by half.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 12:24am

I can certainly see them cutting ROAD YOU DIDN'T TAKE. I would like to see a truncated version of THE RIGHT GIRL.

How much of the Loveland sequence do you think would survive? Or would it all go bye-bye like The Grand Canal in Nine?

[Tony2600]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 12:25am

Thank god you weren't Fergies manager.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 12:32am

I don't think FOLLIES as written for stage is a great idea for a movie. Aside from the lack of plot and horribly unlikable characters, if people are complaining about the musical numbers of NINE being too static because they are all on Guido's imagined sound stage. What are they going to say when the entire movie never leaves a theatre?

FOLLIES has a lot of numbers that are exciting on stage that I think would potentially be problematic for the world of film. THE RIGHT GIRL, THE ROAD YOU DIDNT TAKE, ONE MORE KISS are just the beginning.

Are they really going to have Sally sing only ballads?

Is the Loveland sequence going to be impressive at all in a movie?

Are numbers like I'M STILL HERE and COULD I LEAVE YOU going to be interesting at all without an audience reaction?

And won't after CHICAGO and NINE, numbers like THE MIRROR NUMBER and BEAUTIFUL GIRLS feel very 'been there done that?'








Updated On: 12/10/09 at 12:32 AM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 12:44am

I always thought "One More Kiss" is the first song that would be plucked.

How much of the Loveland sequence do you think would survive? Or would it all go bye-bye like The Grand Canal in Nine?

Ljay, I would think most people would think the opposite. Since congress passed that edict that all songs in a movie musical have to be justified I would think the Loveland sequence is the only part of the show guaranteed to make it to the screen. I feel like I'm misreading something, because it sounds like Michael Bennett is saying it should be cut. What is Follies is doesn't turn on its ear with Loveland? Old people being nasty to each other for 90 minutes and going home? Do you just mean they should cut the song "Loveland"?

Let's just get this out of the way - I KNOW I have zero objectivity when it comes to this show. I ain't even playing like I don't get sick to my stomach when I think about this movie turning into the modern equivalent of the movie version of a A Little Night Music.

But I will of course share my inevitable thoughts. I disagree with Michael Bennett about cutting The Road You Didn't Take and The Right Girl, if only for the fact that it effectively neuters both Buddy and Ben by neither of them having a song of their own before Loveland. Perhaps In Buddy's Eyes and Road could be more intertwined, I dunno. If Sorkin wants to see the screenplay I once wrote when I was high as a kite, he can give me a ring. Otherwise, I'm just talking out of my ass.

The Whitmans could go (and the Bolero). Ah Paris and Broadway Baby could be trimmed.

While I don't have issues with Aaron Sorkin in theory, I wonder if someone who's known for being talky and didactic in his work is the best person to handle a book that's always been accused of grim and talky. When I was in it, I used to call the Phyllis and Ben, Buddy and Sally scenes between Who's That Woman Could I Leave You "A Bunch of Middle Aged White People Standing Around Sniping."

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 12:52am

Phyllis - I'm mostly just talking about what is potentially problematic on film. Rob Marshall had an interesting observation at the talk back for NINE last night in that its very difficult to pull off ballads and solos in film and you have to be really careful how they are done. They have a huge potential to be static.

FOLLIES has a lot of ballads and a lot of solo numbers. And it doesn't matter how brilliantly they are performed, any movie musical would probably be doomed to keep all (or even most) of them.

I also think its fairly impossible to concentrate equally on all four leads - and even if you tried to - they certainly don't need two songs a piece.

I wasn't advocating a cut of the LOVELAND sequence - but perhaps a new song for that one in particular wouldn't be a bad idea - I actually think its one of the things that would work well because its heightened theatrically. Its all those ballad/solos early in the evening that I think would potentially kill the movie before it ever took off the ground.

It would be very easy to breeze through the Ah Paris, Broadway Baby, Rain on the Roof sections because they aren't story driven. They could be done only in part or intercut with dialogue and nothing would be lost. They are there to create atmosphere.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 1:22am

Okay, gotcha. And I do get your points. I've always thought the Rain on the Roof, etc montage could be cut up and interspersed throughout (I've thought that about One More Kiss, too).

Is Rob Marshall still the rumored director? I just don't want him or Bill Condon to touch this. I have no suggestions for who I'd want, but I know I just don't want THEM.

So many of the songs are cinematic already - with the younger versions floating in and stuff - but I know that too much music on screen causes music fatigue for people.

I just hope that all the powers that be realize that it doesn't HAVE to be rooted in some sort of reality. In a way that A Chorus Line really isn't about an audition, I don't think Follies is really about a reunion. That might be a bad example, when we think about the Chorus Line movie, but I just don't think these things are as unfilmable as people always think they are. But that's easy to say from where I am, I suppose. I just hope whoever directs it has some imagination. Films like Mamma Mia and Sweeney Todd were burst into song musicals, and I think both created worlds in which that worked, regardless of what you think about the movies themselves.



Updated On: 12/10/09 at 01:22 AM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 1:35am

I don't think Rob Marshall has ever been attached to this - and frankly I don't think he would want it - there are so many numbers in CHICAGO and especially in NINE that recall numbers in FOLLIES - it wouldn't be smart for him to do another musical movie that is similar.

I actually do disagree on one thing - and argue that in terms of structure (not theme) A CHORUS LINE is about the AUDITION and FOLLIES is about a REUNION.

FOLLIES would have been a good choice for someone like Robert Altman who knew how to structure a film around esoteric concepts - and you really need to find a film structure that works for material like this. The problem with the film of A CHORUS LINE on film actually is that the main character isn't Zach or Cassie. The main character is the audition (much as how in Altman's works, NASHVILLE as a city is the main character). In FOLLIES, the reunion is the main character - the thing that connects all the characters.

But its awfully hard to pull that kind of film making off. There aren't many heir-apparents to Robert Altman.... Certainly not Aaron Sorkin or Sam Mendes (so far).



Updated On: 12/10/09 at 01:35 AM

[Pgenre]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 1:39am

Paul Thomas Anderson, as Altman himself crowned him his heir-apparent. I'd say PTA has the potential to surpass even Altman and could finally do the musical he always wanted to do, but this wouldn't be it I don't think. Stranger things have happened.

P

P.S. MAGNOLIA is a meta-musical.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 1:41am

I guess I'll just hope for the best. And I have always said I'd want a Phyllis and Sally that are a little young for the roles than too old. I just feel like they need to be played by women who haven't gone through menopause.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 1:41am

Yes, agreed genre - this doesn't seem like the movie for Anderson at this point in his life.

I think for film you would almost have to have ONE set of actors playing both Younger and Older. Especially if you are talking about casting names.

Though I know people on this board are very divided on them individually, I would think age wise and star calbre wise you are going to see names like Kidman and Zelwegger, and yes perhaps Zeta Jones (as Carlotta) should this ever happen.

Updated On: 12/10/09 at 01:41 AM

Posted: 12/10/09 at 11:18am

Just for fun-not meant to start debate or argument since there is little point, BUT, I thought it might be fun since we are talking about the Follies movie to break down some casting choices. The list below are only the characters that have songs-of course there are others, but chances are if people are signing on for a movie musical, they want something to do. Feel free to fill in any blanks or change as you like-but remember, let's not get mean or personal.

Any blanks I left obviously means I couldn't think of anyone yet.

Sally Durant Plummer-Diane Keaton
Benjamin Stone-
Buddy Plummer –Kevin Kline
Phyllis Rogers Stone- Goldie Hawn
Carlotta Campion-Carol Burnette
Roscoe-
Solange LaFitte-
Young Buddy-
Heidi Schiller-Betty White
Young Heidi-
Stella Deems-Kathy Bates
Dimitri Weismann-
Young Ben-
Young Sally-
Young Phyllis-
Hattie Walker-Shirley Mclaine
Emily Whitman-
Theodore Whitman-

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 11:26am

Yeah, I disagree with you accros the board. :)

My dreamworld never gonna happen cast would be Alec Baldwin as Ben, Vanessa Williams as Phyllis, Timothy Hutton as Buddy. I always wanted Natasha Richardson as Sally, but since that can't happen now, I don't know who I'd want to see in the role. Someone on the board, I can't remember who, often mentions Catherine O'Hara, and I think she'd be an interesting choice in the role.

If they are skewing younger like this thread implies, and we assume that Catherine would be Phyllis and we're looking for another big star for Sally, perhaps Nicole Kidman. Maybe Michelle Pfeiffer, but she was always my second choice Phyllis after La Williams.

I don't hate the idea of Kathy Bates as Stella, but I always thought Bette Midler would make a good Stella. Maybe Meryl, if she wouldn't mind slumming in a very supporting role. On that note, I'd love to see big actresses in all the supporting roles. I'd love to see Susan Sarandon as Solange.

Posted: 12/10/09 at 11:43am

I think Susan Saradon as Solange is GREAT. And Alec Baldwin as Ben is really great.

I'd go with Vanessa Williams as Carlotta.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 11:45am

I agree. She would be great as Carlotta, too.

George Clooney might make a good Ben, too.

Posted: 12/10/09 at 11:47am

I do have to admit that I put Betty White in there just to have the image of her walking down that grand staircase with a sash.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/10/09 at 11:50am

Lol. I can't see her having the voice for Heidi. She'd make a better Hattie, I think, but I like your idea of Shirley MacLaine.