Lange and Harris to lead LONG DAY’S JOURNEY film

I never wanted to sleep in all my life watching her on stage do this role. The front runner that year was clearly Michelle Willams in Black Bird

Ugh, this sounds awful - I didn't like Jonathan Kent's revival, I don't like Lange, I don't like the play, and I have a hard time imagining it working well on film (I've never seen the 1962 film - Is it any good / does it hold up? I feel like audiences back then were more forgiving of films that felt somewhat "stagey" than they are today).

But I'll watch it for Ed Harris. He'll kill it in this role. I've seen this play a bunch of times even though I don't like it, because it tends to attract great actors, and the play has the potential to be one hell of an actors' showcase.

They play is difficulty to like and I'd had a difficult time staying awake during most productions of it. I saw the Brian Dennehy/Vanessa Redgrave production out of a sense of duty because Brian and I had worked together out here on Long Island and had become friends. That production was brilliant!

Redgrave was mesmerizing as Mary and Dennehy was fabulous as James. That performance was so pitch perfect I never want to see any other prodection of the play.

I thought Lange was absolutely fantastic in the last revival (and she has the Tony to show for it!) so I'm surprised at the comments here. I also thought there were some great scenic and lighting choices made with the design. Sadly I felt that Gabriel Byrne couldn't quite match Lange's intensity, and his role (which usually dominates the play) took a backseat to her. Though he was more successful int he scenes with his sons.

It's a classic play that deserves a quality film adaptation which will stand the test of time. I hope this film version winds up just that.

In Lange’s (partial) defense, with the way O’Neill wrote the role of Mary, it’s an extremely tricky role to get right, without engaging in melodramatic scenery screwing.

Between live productions and pro-shots, I’ve seen Lange, Manville, Metcalf, Redgrave, and Elizabeth Marvel - and actually Metcalf and Marvel were the only 2 who gave performances I liked.

But to the person above who said they were surprised by the comments about disliking Lange’s performance: I am too. At the time, it was almost all high praise from this board, and she was considered a lock for the Tony. People who disliked her are in the minority, but I guess we just happened to come to this thread first.

Interesting they chose to film in Ireland when the setting is Connecticut.

Amos Hart2 said: "I'm sure there are those who will disagree, or make the usual jokes, but Faye Dunaway was born to play Mary."

Oy vey.