Broadway Legend Joined: 11/9/04
Glamorous? Guess you never saw THE NIGHT LISTENER.
The characters are supposed to be simple folks from the Midwest. WBaF is correct!
J*
Patricia Clarkson, anyone?
Oh, oh, Patricia Clarkson can do anything.
And WannaBe knows how much I respect his opinion, but I personally think Collette is rather ordinary-looking. The whole premise of MURIEL'S WEDDING was the fact that she was so un-glam that she led that sort of odd life, and she looked incredibly ordinary and trailer-parky in LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE. Sorry she was a bitch to you, Jay, but that doesn't make her any less worthy of these roles.
Allison Janney is my choice for the Amy Morton role.
I would love to see Laura Linney's take on Barbara
I'm not too surprised this is happening, I just hope it's a quater as good as the play.
Using the current cast has the benefit of keeping the focus on the play itself rather than "oh, it's what's-her-name."
Me, too. Sissy would be great.
Stand-by Joined: 4/22/08
The Broadway cast is brilliant, but it's not a realistic option to keep them for the film. Whomever lands up producing and directing this will probably need at least one or two more commercial names -- it's just a safer bet.
Two recent examples: "Rent" and "The History Boys" -- both had (more or less) their original stage casts, and both films were duds at the box office.
Sissy Spacek would indeed be an ideal Violet, though Jane Fonda and Judy Davis are interesting choices too.
As for Barbara, I don't know if I like the idea of Laura Linney. Someone with more of an edge, like Holly Hunter, would be more appropriate.
In regards to the other roles, Kathy Bates is about as perfect for Matti Fae as you could get. I'd love to see her involved.
And as annoying and precocious as she can often be, Dakota Fanning would actually be a very strong choice for Jean.
She successfully played a character with more of a dark undercurrent in HIDE & SEEK, so I'd be interested to see her take on something like this.
Understudy Joined: 2/28/08
I agree with Patricia Clarkson!
But actually, you know who would be REALLY good? Amy Morton
Can Imelda Staunton do an Oklahoma accent? Just askin'.
I could see Christine Applegate in the Mariann Mayberry role...
I don't know why, it just came to me.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/18/07
The movie version of Bug was a HUGE hit.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/30/04
I would KILL to have Judy Davis play Violet! I think Laura Linney is an interesting choice for Barbara but I love it. Isn't Dakota Fanning a little young for Jean?
How about Sally Field as Violet?
I bet you could cut a bit from the first 30 minutes of the play without losing a whole lot. Some of that dialogue is to help the audience get their bearings and in film you can establish that stuff a lot faster. I can't wait to see how well the phone call scene translates in Frost/Nixon, I really don't care about Doubt (though I liked the play) but this will be the play I'm most looking forward to seeing on the big screen.
It would be amazing if they used the original cast since the are phenominal... but obviously not enough of a draw for Hollywood. I'm all for Meryl Streep being involved though! She'd be amazing as usual.
what about Lily Tomlin as Violet?
Laura Linney is good at one thing... playing herself. I want to see an actress who can take up Amy Morton's wonderful work and make it her own while still staying true to the character. I hope that if she gets it, she surprises me... but I don't think she will.
FosseBoi, the character of Jean is supposed to be 14, the exact age Fanning is now.
I must say, this is a damned intelligent thread. All of these ideas are wonderful. It's a question of chemistry, isn't it? Who would be good in what combo? My own feeling about Fonda is, she's almost too old -- not that she looks it. I think Violet reading in her early 60s works best (script says 65).
I'd vote for Sissy. (Does anyone remember her extraordinary if overlooked performance in THE STRAIGHT STORY?) I think she'd be stunning. And she'd absolutely capture the humanity in the rage, and the humor. Meryl can do anything, sure, but this seems less likely to be her metier.
Lily Tomlin is such a good idea, I wish they'd consider putting her in to the Broadway production with Deanna leaves. She has the stage legs and would absolutely work.
Makes me wish Robert Altman was around to direct the film.
How about the men? John C. Reilly? Beau Bridges? Jeff Bridges? Rip Torn? Even Steve Carell (the Kerwin part)? They could all have roles.
And for Little Charles? The guy who plays Randy on EARL?
I say keep the original cast. Keep it low budget. And don't give it to William Friedkin.
I think JUDY DAVIS would be 100% hands down PERFECT as Violet!
I like Laura Liney or Allison Janney as Barbara as well.
Trying to cast actors/actresses is fun and great fodder for the message boards but I am interested to see how the director will shoot Act 2. To me this is the best dialogue in the work and some of the funniest stuff I have seen on a Broadway stage. I am worried that Hollywood will chop it up because I just don't see them spending 1/3 of the movie in the dinning room. A chopped up Act 2 would be a great travesty and ruin the work in my opinion.
So I'd be totally excited to see this as a movie, providing they kept the brilliance from the stage, but can I just ask what is the sudden need for anything successful on Broadway to be made into a movie.
I mean there have been talks about Spring Awakening, this, and now Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. I'm all for making the wonderful work available to a larger audience, but it seems that the minute it is reported that a show recouped its investment there are questions of a film.
Has anyone else noticed this or find it interesting?
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