Ragtime- The Movie Musical

[jv92]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 6:52pm

I'd love to see this made. Who would you pick for the cast? I would pick-

Mother: Victoria Clark
Coalhouse: Brian Stokes Mitchell
Tateh: Robin Williams
Father: Don't Know
Younger Brother: Matthew Broderick
Emma Goldman: Kathy Bates

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 7:24pm

Would hate to see this made. Ragtime the stage musical may have a film actress and a film director in it, but it's still not very cinematic. The only versions of Ragtime that we should ever see on film again are a miniseries drama based on the novel and a filmed revival of the stage production.

[shermanslave]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 7:26pm

eww, Robin Williams? He would be doing Moscow on the Hudson all over again. And the schtick!!

And Matthew B just is not a strong enough singer.

The stage show was perfect and that is what we should see on film.

[jv92]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 7:28pm

Anyone have anything possitive to say?

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 7:30pm

Well Robin Williams was hardly schtick in his Oscar Winning performance in Good Will Hunting...

I think the film of this could be wonderful--but it shouldn't be made for the mass public. It should be left in tact and filmed for its audience.

[jv92]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 7:31pm

Absolutely. I just can see Williams doing the kindly, warmhearted, Jewish man part well. The only people I feel really strongly about are Williams as Tateh and Kathy Bates as Goldman.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 7:36pm

Yeah, let's leave it intact "for its audience" and have Rent 2.

I would personally seek out the person most likely to direct a movie musical of Ragtime and try to dissuade him from it. Belty numbers and a parade-of-characters style narrative = not cinematic today.

[jv92]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 7:44pm

I actually wrote an unfished screenplay of Ragtime for fun over the summer. (Yeah, I'm that weird.) I made it very faithful and very theatrical. If you'd like to read it, tell me, but unfortunately, I have 10 more pages to write.

[TheEnchantedHunter]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 8:03pm

Second-rate, uninvolving material makes for second-rate, uninvolving movies. Let it sit in the drawer.


Jerusha Bromley
Walpole, Massachusetts

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 8:10pm

The fact that The Enchanted Hunter hates Ragtimes lets one know it IS a good musical.

And, Nesbutt, that is exactly why I say the film should be made for its audience--to not be "translated" to appeal to a mass market. To accept the fact that it IS a musical.

But it sounds like you don't think musicals should be made into films. Or do enlighten us with what musicals ARE worthy.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 10:19pm

Here's an original idea: Writing new musicals directly for the screen!

Anyway, the idea of adapting an expensive musical in all its period spectacle glory but only making it appeal to fans of the original show is stupid. That's called a bad movie. Also a selfish movie. Why make it all? "Enlighten" me on that. LOL.

ETA: I may be a bigger fan of the original show than anyone else in this thread, but I sure as hell don't think it's a good idea (commercially, critically, emotionally or otherwise) to just copy and past Ragtime onto film, and then call it a movie. Updated On: 12/30/05 at 10:19 PM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 10:26pm

I mean film it like a Merchant Ivory film--not try to make a mass market film. Then, if it is good, it will do well AND be good. I'm not saying film the stage show--I'm saying don't make a crap load of cuts. Many would agree that Rent would have been better if it HAD kept most of the show and tried to be a great movie musical instead of being what an MTV audience would want. And, if it is TRULY good, then I think the box office has a better chance than if it is mediocre.

I WOULD think you couldn't disagree with me on that seeing how much YOU hated Rent.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 10:31pm

No, sorry, I still don't think Ragtime the musical should be made into a movie - even by Merchant Ivory. My own faith in Ragtime as a special *stage* experience has more to do with than my opinion of the movie Rent. Also, there was a novel-based Ragtime miniseries that CBS intended to make. Paramount hasn't given up the rights yet. I'd rather see that made than a screen adaptation of a musical that already works well in its chosen medium. Once a movie musical is made and flops, no one will want to touch the material again for decades.

FYI: I once suggested the idea of a Ragtime movie musical to EL Doctorow, and he didn't like it. He's ready to instill the fear of God in anyone who ever messes with his themes again - though he did (mostly) like the stage adaptation.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 10:43pm

Oh, well I'm so glad you have graced us with your expertise. Otherwise, us poor souls would continue to foolishly wish to see this great musical made into a film.

OR, you have an opinion and contrary to what you believe, it is NOT law of the land, nor a decree from the gods. And perhaps one day you will drop your holier than thou attitude because news flash: you DON'T know everything and your opinion is NOT the only valid one in existence.

Updated On: 12/30/05 at 10:43 PM

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 11:02pm

LOL, you're the only one here with a holier than thou attitude... super closed-minded at that, as always. You're also fat and look like a toad. Bye! :)

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 11:07pm

Not a single one of those things is true EXCEPT that they demonstrate your maturity level. Bye! :)

[jam_man]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 1:24am

While I do believe a well done Ragtime movie musical would be amazingly good, it would be very tricky to adapt, and I doubt it will happen as long as Doctorow is still around. I mean, how would you even begin to make the prologue cinematic? However, while the story is told in a very theatrical way, the score has a certain something about it that makes it sweeping, and potentially cinematic, I believe. So should they decide to do it, they wouldn't be upstream without a paddle, but the current would be quite strong.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 1:31am

I think the mistake that people make with Shakespeare and musicals is trying to do realism. I think you have to accept that these kinds of films have to be formalistic. And, I find it odd that "MTV audiences" have trouble with this when they watch music videos that are even more "absurd" than any potential or existing movie musical.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 12/31/05 at 1:53am

Excellent metaphor, jam_man.

Ahrens, Flaherty and the screenwriter would have to retool chunks of the book and score to make this thing come even close to working. And Thank God EL Doctorow is still alive... brilliant man and not shy with his opinions on adaptations of his books, even the ones he did and hated. His own screenplay for Ragtime is published in the book Three Screenplays.