Streep and Seymour Hoffman in Doubt Film- Page 2

[AC126748]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 7:53pm

D2,

Personally, I think Robert Sean Leonard would be the perfect film Father Flynn: he's got the right look, he's charismatic, and he could definitely take on Meryl and make it interesting. He's probably not a big enough "name," though. even with House and his slew of great film work.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 8:02pm

what? one person (or even a handful) agrees with you and all of a sudden every audience praise and every theatre award, including the Pulitzer and the Tony are laid to waste? nonsense. it is an excellent play. more productions of Hamlet are dull to dreadful than riveting because of casting or directing ot what have you. does that mean hamlet is any less a great play? because it's foolproof? very few pieces of theatre are failproof.

as for the casting, i'm willing to give these two extremely talented actors a chance, but my own personal thoughts echo those that wish Cherry was doing this and that the male was younger/hotter for the benefit of the character and the conflict.

but what will be amazing is if psh can defy the non-believers here. if he can make you think he's innocent, won't that be a great feat?

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 8:07pm

Is there any word on who is going to be directing the film?

Edit: I just saw that Shanley is directing as well as adapting his play.

Well, I was no great fan of the play, so I'll just save myself $10.

Updated On: 4/19/07 at 08:07 PM

[queendork]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 8:42pm

Good call on Robert Sean Leonard. He'd have been a good choice. Even Patrick Wilson would've been a good pick.

I'm just glad I'm not the only one who thinks Hoffman is an abysmal choice. He's vastly overrated as an actor, in my opinion.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 8:49pm

Patrick Wilson would've been excellent, though he might've avoided this after playing a somewhat similar role in HARD CANDY.
Oh well, we're stuck with Hoffman so we'll see how it turns out. Hopefully, it'll be okay.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 8:54pm

Really does this film NEED a name like Streep? I think it coulda gotten Jones some good attention--and it's a small budget, SMALL little film--I don't think ti will play to much bigger audiences even with Streep in the role nor does it have to--kinda disappointed

Of course it needs a name like Streep. Hollywood casting is about money money money, nothing more. Meryl Streep is the actress who can do everything. So you attach her name to a project and you know it has the greatest chance of being a financial, critical, and artistic success. This isn't Broadway, unfortunately.

It really should have been Matt Damon or Mark Wahlberg. Were they even considered? I'll bet they were both booked solid and couldn't coordinate with Streep's schedule.

Even if that's the case, how do you go from Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg to Philip Seymour Hoffman? I don't get that. Isn't Hollywood all about looks? Hoffman has played nothing but sleezebuckets in his career. He has done it beautifully, but casting a fat actor with a history of playing slime does not make any sense for this role.

[skingdom]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 9:11pm

this is bull@#$...

that role belongs to cherry jones...

it was an okay play that she made spectacular...IMO

skingdom out.

[EugLoven]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 9:15pm

F*CKYEAH!

[skingdom]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 9:41pm

lol

Posted: 4/19/07 at 9:53pm

"Really does this film NEED a name like Streep? I think it coulda gotten Jones some good attention--and it's a small budget, SMALL little film--I don't think ti will play to much bigger audiences even with Streep in the role nor does it have to--kinda disappointed

Of course it needs a name like Streep. Hollywood casting is about money money money, nothing more. Meryl Streep is the actress who can do everything. So you attach her name to a project and you know it has the greatest chance of being a financial, critical, and artistic success. This isn't Broadway, unfortunately"

Well true but I meant hypothetically speaking :P I dunno this seems more a small film like Dancing with Lughnasa or Prime where Meryl's name didn't exactly make audiences any bigger--I think she's uneeded either way.

And wow I just IMDBed Streep--man she's attached to a TON of projects coming up or filming...

[GoSmileLaughCryClap]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 9:57pm

And who among you thought that Philip Seymour Hoffman was a valid casting choice as Truman Capote?

There's a reason why actors like Streep and Hoffman want to work together, and wait for great words to speak.

They're originals, and in the movie business they resonate as legit. And it's a lot easier spending 12 bucks being surprised at the movie version of Doubt than spending 133 bucks being slightly amused by a New Musical Comedy.

Posted: 4/19/07 at 10:02pm

I thought Hoffman was ideal for Capote when I first heard he was cast. Just for the snobby record.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 10:10pm

And I found his performance in Capote to be an excrutiatingly awful, overrated impersonation -- but that's just my opinion. I did however find his performances in The Talented Mr. Ripley and LONG DAY'S JOURNEY to be fantastic.

[GoSmileLaughCryClap]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 11:02am

"Just for the snobby record."

We snobs prefer snobbish rather than snobby. Thank you

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 11:38am

Now I've lost interest. I'm so tired of Seymore Hoffman, especially when so horribly miscast (Flawless). Seymore Hoffman will come across creepy and guilty and throw off the entire conceit of the show. What a waste. I agree with those who mentioned Cherry Jones, Judi Dench or Matt Damon. Streep is great, but not necessary to replace Cherry if they had cast Damon, who can generate ticket sales on his own.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:05pm

Since Ms. Jones is not doing the movie, I am very happy with the casting of Ms. Streep. I am a big Seymour Hoffman fan, but I am disappointed in his being cast for this role. I really think they should have cast a lesser known actor or a newcomer. Bassett for the mother of the child would work for me. I thought of her while watching Ms. Lennox perform.

[sidjones09]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:14pm

"I'd have cast Judi Dench and Matt Damon."

AMEN! Michael Bennett. Now THAT is spot on stellar casting for this film. Streep and Hoffman will be good. But THIS casting would make 'Doubt' an unforgettable film. Throw in a little Angela Bassett and you are on your way to Oscar heaven.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:37pm

I think Matt Damon is too handsome for the part, his really incredible good looks would throw it all off balance. I think somebody appealing but kind of ordinary looking, like Robert Sean Leonard (very good idea!) or Edward Norton would be better.

As for Hoffman, well. He'll do his usual performance that any actor in the country could do. That Oscar for his really entirely adequate performance in CAPOTE is a mystery to me.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:39pm

As for Streep, I feel like I know what she's going to do with the part, and it would be even worse with Judi Dench, who's been coasting for about ten years now.

I'm sorry Cherry Jones isn't doing it. Not that I really care, as I didn't think much of the play at all. I'll wait for cable. If I find it while channel surfing.

[thenewmoon]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 1:38pm

Oooh! Edward Norton would've been awesome... surely he passed in favor of some highbrow, intellectual, Oscar-shoo-in role... let's see... his next project is... INCREDIBLE HULK. Ironically, I think a role better suited for Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

[landryjames2]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 2:18pm

Although I am bored with Hoffman as the choice--it has nothing to do with him being unattractive.

I don't remember all the details of the play (I did see it), but was not left with the impression that there was suppose to be a glimmer of a chance the boy made an advance to the Father.

To me, that is not where the doubt lied. The doubt lied in whether there was any sexual activity at all--NOT with who started what.

So although I would much rather have seen Damon, Wahlberg, or Norton in the role, the unattractive aspect is neither here nor there as far as the role is concerned (to me).

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 11:38am

Actually, the more I think about it, the more I believe Kevin Bacon would have been the best choice.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 4/24/07 at 11:54am

I second the Dench/Damon combo. That would have been perfect. I just saw Cherry in DOUBT over the weekend in Charlotte, NC and she is perfection. She should be in the film and the film should have been done by HBO or Showtime. I mean no disrespect, but Cherry owns that role.

[Sondheim_Geek]

Posted: 4/26/07 at 3:13pm

Robert Sean Leonard, or for some reason I could see Neil Patrick Harris pulling it off.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/26/07 at 6:15pm

I just can't imagine Hoffman convincingly evoking any DOUBT in anyone about his perceived guilt. One look at him and you'd believe the worst.