Gone Girl

My Rating: 4 Stars

So I finally made it out to the movie theater, and I had heard a lot of good things about Gone Girl.  After seeing it, I thought that it was an incredible movie, and I think that was mostly thanks to the director, David Fincher.  It's hard to make a best-selling book into a movie, but he does it pretty well.  It also helps that the screen writer was the writer of the book.  Again, Fincher uses music from Trent Reznor, and has an all-star cast with Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike playing the leads. Some people who read the book said that the cast was not ideal, but you're always going to get that when big fans of the book go see the movie.  However, here is how I might have cast this film.

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The first character to cast would be for Nick Dunne.  Nick plays a typical attractive writer type, with an attractive wife, he a little aloof at times, and knows how to woo the ladies.  He is very much in love with his wife, but gets criticized when his wife goes missing for not caring enough.  He remains oddly calm when his wife is not in the picture, almost like he had something to do with it.  He plays nice for the cameras, but then also knows how to fight back when he finds out what his wife really is up to.  The role of Nick is played by Ben Affleck.  I have chosen to go with Patrick Wilson.  I might have chosen him before for another one of my postings, but I think that Wilson is great, and could take on this challenging role well.

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The next character to cast would be for Nick's wife, Amy Dunne.  Amy is a very pretty, rich girl type, but also is charming and witty.  Nick falls for her almost instantly, and they connect on a level like no other couple.  She might be described by some as a little stand-offish, but she grew up in a very privileged home.  Of course, we see her sweetness fade away when we find out what really happens to her, and what she has plotting.  She is very smart but also wicked at the same time.  The role of Amy is played by Rosamund Pike, who does a really great job; one of the best actors in the movie.  I have chosen to go with Lily Rabe.  Rabe is best known for her role on American Horror Story, and I think that she would play the perfect mixture of sweet and scary.

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The next character to cast would be for the role of Nick's sister, Margo Dunne.  Margo goes through hell and back in this movie, and has to stick to her brothers side even when she disagrees.  She is quirky but smart.  She is middle aged, but lives alone, but it seems as if she doesn't really need anyone else besides herself.  She also helps run a bar that her and Nick started together.  The best part about Margo is the fact that she does not bullshit him.  The role of Margo is played by Carrie Coon, who I had never heard of, but did a fantastic job.  I have chosen to go with Maggie Gyllenhaal.  Gyllenhaal would be great playing this role, and I think her and Wilson would have good chemistry.

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Next important character to cast would be for the role of Tanner Bolt.  Tanner is a very expensive lawyer who focuses on cases like Nick's and has never lost a case.  He is much like Billy Flynn in Chicago.  Tanner is obviously smart, and he is good at training Nick about how to act on camera, and also on teaching him exactly what to say.  He cuts a deal for Nick, and of course comes out successful in the end.  The role of Tanner is played by Tyler Perry.  People always just assume he can only play Madea, but he was really great in this role.  I have chosen to go with Josh Brolin.  Brolin would be perfect for this smooth talking lawyer, who doesn't let anything slip through the cracks.  

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And the last character I'm going to cast is for the role of Desi Collings.  Desi is an old romance of Amy's, and needless to say, it didn't end well for him.  He was a tad bit obsessed with Amy, and attempted suicide when they broke up.  They happen to reconvene at a time when Amy needs help, but unfortunately for him, it ends poorly again, with Amy just using him.  Desi is definitely what you would call creepy, and also a little stalkerish, but he would do almost anything for Amy.  The role of Desi is played by Neil Patrick Harris.  I have chosen to go with Sam Rockwell.  Rockwell would do well playing a desperate guy, who is foolishly deceived twice; and of course, he is great actor as well. 

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There are obviously a lot of characters in this movie, but there are my picks for the main characters.  I strongly suggest seeing this fantastic movie, and maybe you might agree or disagree with my choices.  Thanks for reading my picks, for Gone Girl.

The Bling Ring

My Rating: 3 1/2 stars

So I had heard a lot of hype about this movie before it came out, and then I never really heard anything else about it.  Sofia Coppola is a personal favorite of mine, but I never saw this come to a theater near me.  So I decided to rent it, and I personally thought that it was a fantastic film.  Yes, it was a little slow, and yes it probably wasn't what everyone was expecting.  However, from my perspective, I viewed this movie just like watching an other reality T.V. show...I really do not care about these characters, because they really are not special.  The story behind it all though is very interesting, especially when it comes to the desire of young people to be like the rich and famous.  The cast for the most part was pretty well chosen.  Of course Emma Watson stole the spot light, but here is how I might have cast it. 

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The first character to cast would be for the role of Rebecca.  She is fearless, she is cool without even trying, and she knows what she wants and is not afraid to go for it. She is more or less of the mastermind behind the whole idea of breaking into celebrities houses.  The most interesting part about it, is the fact that it seems like she does it because she is bored; and maybe it's for attention too.  The role of Rebecca is played by Katie Chang, who does a very good job.  I have chosen to go with Ellen Wong.  Wong is great in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, and I think she would play this brave and stylish stealer well. 

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The next character to cast would be for the role of Marc.  Marc is the new kid in school, and almost immediately becomes friends with Rebecca.  They connect on a high level, and he even states that he was a little obsessed with her.  Marc is a little shy sometimes, but definitely does not shy away from the opportunity to steal from some of his fashion icons.  Marc seems to just follow Rebecca's lead, which leads him into trouble in the end.  The role of Marc is played by Israel Broussard.  I have chosen to go with Jeremy Allen White.  White is great in Shameless, and would would be a great pairing with Wong.  

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Next to cast would be for the role of Nicki.  Nicki is portraying Alexis Neiers, who is the one who got the most publicity from this stunt.  She is what you think of when you think of a California valley girl.  She smokes, because she thinks it's cool, she is up with the latest styles, she sounds completely dumb when she talks, and she tries to act more innocent than she really is.  The role of Nicki is played by Emma Watson, who I said earlier, stole the show.  I however, have chosen to go with Nina Dobrev.  The Vampire Diaries star fits this character so well, that I think it would be almost a perfect match. 

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Sam is the next character to cast.  Sam is similar to Nicki, and is also her BFF.  She is a little more tough I would say, and she lives a little more dangerously as well.  She has had a rough life growing up, which is why she lives with Nicki and her family.  Much like most of these characters, she doesn't really think about her actions before she does them, but in her case it's not very good when she decides to handle guns.  Sam is played by Taissa Farmiga, and I have to say, I was not a huge fan of Farmiga in this role.  Instead, I have chosen to go with Mae Whitman.  Whitman is great in Parenthood, and I think her and Dobrev would play off each other well. 

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The last of the main group of friends to cast would be for the role of Chloe.  Chloe is probably the most bad-ass of all the group.  She has a raspy voice, she looks like she has been through some hard times, she cusses like a sailor, and doesn't much care what others think of her.  She is the one who has the hookup when it comes to selling the merchandise that this group steals.  The role of Chloe is played by Claire Julien, who was not my favorite choice for this role.  I have decided to go with Sophie Kennedy Clark.  Most people might be saying that they don't know who she is.  She was most recently in Nymphomaniac, as well as Philomena.  I think she would be great at playing a girl who probably thinks she is much cooler than she really is. 

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And last but certainly not least, Laurie is the last character to cast, who plays the mother of Nicki and Sam.  Laurie truly believes that she is being a good parent, and she almost pretends as if she does not know what is going on.  To be honest, she probably doesn't know what's going on even though it is pretty clear.  She stands behind her girls though when it comes down to it, which I guess is what a mother is supposed to do.  The role of Laurie is played by Leslie Mann, who does a great job.  I have chosen to go with Missi Pyle, who is ideal casting for a stereotypical California rich mom.

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Well thank you for reading who I would have picked for The Bling Ring.  While this movie did not do very well, I strongly suggest watching it simply for the pure entertainment of watching what this group of kids thought they could get away with.  

American Beauty

My Rating: 4 Stars

Doing a similar post to my last one, and am taking an older movie, and casting it as if it were being made today.  I re-watched American Beauty the other night, and thought it would be interesting to re-cast for today.  American Beauty won all kinds of awards for acting, as well as many other awards.  The casting for it is practically perfect.  The story, if you haven't seen it, talks about how beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  The script is amazing, and was a very important and different movie during the time it came out.  As I said earlier, the cast is pretty ideal, but here is how I would cast it, if I would cast it today. 

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The first character to cast would be for Lester Burnham.  Lester is the husband of the two main characters, and is emotionally/sexually frustrated in his marriage with his wife. When he sees one of his daughters female friends at a basketball game, he has fantasies about her and becomes obsessed with her.  He isn't taken serious by his wife and daughter, and he finally starts to stand up for himself.  He works out to impress his daughters friend, he starts smoking pot, and quits his job.  The role of Lester is played by the great Kevin Spacey.  I have chosen to go with Robert Downey Jr.  He would do well with a character that is sarcastic, and a little cynical.  

 
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The next character to cast would be for Lester's wife, Carolyn Burnham.  Carolyn tries to pull off the perfect housewife persona, and she tries to convince others that her family life is perfect. She is a realtor but is having a hard time at selling houses.  She is unaware that both her husband and her daughter hate her; or at least she pretends to not know.  She decides to start standing up for herself more as well, but also has an affair with a different man at the same time.  She is clueless to Lester's infatuation with their daughters friend.  The role of Carolyn is played by Annette Bening.  I have chosen to go with Marisa Tomei.  I think the chemistry between her and Robert Downey Jr. would work very well.

    
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Next to cast would be for the Burnham's daughter, Jane Burnham.  Jane is described perfectly in the movie as a typical teenage girl, who is confused and has typical teenage angst.  She doesn't like either of her parents, and is really put off by the fact that her dad is so obsessed with her friend.  She has one friend, but her friend doesn't really make her feel better about herself.  Jane is one of the few characters who has a happy ending when it all comes down to it.  The role of Jane is played by Thora Birch.  I have decided to go with Abigail Breslin.  Breslin is very much an up and coming actress, and she would play this troubled teen well.
 

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The next character to cast would be for the role of Angela Hayes, who is Jane's friend.  Angela brags of how she is going to be a model, and also brags about the amount of sex that she has.  She is pretty and she knows it, and definitely loves to have attention on her.  This is why she responds positively when Lester hits on her, which Jane is disgusted by.  Angela believes that you have to be pretty in order to be happy.  But in the end, Angela isn't all she is cracked up to be.  The role of Angela is played by Mena Suvari.  I have chosen to go with Katie Chang.  Chang was recently in The Bling Ring, and was very good.  It would be interesting to see her play the bitchy teen. 

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Next to cast would be for the role of Ricky Fitts.  Ricky comes from a very strict home, and is perceived as a little weird by everyone in his school.  He has a job, but it is a cover up because he actually sells marijuana as his main source of income.  Lester and Ricky become somewhat friends, but Ricky is more interested in Jane.  Jane and Ricky become romantically involved, but Angela judges her for it, because she thinks he is a lunatic.  Ricky plans to leave his corrupt home, and has a very estranged relationship with his dad.  The role of Ricky Fitts, is played by Wes Bentley.  I have chosen to go with Ezra Miller.  I saw Miller first in We Need to Talk About Kevin, and figured he would be perfect for this off-beat character.

 

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One last main character to cast, and that would be for the role of Colonel Fitts.  Colonel Fitts is ex-marine, and never fails to mention that when he introduces himself.  He plays off the masculine role well, and is not the sharpest tool in the shed.  He does not trust his son, and keeps his family on a very short leash.  As most characters in this movie, he has a secret he would rather not share either.  The role of Colonel Fitts is played by Chris Cooper.  I have chosen to go with Willem Dafoe.

     

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I hope you enjoyed who I would have picked to play the characters in the great American Beauty.  If you haven't seen this movie, I strongly suggest watching it.  It is very original, and the acting is terrific.  Thanks for reading my choices for American Beauty.

The Crucible

My Rating: 2 1/2 stars

So, this casting will be a little different than the rest of my typical posts.  I have decided to take an older movie, and re-cast it as if I was casting it in 2014.  The Crucible is an interesting movie in that it somewhat pulled away from the Arthur Miller script.  While this movie was excellently cast, it still had some issues with critics for its' writing.  However, I have been a huge fan of this play ever since I read it in middle school, and was also in the play myself in high school.  I have always had a dream that a director like Tim Burton or someone of that nature would take this script and remake it into something that is relevant for our generation.  Don't worry, I did not cast Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, like Burton typically would.  However, I have found my own cast that might prove to be somewhat argumentative, but is my personal choices for who I think would do best.  If you know this script, there are a lot of characters, so I'm just going to stick with the most prominent characters.
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The first character to cast would be for the role of John Proctor.  Proctor is respected in the town and is known also for not necessarily agreeing with the rest of Salem's ideals.  He has been unfaithful to his wife with Abigail, but he has been forgiven by his wife and wishes to put all of that behind him.  However it comes back to haunt him when Abigail cries witch on everyone in town.  John Proctor is played by Daniel Day-Lewis, who is one of my all time favorite actors, and of course did phenomenal in this role.  I have chosen to go with Michael Fassbender.  Fassbender has certainly proven himself, racking up several Oscar nominations, and I believe he would definitely take another nomination in this role.
  
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Next important character to cast is the source of most of the problems in Salem, and that is Abigail Williams.  Abigail is extremely jealous of John Proctor's wife, and will stop at nothing to get back with him after their fling.  When things don't go her way, she takes the matter in her own hands, which as we know is a very dangerous path.  The role of Abigail is played by Winona Ryder, who also does a great job in this role.  I have chosen to go with someone that maybe some people would strongly disagree with.  I am going with Kristen Stewart.  I don't much care what people say about Stewart, because I have seen her in some great acting roles such as Welcome to the Riley's.  And even if people don't like her that much, it'll be perfect considering that Abigail is very much a hated character.
  
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Elizabeth Proctor is the next character to cast, who is John Proctor's wife.  She is very similar to John in that she doesn't necessarily agree with the ideals of the people in Salem.  She is a very strong woman, and deals with more than a typical person could handle and she makes a lot of difficult choices in the movie.  She is one of the last ones to be accused of witch craft by Abigail, all with the intention that she be hanged.  The role of Elizabeth Proctor is played by Joan Allen, who I wish I would see more of today.  I have chosen Jennifer Connelly.  Connelly has also been an actress that has played strong women, and she and Fassbender would work together well.
   
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The next character does not come into play until about half-way through the movie, but is equally as important to the plot of this movie.  The character is Judge Thomas Danforth.  While Danforth's character is somewhat frustrating sometimes, because you just want him to stop believing that Abigail is telling the truth, he is a very fair judge in that he goes for the argument that is most convincing.  The role of Judge Danforth is played by Paul Scofield.  I have chosen to go with Bill Nighy.  Nighy is an actor that is renowned for his work, and would be perfect playing a judge in a tough situation.
  
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Reverend Hale would be most important to cast next.  Reverend Hale was asked to come to Salem by the main Reverend in Salem in order to see if there are indeed signs of witch craft. Hale comes in confident that he can help this town, as he has helped many other towns.  However, when he starts to become more connected to the people of Salem, he starts to realize the ulterior motives of Abigail, but also doesn't want to turn away from his duty to God.  Reverend Hale is played by Rob Campbell.  I have chosen to go with Peter Sarsgaard, who would be perfect for this conflicted Reverend.

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One of the last main characters to cast would be for the role of Mary Warren.  Mary is friends with Abigail, but mainly because she is scared of her.  She is very timid, she doesn't like breaking the rules, and is strongly against all that Abigail is doing.  She almost becomes brave in the end when she accuses Abigail of lying, but then she takes a turn for the worst, and saves her own skin.  She works for the Proctor's, but she eventually stabs them in the back, which is influenced by Abigail.  The role of Mary is played by Karron Graves. I have chosen to go with Shailene Woodley.  Woodley has really broken out of her shell and proven herself as an actress, and would play this timid girl well.
  
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One of the last characters that I will cast will be for the role of Reverend Parris.  Parris is the one who catches Abigail and the girls in the village, dancing in the woods around a fire naked.  He is the main Reverend in town.  He cracks under pressure, and is even at one point called, "a brainless man." The role of Reverend Parris is played by Bruce Davison, and I have chosen to go with Jason  Isaacs.
  
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I hope you enjoyed me changing it up a little from what I am used to doing, by taking an old movie and casting it as if it was being made today.  I am a big fan of this play, and I hope that someday a director will take this script and put it back up on the screen.  Thanks for reading who I would have cast, for The Crucible.