Absolutely Terrible Casting 🍿😩

This thread is nearly two years old. (Incidentally, I haven’t seen any posts from Fanny for quite a while.)

Michael Caine as Alan Breck in Kidnapped. The accent is excruciating

An oldie, but one I was recently reminded of. MrB hadn’t seen it before and tried to watch it but gave up after a short while.

I thought Leslie Howard was a perfect Ashley Wilks and could understand totally how Scarlett could have fallen for him. Had it come to anything he would undoubtedly driven her mad with his dreamy ways, which were far more suited to Mellie!

Musicgirl

Florence Pugh as Amy in Little Women. Amy is supposed to be an immature, rather silly girl, who would almost certainly have a high, giggly voice. Florence Pugh's rather gravelly smoker's voice and worldly wise manner was totally wrong for the character.

Absolutely agree. Can’t think of a more miscasting example. The whole film lacked the sparkle of youth and personalities of the March family. Also the changes the film made to the book where Jo’s book was published by the local rag instead of the publisher friend of Professor Bhaer. I have never forgiven the screenwriter for ruining my beloved Little Women.

I agree about Rowan Atkinson and Maigret - dreadful. Wasn't it Rupert somebody who played the part (back in the 50s I think)?

I loved the film Bridges of Madison County and thought it was really touching.

I thought Brenda Blethyn as Vera was just fine - and Alison Steadman as Mrs Bennett.

I think Roger Allam has a beautiful voice, and was perfect in Endeavour.

Maybe, in a superficial way, it’s because Matthew has aged so much better than Colin Firth. But also it showed how Lizzie had got it so wrong about Darcy. And also showed in a better way than the tv series how he had become captivated by her. I’m always ( as someone that isn’t usually moved by romantic films) surprised when I find myself getting emotional at the end of a film. I remember not being able to leave the cinema at the end of Brokeback Mountain because I was crying so much. And Last if the Mohicans gets to me every time.

I watched it last night as well MayBee70 I hadn't intended to either. I then took the book to bed to fill in some of the gaps. I thought Matthew was perfect as Mr Darcy, with just a touch of vulnerability behind the frosty exterior. Seeing him walking through the mist at the end reminded me of George Clooney coming out of the storm drain carrying the little boy in ER. My daughter and I turned to each other and both said "Oh NOW I get it!" because we'd never thought much of him before.

Casdon

Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet. I like her, she just wasn’t right for the part.

I actually watched the film on tv last night. Had seen it at the cinema when it first came out and enjoyed it but hadn’t watched it since. Didn’t intend to watch it but got rather drawn into it. By the end of it I’d decided that I preferred it to the tv adaptation and surprised myself by getting a bit choked up at the end ( did the same with the Carey Mulligan film of Far From the Madding Crowd).

Performance

Well, it was a Mike Leigh production, so it would have been a work of collaboration and improvisation.
Spall employed method acting and even learned to paint like Turner (he nearly pursued a career in art when younger).

But, seeing as it was written and directed by Leigh, yes, it would have been a very similar performer by any actor

Fanny, we don’t know if Turner grunted and huffed all day long, it was very wearisome. I don’t agree that any actor would have played it that way.

Ken I’m struck by the similarities between Turner and Samuel Johnson.
Johnson is believed to have been on the Autism Spectrum, and I think that elements of the ASC fed into Spall’s portrayal of Turner.

(I’m struggling to get exactly the right words, but I think that you get my gist!)

They both had complicated relationships with their Housekeepers - Hannah and Queenie

I agree Fanny Mr Spall was Mr Turner. Like Mr Turner or nor. He was quite uncouth I believe. So excellent casting in the main.

But Tim Spall was being Turner, it was good acting; a part that you didn’t like, but not poor casting.

Any actor in that role would have ‘acted’ that way.

It’s the writing/ direction that you’re criticising surely?

BlueBelle

Timothy Spall in Mr Turner awful

I so agree, all that grunting, ugh.

Going back in time, John Mills as the village bumpkin in Ryan’s Daughter.
Truly embarrassing.

Tall, skinny Keira Knightly as the petite rounded French novelist Colette.

Books being made into films / TV are usually a huge disappointment.

I think that my earliest experience of this was Gian Sammarco as Adrian Mole. Dreadful

Julie Walters was perfect as Pauline Mole; but she left after the first series - and they replaced her with Lulu! 🙀

If anyone can recall the tv production of ‘Nice Work’, the novel by David Lodge, Warren Clarke was absolutely the wrong person to play the part of Vic Wilcox.

Awful casting.

Yes, A Year In Provence was miscast on both main parts.

I enjoyed John Thaw in a Year In Provence but thought Lindsay Duncan was completely wrong as his wife. Why on earth didn't they have Sheila Hancock instead?

I enjoyed watching John Thaw as Morse but felt he was totally miscast as the novelist Peter Mayle in a “Year in Provence” .

And A Muppet Christmas Carol!!! 😃

Yes apart from Alfie maybe.

Kate1949

Michael Caine in most things he's done.

He was good in Alfie - but perhaps he was playing himself 😀