Zac Baldwin's Blog: Errant Thoughts - Posts Tagged "affleck"

I admit this is not a new phenomenon, but I grow tired of critics and audiences blaming the actors for a bad movie.

An actor, especially the good ones, focus on their job and leave the script and how to shoot it to other people, and sometimes those people know how to get the job, but have no idea how to do it. I think one reason actors are driven to direct is because it gives them more control over the final product.

One name leaps to mind: Ben Affleck, after being eviscerated for "Daredevil" went on to direct some great movies. He is now writing and directing a Batman if i read the news correctly. And while I am glad he is doing that, what drove him there (being blamed for Daredevil), is just wrong. He did his job, in my opinion very well given the constraints the writing and directing gave him. It is not his fault the script and director's vision fell flat - Affleck did his job as best he could.

In another blog I talk about Raquel Welch. I firmly believe she would be regarded higher as an actress if the directors and writers and producers around her gave a damn. In Hannie Caulder it appears that the director was sleeping, open his eyes to say action, snore and then open his eyes again to say cut. All the actors were pros in that movie and did the best they could, but ugh!, a film student coulda done a better job of shooting it!

But, Ms. Welch (and other stars) get the blame. I can see it way back when, but now audiences and especially critics are so aware of how a film is put together that it surprises me when actors get blamed for the final product. Admittedly some superstars have some power to help control the movie, but ultimately they have to hand the reins over to the drivers and hope they know where the heck they are going.

Alec Baldwin gave a great analogy of how one agrees to make a movie like agreeing to go on a trip - we're going to Fiji! Then once one is on board and far away from land, the director and producers turn and say, we're not going to Fiji anymore and it's too late to do anything about it. So next time you watch a movie that bombs, make sure the acting sucks too before you throw those stars in front of a bus along with the movie!