Nicki Elson's Blog - Posts Tagged "character-study"

This is a continuation of my series of blogs to cast the characters in the 80s novel, Three Daves. This blog is spoiler-free.


Oh Dave, the beautiful bad boy. Lots of guys are good-looking, but Dave has that certain je ne sais quoi that girls find irresistible. Sure, he's got that casual disarray of dirty blond spikes, and brilliant green eyes, and full lips that twist up into a killer smile, but it's not really about how he looks; it's more about how he makes Jen's insides flip upside down with the slightest gesture. Here are some of my favorite quotes about Dave:


He seemed to understand that a full-on smile would have been too much for any human girl to handle.


Jen was totally out of her league with this guy. He made her nervous, and he seemed to be enjoying that fact. She knew she should simply return his confident stare, but she wasn’t nearly advanced enough for that level of flirtation.


What was this strange power of his that made her feel and act like such a complete idiot whenever he smiled at her?


So which two actors do I think have that same power...


My 80s choice...





I was going to go with Rob Lowe because he's got the right coloring and he certainly is beautiful, but I don't know...he's a little too pretty boy. I don't think he could pull of the cigarette. But I still love you, Rob. Maybe next movie.

...Matt Dillon



Matt Dillon, on the other hand, now there's a guy who knows how to treat a cigarette. And he's got those Dave lips, too. This is him smokin' in every way possible in 1989's Drugstore Cowboy.


Yes, I realize his deep brown eyes don't mesh with Dave's sparkling green, but he's got the je ne sais quoi to make up for it.



And let's not forget the low rumble of Dillon's voice---he's already got the Dave growl down.


Still not convinced? Well then, check this out:



He looked so good leaning there that Jen felt certain the wall had been built for no purpose other than to give him a place to recline so attractively.



Hullo, Dave.


My 2010 Choice: Chad Michael Murray



I think this photo speaks very well for itself. Chad's pretty much got it all: coloring (yes, I'm kind of starting to feel like a judge in a dog show), looks, body, bad-boy 'tude. I really only know him from Freaky Friday, but the lasting impression he made there is definitely Dave-worthy. Whaddaya think?


I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kallie, my buddy and Omnific colleague, for giving me the delicious idea to cast the Three Daves movie here in my blog. What a marvelous excuse to ogle, I mean analyze, fine young actors. We will be getting to the females, but we've got one more Dave first, don't we...ah, it's a dirty job, but someone's got to to it. ;)

Yes, yes, I know, it's been a while. I could give you a million and one excuses, but the truth is...I've been dragging my feet on this one. I've had trouble coming up with that quintessential 2010 Big D. The problem could be that I simply don't see enough current movies to know who's out there. Or it could be that there's no one today that's good enough to play perfect, marvelous D. Or it could be—and I think this one is most likely—that my 1980s pick is just so D that no one else will do.

Let's take a look at our boy from the book, shall we?

He's good-looking:
She was looking past Big D’s Greek letters. The way she figured it, any guy who could unabashedly strut around in a form-fitting blue and red polyester jumpsuit—and look good doing it—was worth further examination.

Sweet:
D kissed Jen on the cheek and murmured quietly into her ear, “Thanks for coming today. I’ll call you tomorrow.”


And yes, sometimes goofy:
Jen snapped her attention back to the dancing and desperately searched out D in the bouncing mob. She found him and saw that he’d taken his tie from his neck and had tied it around his forehead.


I'm going to save the best for last and show you my 2010 choices first. (Much thanks to Anthony Shepard for getting me rolling with some Big D inspiration.)  I've got two actors here for you to examine, and if you have any other suggestions I am open to them.




First up, Justin Grant Wade. You'll know him better as Steve Holt! if you've ever seen Arrested Development. He's cute, and he's got the goofy-frat-guy-jock thing down.  My concern with him is that he may not be able pull off D's Superman quality.  Then again, all I've got to  go on are images from Arrested Development, so perhaps Justin can pull it off...perhaps.






But just in case, I've got another one here for ya.  Chris Klein.  He's got the Superman, no?  And he can also pull off the sweet, somewhat oblivious popular-guy, as evidenced by his performance in Election (which coincidentally stars Matthew Broderick, my 1980s choice for David.  Kismet?)  





And now...my 1980s choice for Big D...Jake Ryan!




I suppose he has a real name, but I'll be damned if I know what it is.  He was, is, and always will be Jake Ryan to anyone who was a young, impressionable girl at the time she saw Sixteen Candles.













Most especially to my sissy, who stood in braces and a French braid at her big sister's wedding, just certain that at any moment the kind and studly Jake Ryan would appear before her, leaning on his shiny, red Porsche.

Jake Ryan never showed, and so we make due with what we've been given (although my sister did snag herself a very fine Ryan). Some of us resort to writing novels and creating Jake Ryan-like characters that we name Big D.

Here's one last picture of our perfect specimen.  I've cropped Ringwald out, so feel free to insert yourselves on the other side of the cake, ladies.


Three Daves