Have U ever imagined a specific actor in the part of a novel's protagonist?

[Joy H., Group Founder]

While reading a novel, have you ever imagined a specific actor in the part of the protagonist?

This has happened to me only once and that was while I was reading _Nobody's Fool_ by Richard Russo.

In my review of the book, I wrote the following:
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"I enjoyed reading _Nobody's Fool_. As I was reading it, I couldn't help but picture Jack Nicholson playing the part of Sully. In fact, to me, the rascally Sully *was* Jack Nicholson. This idea popped into my mind, spontaneously and unbidden. In fact, I expected everyone who read the book to have the same idea. A short survey proved me wrong. That puzzled me because I was convinced that the choice of Nicholson would be obvious to everyone. So I was a bit disappointed when Paul Newman was chosen to play Sully in the movie. Even though I love Paul Newman, it seemed to me that he portrayed Sully in a quiet, low-key manner. I had pictured Sully as more of a lively and lovable rascal. To this day, I wish that I could see how Jack Nicholson would play Sully. I'm still looking for someone to agree with me.

BTW, this was the first and only time, while reading a book, that I imagined a specific actor in the part of the protagonist."
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Has this type of thing ever happened to you?

[Margaret]

At the point when I was old enough that my mom and I had read or were reading the same books, we used to play the "who should do the movie" game all the time - maybe that's why I ended up being a casting director! Although I do theatre and not film, I'm never NOT thinking about who should play a particular character. I think the strongest actor-impression I ever had about a character in a novel was the President in David Baldacci's first book EXECUTIVE POWER: I thought Harrison Ford, who was fortyish then and still one of the biggest stars in the world, was the obvious and perfect choice, and he'd have loved doing it. I thought it needed someone who was an iconic American hero, to make the nature of his real character even more shocking. (Same reason I thought Tom Cruise should have played the Jack Nicholson role in A FEW GOOD MEN.) So I never could get on board with Gene Hackman when they cast him instead - it seemed to tip the hand of the character too much. The down side of being in casting is that when you see someone you think is really terribly MIScast it can be very distracting, the way someone who has really good pitch can be distracted from a musical performance if an instrument or a voice is out of tune. I think of AUSTRALIA, a movie I actually enjoyed, but would have enjoyed a whole lot more if they had cast somebody, anybody, other than Nicole Kidman. Hugh Jackman had more chemistry with Anne Hathaway in their two minutes on the Academy Awards (and please,let's put the two of them in a movie musical!) than he was able to generate in three-plus hours with Kidman. And someone really needs to get Nicole a sandwich. But then towards the end you get a wonderful little performance by a guy named Matthew Whittet as Father Frank - a very small role with not many lines, but perfectly cast and wonderfully delivered by a young actor who knows and proves that there really are no small parts!

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Margaret - Thanks for the interesting post.
I'll look for Matthew Whittet when I see "Australia".

You are so right about there needing to be some sort of chemistry between the players.

In another topic about the movie, "Becoming Jane", I wrote: ====>
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James Berardinelli, in his review, says:
"The film is a semi-fictional biography of the esteemed author (Jane Austen)... Unfortunately, lead actress Anne Hathaway is not suited to the role. Her Jane doesn't seem like the main character in her own story. Hathaway, who is well suited to modern-day Disney fairy tales like The Princess Diaries, is pretty enough, but she lacks presence. Too often, she blends in with the scenery rather than seizing the camera's attention."

I tend to agree with Berardinelli. Anne Hathaway is beautiful in this movie, but she lacks a certain presence.

James McAvoy plays the romantic lead, Tom Lefroy.

Berardinelli says: "...it's hard to view the Jane/Tom relationship as the kind of grand love affair around which a movie can be constructed."

I felt that way too. In my view, there wasn't a great romantic chemistry between McAvoy and Hathaway.
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See the movie description at the IMDb page: ====>
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416508/

[Joy H., Group Founder]

PS - Yes Margaret, as you said: "...someone really needs to get Nicole (Kidman) a sandwich." LOL

[Regina]

I'll have to put "Nobody's Fool" on by to read list, I like Richard Russo and have just not gotten around to reading this one. I'm still trying to finish "Plague of Doves", not much time lately and this is not a fast read.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Regina, you will love _Nobody's Fool_. It has stayed in my mind over the years as a book I thoroughly enjoyed.

As for _The Plague of Doves A Novel_, you're right. It's not a fast read. You would be wise to get as much background help as you can with the book. Don't be like I was and try to deal with it without help. You might start here: ====>
http://www.powells.com/review/2008_05...
and here: ====>
http://www.barcelonareview.com/rev/63...
and here: ====>
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/boo...

If you haven't seen my topic about the book, you might find it interesting. See it at: ====>
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

I'm afraid I was unable to appreciate the book. They say it's complex. I say it's unreadable. But what do I know!

[Regina]

Thanks for the help Joy. There are parts of the book I enjoy and characters, like Mooshum (I like his humor, esp. when he and his brother torment the priest), that are very interesting. But I get mixed up at times about who is speaking.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Regina wrote: "I get mixed up at times about who is speaking."

Regina, I had the same problem figuring out who was speaking in _The Plague of Doves A Novel_.

Here's a hint: The names of the chapters seem to indicate who is speaking. I didn't realize this until our book group pointed it out. I had thought the names of the chapters indicated which character the chapter was about.

One of the main things to keep in mind while reading is that many of the story's chapters are really little stories in themselves. It helps to realize this so that you don't try too hard to connect each little story. As the Barcelona review said, the one connecting thread was the "murdered family". All the characters are connected in some way to this event.

One of the Goodreads reviewers pointed out that "the central 'mystery' of the book wasn't played up enough." I agree. This is an excellent criticism, IMO.

Another pointed out that the book had "many different narrators and ... it was frequently not sequential."

Although I didn't enjoy reading the book, I must say it was a challenge to try to understand why it is so highly acclaimed.