Jack Reacher Series discussion
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What Reacher should look like --
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message 51:
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Bru
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Jun 17, 2014 10:44AM
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When I was informed that Tom Cruise would be playing Reacher, I literally laughed out loud as, although I like Cruise in many parts, a Reacher he is NOT !! Then I was told by a Hollywood friend that Cruise's production company bought the rights to Child's Reacher series so ,of course, they would cast their boy = argh !!I read, with pleasure, all your choices and envisioned them, critically, in my mind. For most of them, there was some trait about each that just did not fit, in my opinion.
My one and only choice, without a doubt, is Russell Crowe who in regard to Child's comment, I hope tongue-in-cheek, is certainly Australian, although what does that have to do with anything, and he is certainly not fat when his roles call for the slimmer version.
Crowe IS Reacher. Physically, he is a big man and his size commands your attention, as does Reacher's. In real life, Crowe is a "bad a$$", so not a stretch to get into Reacher's character. He has both a hard and a soft side to his persona which is necessary for a convincing Reacher. He's smart, will do the "right" thing no matter the consequences and he is 100% believable in any role that he plays. Alas, because Cruise was "the man" in the first film, he will continue to be so; I cannot see a switch happening, and.... I will only see the magnificent Russell Crowe in my dreams playing my best favorite contemporary male character/ fiction.
One last comment: I think it's amazingly interesting how we ALL have this marvelous picture of "OUR" Reacher in our mind's eye. None of us are "wrong" in our choices, we just have different visions that fit our likes. And, that my new friends, is why we have chocolate and vanilla ice cream :)And to Bru, in message 43: I totally agree with your observation that Cruise as Reacher is a travesty of a "missed opportunity" when it "could" have been such a classic. Drats !
I always wondered what Lee Child thought of Cruise as Reacher since I would think that choice would be very personal/important to him. Looked up an interview that Child did w/ CBS in which he said, "It's always tense when you move a character from book to screen. But, Cruise is a FANTASTIC (my caps) Reacher. How? I don't know. He's an actor. That's what they do.... you sell your book to people who you respect. His company and Paramount had great plans, great ideas.... it was a happy experience." So, there you have it!
What I'd like to know does not concern Reacher's appearance but.... WHAT is it about Reacher that generates almost universal appeal in this character among both men and women ??
I think it is his ability to live a free unencumbered life without the need or want for possessions, a fixed place to live with the wife, 2.5 kids , a dog, and a picket fence. He lives for the moment. He has no delusions about the frailty of life but he knows that he can prevail against almost the worst of the worst in human beings. Though he also has a sociopathic side that he keeps to himself until he needs to show it. I don't really envy his lifestyle, though maybe in a way I do. As a woman I think it would be much harder to live this way as we cannot say we can prevail against almost all men physically. He can get away with murder and disappear into the night. I think it is a bit farfetched to think that he could have gotten away with so much but then he is always working on the side of the law. Convenient. He is a bit of a misogynist too. Kind of the same way Robert Heinlein is though. Women are sexual beings but can also be tough and everything a man can be. How convenient all his female partners are gorgeous and tough too. Lol!
We all have been reading fantastic novels, exciting characters such as Jack Reacher,Flynn, Elvis, Joe Pike, Sam Capra and others.I wonder if any of you would recommend novels with a female type of Reacher. I like Mila in the Sam Capra series, you don't mess with her.
Thanks to all...
I like your answer, Nancy !! I must admit that my reading focuses mostly on the strong protagonist being male but.... although I wouldn't compare either of these two characters whom I am going to suggest as "like" Reacher, I found them captivating and.... I wouldn't mess w/ either:Lisbeth Salander in the GIRL WITH the DRAGON TATTOO trilogy and surprisingly, Katniss Evergreen in the HUNGER GAMES trilogy and btw, the HUNGER GAMES is not just for the YA crowd, at all!
Other than those, I guess that I'm not a big fan of the female detective/ thriller, etc. namely the Janet Evanovich type but.... I guess that they're out there.
I agree with you about Katniss. I have not read the Dragon Tattoo series but plan to one day. I kind of heard only the first one was worth reading. Also in the YA Divergent series the main character is a very strong young woman. I like Dee Dee Warren also in the Lisa Gardner Books. She is a strong police officer and doesn't shrink from anything.
I enjoyed the book Jet by Russell Blake. There is a series of them. worth checking out
