Alternative Setting/Actors

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jml98 · #1 Post by **jml98** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 9:16 pm

In the "Bob's Phone" thread, an interesting debate started, and i thought it was good enough to have its own thread. Do you think that LiT would work in other places (Berlin and Mexico City were mentioned in "bob's phone" thread)? What about actors? Would there be another suitable actor for Bob's character/Charlotte's character?

Personally (and you can read why on the Bob's Phone thread) i think that while other places like Berlin and Mexico City might work (in the sense that it would create the same "alienated" feeling that Bob and Charlotte felt), Tokyo was the perfect fit.

For the actors question: It's hard to imagine other actors as Bob and Charlotte (especially b/c Sofia made the role for Bill Murray, and the movie wouldn't have been made if he turned it down...), but I am open to the idea that others could have played their roles. I can only remember one suggestion that someone made from IMDB board, and that was Steve Martin instead of Bill Murray...

it's hard to imagine the movie in another city and other actors playing the parts, because we all love the movie as it is. As a result i think that some will say that the movie could only work as it is (i.e. set in Tokyo, with Bill and Scarlett in it) so try to keep an open mind.

(maybe I'm one of those people....)

What do other people think??

jml98 · #2 Post by **jml98** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 9:23 pm

Suggestions from the IMDB board thread:

Alternatives for Charlotte's part include: Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Natalie Portman, Anna Paquin, Katie Holmes, Mary-Louise Parker, Samantha Morton, Penelope Cruz, Keira Knightley, and Charlize Theron.

Alternatives for Bob's part include (assuming the movie would still be made if Bill wasn't cast in it): Robin Williams, Harrison Ford and Al Pacino

An alternative to Tokyo that was suggested was Las Vegas....personally, I don't think they understand the whole alienation thing. Las Vegas has lots of lights and stuff, but i don't think Bob and Charlotte would feel very isolated...

I like the Robin Williams suggestion. He, like Bill, is a comic actor who has underrated dramatic acting talents (in my opinion). I think Scarlett was perfect for the part; there was a lot of non verbal acting (like when Kelly and John met in the lobby....Scarlett's facial expressions were priceless) Scarlett is very good at acting without talking, using only her face/demanor to convey what she's feeling/what she's thinking etc. It's hard to describe, but i think most of the members on this board (and those that have seen Girl with a Pearl Earring know what i'm talking about) I haven't seen enough of the other actresses' movies, but I just don't think there is another actress that could have played Charlotte as well as Scarlett. Maybe they would have taken a different approach at the character, but I think Scarlett's approach was great. anyways....

findingcharlotte · #3 Post by **findingcharlotte** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 1:07 am

Same actors ..same place.. I wouldnt have wanted it any other way.

jml98 · #4 Post by **jml98** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 1:41 am

findingcharlotte wrote:Same actors ..same place.. I wouldnt have wanted it any other way.

i think we all agree that it was perfect the way it is, and that we wouldn't have wanted it any other way. But I'm just asking if you think that there are alternative settings/actors that would make it work, that would make LiT good (even though it wouldn't be as good). I'm guessing your response, findingcharlotte, is no...what do others think?

Just Like Honey... · #5 Post by **Just Like Honey...** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 1:56 am

:
I really like the Robin Williams idea. I've always been a huge fan of his, and there are a number of his movies (Awakenings, Insomnia, One Hour Photo, What Dreams May Come, Dead Poet's Society, Seize the Day,.. i could go on..) where he does an amazing job of taking on a more serious role. The only thing that would get in the way is the fact that I don't think he could as effectively play a tired, burnt out and washed up actor sort of character as well as Bill did.
As for Charlotte, I can't even begin to list any other possibilities. When I watch Scarlett in LiT, I often feel as it it's actually her I'm watching as opposed to Charlotte (shallow on my part, i know). I think my problem is, and this happens with Bob too, that I tend to mix up the movie character with the person who is actually playing him/her. This happens tenfold in LiT, because 90% of the time that I'm going to be seeing Bill/Scarlett, it's going to be when they're playing as Bob/Charlotte.
So even if I had to go out on a limb I really don't know who I would pick. No one else seems to have the subtly maturity Scarlett portrays so well..

jml98 · #6 Post by **jml98** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 4:02 am

Just Like Honey... wrote::

As for Charlotte, I can't even begin to list any other possibilities. When I watch Scarlett in LiT, I often feel as it it's actually her I'm watching as opposed to Charlotte (shallow on my part, i know).

that's not shallow, that's just good acting by Scarlett!! Both Bill and Scarlett's performances were so good in the movie that often times I, among others, feel as if we're not watching a character, a person. It's not Bill and Scarlett's playing Bob and Charlotte, its them being Bob and Charlotte; they are the character! I'm not sure why u say its shallow of you....

Just Like Honey... · #7 Post by **Just Like Honey...** » Fri Dec 31, 2004 3:30 pm

Well It's just that I would expect myself to, while fully into a session of watching LiT, to look at Charlotte or Bob and not think about who's playing them, because in many such films I often tend to get lost in the main plot and forget about who i'm acutally watching, in the sense of the actors themselves. I guess the difference with LiT is that it's more about the acting and all the subtle touches by Bill and Scarlett than about the actual plot. I suppose that's why its harder to imagine other possible actors for Bob and Charlotte in LiT than it would be in any other movie, because they put so much of themselves into the roles, instead of just focusing on plot development.

So I guess I'll let myself get away with this one

The Shoegazer · #8 Post by **The Shoegazer** » Fri Dec 31, 2004 9:25 pm

as for Chatlotte role Natalie Portman and Katie Holmes are the only ones I even begin to see as a possibilty for the part.
As for Bob , The Robin Williams idea is a really good one.Now that I watched the movie about 6-8 times (know almost every word) its very hard to imagine someone else in those roles. And I also think that Anna Faris would be very hard to replace here.
As for a different setting, Paris might do the trick. I've been there once and you really feel isolated cause the language and the culture is very difficult to figure out.
We all love as it is however and wouldn't change it for anything.

jml98 · #9 Post by **jml98** » Fri Dec 31, 2004 10:31 pm

i like your paris suggestion...i think that anna could be replaced, maybe by cameron diaz?

btw merry xmas all, happy new years!

The Shoegazer · #10 Post by **The Shoegazer** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 11:37 pm

jml98 wrote:i like your paris suggestion...i think that anna could be replaced, maybe by cameron diaz?

btw merry xmas all, happy new years!

Well, that could have worked out, I heard that Anna's character was making fun of Cameron Diaz but on some talk show she said that it was some other actress that she made fun of, I can't quite remember who.

Wow , its already 2005 and I don't feel anything...

gusornot · #11 Post by **gusornot** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 1:19 am

hello all,
first post here. i've been reading thru a lot of the threads, and this was an intriguing topic. i honestly don't think that the movie would have been as believable as it was with bill and scarlett, but.....

always, a but. someone who came to mind for whatever reason for bob harris was kevin kline. i think he could play a lost soul very well. couldn't ever replace bill, but i think if he had the part originally, he would have done it to our liking.

one of my fave young actresses has always been kirsten dunst, who probably could have pulled this off, but i'd not want anyone but scarlett.