Thursday, September 23, 2010
B3
THE HEIGHTS
GONE WITH THE WIND Sure, Enchanted was no Oscar nominee, but it did prove one thing definitively: Amy Adams truly does have all the peppy, earnest, sing-songy qualities of an animated princess and the vocals to boot. Now picture her as chef-on-a-power-trip Julie Powell in Julie and Julia and you’ve got one scrappy, sweet, eye-catching actress. It would be no stretch of the imagination, then, to cast Adams in the role of Scarlet O’Hara, who proves not only the sweet and fawning companion to oh-so-debonair Rhett Butler, but a strong female character, unafraid to make her voice heard. And who would be more fitting to embody the slicked-back charm of Rhett Butler than Pierce Brosnan, who – despite all things Mamma Mia! – has been the epitome of suave as our very own James Bond.
CLASSICS REDUX PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALLMOVIEPHOTO.COM
BY KRISTEN HOUSE ARTS & REVIEW EDITOR | ZAK JASON ASSOC. ARTS & REVIEW EDITOR | ALLISON THERRIEN ASST. ARTS & REVIEW EDITOR
CASABLANCA As time goes by, it’s nearly impossible to imagine someone other than Humphrey Bogart’s Rick woundedly wondering about how Ingrid Bergman’s Ilsa could have walked into his “damn gin joint,” of all places. But who is the modern epitome of the wounded man? Why, John Hamm, that’s who. Hamm’s persona would add a fantastic dark element to the entire production. Kate Winslet also has got the femme fatale with a dash of mystique down to a science. If Winslet could infuse some Eternal Sunshine quirky darkness to the role, it could be groundbreaking. Hamm and Winslet are the power pairing of our age.
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S Undeniably, Carey Mulligan possesses a nymphic quality to equal Audrey Hepburn’s. It goes deeper than just a pixie cut comparison, Mulligan has an electric infectiousness that would layer Holly Golightly with a sharp intelligence. John Krasinski would fit the role of Paul “Fred” Varjak, an intellectual writer who can’t quite get a grip on the elusive Golightly. A modern romantic chase between the elusive woman and befuddled man must bring something above and beyond the drivel of many romantic comedies. Krasinski and Mulligan would be cut from the sharpest mod-cloth.
SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS Smug, chiseled, confused, and clueless, John Sullivan’s role requires an extremely versatile actor. With roles spanning from The Facts of Life to Michael Clayton to O Brother Where Art Thou?, George Clooney could rise to the challenge of playing the morally befuddled Sullivan. It also helps that he looks like Joel McCrea. Christina Hendricks has fashioned one of the most iconic looks and dominating presences of any actress today – who better to play “The Girl” who rattles Sullivan’s world? And who could balance absurdity with poignancy like Preston Sturges? Spike Jonez.
A PHILADELPHIA STORY The idea of embodying saucy, self-important Philadelphia heiress Tracy Lord would be an understandably daunting task, but leave it to Cate Blanchette to blow daunting tasks right out of the water. She played the Queen of England for goodness sake. Not only does she have the classically chiseled cheekbones of Miss Hepburn, but she has both the sultriness and the elegance that can only come with experience, and those qualities would translate perfectly into the character of Tracy. By her side, she would need a strong male complement for the role of Dexter Haven, and just picturing Ben Affleck in Pearl Harbor makes us feel as though no explanation is necessary.
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON Few actors could channel the wide-eyed innocence of Jimmy Stewart’s Jefferson Smith. But after strong performances in Brick, (500) Days of Summer, and Inception, Joseph Gordon-Levitt could play the amiable and hopelessly optimistic senator. It’s hard to imagine him gaping and tearing up on the steps of the Lincoln Monument like Stewart, but his more stoic style would cater well to our more sober times. Proving himself a diabolical villain in the likes of Mission Possible III and Punch Drunk Love, Phillip Seymour Hoffman could evoke the tyranny of Claude Rains’ Senator Joseph Paine. THE GRADUATE Some call him too snide to be a serious actor. Some call him too one-dimensional. But if you watch Rushmore and The Graduate on the same day, you will notice eerie similarities between Jason Shwartzman’s Max Fischer and Dennis Hoffman’s Benjamin Braddock. Both act simultaneously as relentlessly probing, genial, and somehow off-putting. It also helps that neither exceeds 5-9. But only Wes Anderson could elevate both Shwartzman’s performance and the lush aesthetic of the film. Above all, however, Simon and Garfunkel’s pastoral ballads sculpt the film. The woodsy melancholy of Bon Iver could relive that magic.
THE WIZARD OF OZ More so than any other film on this list, The Wizard of Oz cannot garner a definitive one-to-one ratio from original actors to modern actors. It’s too timeless. The images of Judy Garland are seared into our collective consciousness. But if a production company tried to do it, they would need an unknown to play Dorothy. Casting an already-established actress would spark uproar. Chris Cooper’s borderline insanity would serve the Scarecrow well. Seth Rogen could tackle the Cowardly Lion. Paul Rudd’s awkward charm could work into the Tin Man.
ON THE WATERFRONT Forget for a moment the James Franco that giggled dizzily in Pineapple Express and made Julia Roberts blush Eat Pray Love. If we revert back to the Franco in Spider Man who struggled under the weight of his dark past and the growing desire to punch someone, it’s easy to see him in the role of Terry Malloy, the dark, somewhat reserved product of a less-than-ethical past who is slowly learning to take responsibility for his actions. And as his ultra-feminine counterpart – the yin to his rather sinister yang – Claire Danes would be well-suited for the role of graceful Edie Doyle, who manages to see more in Malloy than he sees in himself.
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN Singin’ In The Rain proposes a plot problem for modern times. It is the film chronicling the shift from silent movies to sound, but perhaps this could morph into a tale of modern technological shifts – like the shift from DVD to Blu-ray or CD’s to online music streams. But once that bump in the road is re-worked, there is no better big screen actor to take over Gene Kelly than the dynamic Hugh Jackman. The man can even dance. Zooey Deschanel has the bright-eyed enthusiasm that’s perfect for Kathy Selden, and Deschanel’s presence would decamp the movie with her indie edge.