Johnny Simmons

CS of Big Thoughts From A Small Mind invites bloggers to Pitch a Movie every month. This month, it's the Buddy Film.

        

Examples of the Genre: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; Thelma and Louise; Midnight Cowboy; Planes Trains and Automobiles; Sex and the City; Strange Brew; The Hangover; Toy Story; Fried Green Tomatoes; Swingers; Grumpy Old Men; Sideways; The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

10 words/phrases to get you started:

Like with the last title I pitched, I'm not sure how much it stays within the genre...and as usual...still no name. Here goes...The words I used from the list are bold.

                            

It opens with a wedding. It’s the usual posh, but not over the top arrangement and all seems fine except that the groom is outside smoking, very tense. This is JOSHUA KLINE. Eventually, a bridesmaid comes out; the wedding has to be started. The wedding procession begins and his bride (LESLIE) arrives at his side. He shakes his head imperceptibly, and we pan out to see he is without a best man. We arrive at the wedding ceremony, dancing, conversing and a bottle of champagne opens as we cut to a man in the shower. This is PATRICK JONES, the missing best man. He enters his bedroom where a woman lays there, post coitus – SOFIA VIERA. They have a cold conversation where, after being goaded, Patrick reveals that he doesn’t believe in weddings – that’s why he didn’t turn up at Joshua’s. After a slight spat Sofia leaves.

A couple of weeks pass and Patrick eventually turns up at the newlyweds’ home, with a bonsai tree as a gift. Leslie smiles wanly letting him in. Joshua enters the kitchen where they are and shakes his head, “Well look who just walked in…” The air is tense for a few seconds and the three sit and have breakfast as if nothing has happened, with Patrick mentioning that the gift is really from Sofia.

A few years go by peppered by the usual. The couple have a baby, and then another one – Patrick stands as the godfather for both, even though he hasn’t exactly become a “new man”. Sofia gets married and Patrick refuses to be motivated to make any romantic gesture to thwart it, though he still maintains a friendship with her. As marriages go, problems are forthcoming with Leslie and Joshua and Leslie and Patrick unwittingly have sexual encounter at low points in their lives after talking over drinks. “Who’s going to know?” a drunken Patrick whispers to her as they consummate the affair. Conversations afterward reveal that this is not the first encounter of the kind between the two.

                  

Both wake guilt ridden and Leslie anxious to rekindle the flame her marriage severs the relationship with Patrick and suggests the idea of a road trip for the couple – to Las Vegas. Patrick is given the task of babysitting the children. Sofia, now separated from her husband, turns up to help him. While out with the two children and Sofia at the playground Patrick gets a call on his cell phone. On the way back home, Leslie and Joshua have been in an accident. Leslie has died and Joshua, just barely hanging on, pleads with Patrick to adopt the children. A distraught Patrick is reticent and Joshua implores “I’d do the same for you.” Patrick shakes his head, “I’d never have had children.” Angrily Joshua shouts, “You owe me! Remember that.” Patrick thinks he’s referring to the wedding that he missed seven years ago, but (of course) Joshua knew of the affair all along. Joshua goes into shock and dies as a frantic Patrick sits down. He leaves the hospital room to see Sofia and waiting expectantly with the children. He sighs heavily as the screen fades to black. 

           

               

Jesus Christ. I think I'm going to die. I wasn't exactly planning on linking today, but I have to share the news. A while ago I was salivating hoping it was true and according to Guy over at In Contention it is. Kristin Scott Thomas is reprising her Olivier Award winning role in a cinematic adaptation of Chekhov's The Seagulls. I just recently mentioned KST and this makes me very happy. And the inclusion of Carey Mulligan doesn't hurt. So all's good for me.

                                

By now you've probably heard about the Obama news. Sure I'm not American, and sure I wish Hillary had won but I'm over that. Still, ummm, what are the necessary requirements to get this award? Oh well, good for him.

                           

So Reese Witherspoon is the next on Sage's hate list. Although I was all for Keira, I would have nominated Reese. But oh well.

              

Meaghan gives a list of her fave film characters. Cool choices.

           

Univarn takes a look at one of his faves...Children of Men. Thoughts?

           

And while you're at it...here's a quiz on The English Patient. Take it if you dare. I live by the screenplay and I only got 22. Yes, only.

Here I am taking a break from the cinematic ramblings to celebrate my first love – literature. In my recent post on overrated things I listed Eugene O’Neill as one of the same. O’Neill is often regarded as America’s greatest playwright. As neither an American nor a playwright I suppose my words don’t hold much weight but I’m not a fan of O’Neill. When a think of American Drama I think of the Trinity – Albee, Williams, Miller. O’Neill...not so much. My first legitimate run-in with O’Neill was Long Day’s Journey into Night with Hepburn. But the first time I actually read any of his work was last January when I read “Desire Under the Elms”, “Strange Interlude” and “Mourning Becomes Electra”. I don’t like his style. This man can be seriously pedantic; sometimes he just drives me up the wall. And it’s not the theatrical nature of his dialogue either. I’m a big Tennessee Williams fan, but even I won’t say that his dialogue is realistic [Blanche, anyone] but it works in the content of Williams’ work. It doesn’t bode so well for O’Neill.

                                     

“Mourning Becomes Electra” is my favourite work of his, and that weaknesses of it are so obvious I can’t really say I love it. I've never seen the film version either. And, I’m yet to read “Anna Christie”, “The Iceman Cometh” and “A Moon For the Misbegotten” both start pleasantly enough...but I can’t seem to muster up the urge to finish reading them.

                         

I’ve never understood why Miller is so undervalued though. When people here Miller they think “Death of A Salesman” or maybe, “The Crucible”. Both are good plays, but neither is my favourite from him. “A View From the Bridge” and “All My Sons” are my favourite Millers pieces. And yet neither have had important cinematic adaptations. There were some television adaptations of “All My Sons” and a film version sometime in the fifties. But I’ve never seen it and neither has anyone I know. Maybe I’m biased to “All My Sons” because I had to do it for a school – but although thematically it’s a bit creaky, it’s a good play. Both these films could make a killing in the acting categories.

                            

Tennessee Williams though is popular with the Oscars – “Cat on A Hot Tin Roof”, “A Streetcar Named Desire”, “The Roman Spring of Miss Stone”, “Night of the Iguana”, “The Rose Tattoo”, “Suddenly, Last Summer” are all his and all have gone on to Oscar nominations and wins. But I don’t know why “The Glass Menagerie” hasn’t been done for the screen. I think it may be a role even more baity than Blanche DuBois. Get Dianne Wiest, Annette Bening or Jessica Lange opposite James McAvoy or some other young star and this would be a major release. I’m just saying. Then there’s “Orpheus Descending”. It’s one of Williams’ earlier works and it’s not very popular. It actually has quite a few faults [for a Tennessee play] but it would make a good drama.

                 
But what dramatic works are you aching to see put to film? Are you a fan of Eugene O’Neill or is drama not your thing?
                          
And you better be voting...!!!

A few days ago through The Movie Blog, it came to my knowledge that there was a rumour spreading that Megan Fox was to be cast in Chris Nolan’s third Batman film as Catwoman. Can I just say? Kill me now. I refuse to dedicate a post to Megan Fox and all that she stands for. But it got me thinking, if Nolan did decide to continue his Batman venture [of which I’m not exactly a fan] who would be the perfect Catwoman? As such I decided to compile a list of nine potential Catwomen. This list is not exclusive, and some of these women definitely won’t be doing a Catwoman film. But it’s just wishful thinking...you know - wishing and hoping and... Well you get the idea?

I’m not sure how this would turn out. It’s probably just left over Buffy love. I don’t know if she’d really be able to go all Catwoman on us, but I really feel that somewhere, deep inside, there’s a good actress hiding... And why not start here?

Don’t ask WTF. Think about it. Amy is a pretty girl, in a somewhat unassuming way. We know she can go plain, but if you’ve seen her at awards you also know that she can look hot. She’s a good actress [see Changeling, Gone, Baby Gone] and we’ve never seen her go all sassy like Catwoman. I think she could do well in this role. I mean we didn’t think that Heath Ledger would make a convincing Joker.
                                  

Angelina is probably the least likely of all the ladies to actually take this role. Despite looking good for age Angie seems like too obvious choice I suppose; what with her Lara Croft background and all that. But I think she would work as Catwoman. She could do the role in her sleep. But she's so low because I doubt that they'd look to her.
                                 

I hate Underworld and all its spawn...but she's hot and she's not a bad actress either [Nothing But the Truth, The Aviator]...but is this too Underworld...probably. And I really can't see her and Christian Bale together...

Zoe is another acress in search of a killerrole. I’m not sure that she’s that great an actress, but I'm sure with a good role she could be impressive.
                                               

Is this a no go? I don’t know...but I’d like to see what Scarlett would do with this role. I know that it would be an unlikely choice. She doesn’t really look like a typical Catwoman...but I think she could be good. A different sort of choice, but Scarlett needs a good role.
                                     

Drew Barymore has some of the most luscious lips on any actress, and with her red hair she might be good in this. With Grey Gardens we can all finally say that she has at least some talent, and I would like to her and Bale face off. That would be hot. Very hot indeed.

I’m still waiting for Kerry to get a good role so that she can impress America. She’s pretty and she can play sassy well. And she’s not completely overexposed so there wouldn’t be any insurmountable expectations to overcome.
                                             

This is my favourite idea. An Asian Catwoman. Lucy Liu was smoking in Charlie’s Angels, regardless of what you thought of the venture as a film. She looks great in leather, and she was great in her bit role in Kill Bill. She would destroy this role.

In Contention has recently announced that plans to adapt Great Eepectations are underway. It's the first theatrical adaptation since David Lean did it way back when. A version I have, unfortunately never seen. I don't really like this novel that much to be honest. The abridged version scared the shit out of me as a child, for waht reason other than I was a freaky child...I do not know. I feel that adapting A Tale of Two Cities would be way cooler. But still, this could be good. Just because it's a British Period piece, and I am so a sucker for those. 

Having a strong cast for this will really be the cinch though, and the first thing that came to me is that they have to get Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Havisham. She would totally sink her teeth into that psycho role...and yes I do think Mrs. Havisham is a psycho.I like her, but she's still a psycho. But the main casting for this film will be Pip. The protagonist. And really I have no idea where they're going to go with this, but I'm going to prempt them and be all predictable and choose none other James McAvoy. Hell yes, he would be fantastic. Casting Estella - way more difficult. A young Helena Bonham Carter would have been ideal, but alas...life goes on and people get older. And I really have no idea. Whoever she is she's gotta be smoking.

I've slept, I've woken and I still have Katharine on mind. Katharine Hepburn is my favourite actress of all time. I honestly believe that she is the greatest, most talented, most formidable female talent to grace the screen of the silver screen. Katharine is what one would call the quintessential leading lady; and as such I think of most leading female performances in terms of Kate. This got me thinking, if some of Kate’s films were to be remade which actress would play her. Of course I am against remakes, especially of Kate’s treasures. But it’s still an interesting thought. Here are some of her more acclaimed roles.

If there’s anything that Julianne Moore is notorious for, it’s for being a very bad mother. So this film would be right up that ally. Mrs. Venable is a character created by Tennessee Williams, one of his legendary malevolent Southern Belles. When her son dies in suspicious circumstances on an island she tires to perform a lobotomy on her niece who witnessed the death. It’s a truly horrific roles and one of those very unsympathetic characters. I think Julianne would succeed magnificently with this killer role. And we get to see her in period clothing again. Yay.

Susan Sarandon. No one else. For me, Susan remains the quintessential maternal figure in cinema. It’s not that she’s done many mother roles, she just has the bright tenderness in her acting style, and this role would be great for her. Of course this is one movie that definitely will not be redone, I’m almost sure about that. But still it would be nice to imagine Susan digging into this. To be honest I just want to see Susan back on screen. Hopefully her role in The Lovely Bones is worthy of her talent. But I want to see her in a leading role.


Two words. Joan Allen. Joan Allen is a good actress. An actress who by now should have an Oscar and an actress who looks very gorgeous for her age of 53. Summertime tells the story of [Jane Hudson ] an American tourist, a spinster, who goes to Italy to experience the beautiful place. She falls in love with the city and with an Italian shop owner, who may or not be a suitable companion. Not many persons know of this film, which sucks, but there’s still chance of it getting remade. Still Joan Allen, I believe, would be a good choice for the role. She hasn’t done anything quite like this before, which would give her the chance to show her change…and the last period piece I remember her in had her looking way too plain.

I wrote sometime back in IMDB that if this was to be remade Annette Bening and Warren Beatty would be great together. But it’s been a while now, and Warren Beatty is getting older every minute. It still would be great to see Annette Bening tackle this role. Of course this is another one of those iconic films that will never ever be touched. And it’s good that way. But still I like to imagine there is at least one good performance left in her, and this is a killer role. Off topic, I know...but Oscar totally got it wrong that year. Kate should have won the Oscar over Vivien Leigh and of course Brando deserved it way more than Bogart. Ah well. They all have Oscars at the end of the day...

Don't forget to VOTE

Anybody Can Do Anything based on a novel by Betty MacDonald

CAST
Directed by Stephen Daldry
Written by Justin Haythe
Betty Bard Kirsten Dunst
Mary Bard Emily Blunt
Sidney Bard Annette Bening
Dede Bard Natalie Portman
Allison Bard Scarlet Johansson
Cleve Bard Haley Joel Osment
Gammy Susan Sarandon

This is a sort of autobiography work of fiction. The author Betty struggles to survive during The Great Depression, actually struggle is the wrong word. This novel is a work of comedy. It is hilarious. If you have not read it, go out and get it. NOW!

I have put some serious thought into adapting this (obscure and largely unknown) novel. I even wrote about 30 pages of script for it, but that was a few years back when I thought Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger would be great in it. They still could, but they’d be too old –which sucks. I know this isn’t a real movie, but I would have loved to see them in this Depression era comedy. I have always felt that Kirsten Dunst was a much better actress than people give her credit for. She never got the chance to show us. Since her performance in Interview With the Vampire I’ve always felt that she was going to be a great actress – and now more than a decade after the fact there’s nothing. I am a fan of Stephen Daldry. I’ve loved each if his three films – and he can do both comedy and drama exceptionally. This film would be a cross between the two genres. Emily Blunt is good at lightweight comedy, and Mary is the most colourful character in the novel, she has the strongest lines – and is just a little caustic (not like The Devil Wears Prada though…). Annette Bening is good at playing mothers, and the role of Sidney is just the type of easy-but-tough maternal character that could become a strong supporting role on screen. Portman, Johansson and Osment seem like a good trio to round out the rest of the family, and Susan Sarandon as the tough-as-nails grandmother is pretty much a no brainer, although the role in the book is not that big. They could always flesh it out though. I assume that they’ll probably want to change the name of the film though… I don’t know to what. Would this be a big player at the Oscars? Costumes and Art Direction could be forthcoming, and I think music should be an important part of the film. In terms of acting Emily Blunt and possibly Bening would be likely contenders, Dunst would have most of the weight on her though and she could be a contender – the role is a bit like a Depression Era Bridget Jones. The AMPAS loves Stephen Daldry so I guess he would get his fourth consecutive Best Director nod for this…

PS. Every one of the family members have red hair!

Crooked House based on a novel by Agatha Christie

CAST
Crooked House directed by Joe Wright
Screenplay Julian Fellowes
Charles Hayward Peter Sarasgard
Sophia Leonides Rosamund Pike
Magda (Sophia's Mum) Kristin Scott Thomas
Philip (her Father) Ralph Fiennes
Clemeny Leonides (Mrs. Robert Leonides) Michelle Pfeiffer
Roger Leonides Daniel Day Lewis I could not resist
Brenda Leonides Sally Hawkins
Laurence Brown James McAvoy
Josephine Saoirse Ronan
Eustace Freddy Highmore
Edith de Haviland Miranda Richardson

I like Agatha Christie but generally I don’t like her movies (except for Murder on the Orient Express). I don’t really like murder mystery films generally, which is why I have such an unabated love for Gosford Park, which focused on the people more than on the murder. I think Crooked House would work as a film, if done in the same vein as Gosford Park. It’s one of the lesser known Christie novels and the plot is simple. It’s immediately after the World War II and the police commissioner’s son – somewhat of a lothario wants to marry this beautiful socialite, but when her grandfather dies – ostensibly murdered she says she won’t be able to marry him unless the murder is solved. The thing is everyone is hoping that his wife – a woman almost forty years his junior did it, because if it is anyone else it could cause a huge scandal. Naturally the cast – list of suspects – is extensive; The murdered man’s children, grandchildren, a tutor who was having an affair with the wife, etc. The cast will be mainly British – as expected. And key roles need to have real heavyweights in them. Edith de Havilland is not a flashy role, but it is the key supporting role and Oscar likes those (Helen Mirren in Gosford Park.
Who knows, this could be a real heavyweight come Oscar season. I predict that it will be a tough year and it gets seven nods. Art Direction, Costume Design, Score, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography (wins), Supporting Actress (Ronan or Richardson), Director. I predict that Kristin Scott Thomas and Peter Sarasgard give great performances, but are snubbbed by major award bodies.

Fences based on a play by August Wilson
CAST
Fences directed by Kenny Leon
Screenplay ??
Troy –Laurence Fishburne
Rose Angela Bassett
Gabriel Don Cheadle
Cory Mechad Brooks
Jim Mos Def
Alberta Taraji P. Henson
Lyons Keith Robinson

Why aren’t there any black period pieces? Granted, this is not really an actual period piece, but it is to some extent. This play won a Pulitzer Prize and a few Tony’s, I’ve never heard of a revival and I think it needs to be made into a film. Where has Angela Basset been all these years? I mean, she deserves more than having co-lead roles in Tyler Perry films. I know she could act the hell of this tour-de-force role (which won a supporting actress Tony for Mary Alice). It’s actually a leading role, but you know the Tony’s don’t care about category fraud. If this is made into a good film whoever gets this role will get some awards recognition, and then how could I not wax nostalgic and cast Laurence Fishburne as her husband. The role was originally played by James Earl Jones (he won a Tony for it) and Laurence Fishburne does remind me of Jones. This would be spectacular. Then there’s the role of Gabriel, his semi-retarded brother. Don Cheadle is one of my favourite actors period (he was the only thing I liked in Crash) and he is an Oscar nominated actor (he was second only to DiCaprio for his great performance in Hotel Rwanda). I know he can do this. The role of, the son is a big one and there’s no competent young black actor I could see in the role. Mechad Brooks had a few episodes on ABC’s Desperate Housewives as Alfre Woodard’s son and he delivered, I feel he could deliver as Troy. Lyons is Troy's other son, I don't know if Keith Robinson, but I like him. I think he showed some potential in Dreamgirls. I like the idea of a throwback casting for Mos Def as the best friend, if not him then Courtney B. Vance who was in the original Broadway Cast . I like the idea of Taraji as the other woman, just because I like Taraji, the role is unseen in the play – but they could meat it up for the play. Kenny Leon showed promise and earned a DGA nod for her work in A Raisin in the Sun with Audra McDonald. I'll take a chance on him. Maybe Angela and Laurence could win Oscars. The role of Gabriel is prime Oscar bait.