Dream Cast Thursday! Little Women

This week's Dream Cast Thursday is Little Women. It was originally a novel by Louisa May Alcott and was published in two volumes in 1968 and 1969. There were three adaptations that I looked at when making my decisions. These adaptation came out in 1933, 1949, and 1994.

The first character that I cast was Abigail "Marmee" March. She has been played by Spring Byington, Mary Astor, and Susan Sarandon. For my adaptation, I cast Emma Thompson.

The second character that I cast was Jo March. She has been played by Katharine Hepburn, June Allyson, and Winona Ryder. For my adaptation, I cast Rachel McAdams.

The third character that I recast was Meg March. She has been played by Frances Dee, Janet Leigh, and Trini Alvarado. For my adaptation, I cast Rebecca Hall.

The fourth character that I recast was Beth March. She has been played by Jean Parker, Margaret O'Brien, and Claire Danes. For my adaptation, I cast Carey Mulligan.

The fifth character that I recast was Amy March. She has been played by Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor, and Kirsten Dunst. For my adaptation, I cast Elle Fanning.

The last character that I recast was Theodore "Laurie" Laurence. He has been played by Douglass Montgomery, Peter Lawford, and Christian Bale. For my adaptation, I cast Matt Bomer.

So what do you all think? Which adaptations have you seen? Who would be in your adaptations?

An Education

I just saw An Education. I have been pretty excited about seeing it ever since I first saw the trailer last year. The film was at the Chicago International Film Festival this past October, but all of the showings were sold out, so I was unable to see it. The film is based on a Memoir by Lynn Barber and is adapted by Nick Hornby. As time has gone by, my expectations have gotten higher and higher. This past month, An Education was nominated for three Academy Awards (Actress in Leading Role, Best Picture, and Best Adapted Screenplay).

I must admit that I was a little disappointed. Part of it may have been how different the film was from what I expected after seeing the trailer. I think that I really just let my expectations get a little too high. The film was great. Everyone was really wonderful. Emma Thompson and Carey Mulligan were both really good, but I think that I was most impressed with Olivia Williams and Alfred Molina. Their characters did not really have to be that believable, but they each really brought something to their roles. I ended up really liking Alfred Molina's character a lot more than I thought. There was something really sweet about him.

The story did not have much going on as far as the story or the screenplay, but I would probably still recommend it. I really enjoyed the costumes and a lot of the music. It's not quite a must-see, but is still worth checking out.

Pirate Radio / The Boat that Rocked

I just finished watching The Boat that Rocked (Pirate Radio -US title), and it was AWESOME! It came out a while ago in the UK and was recently released in America. It takes place in 1966. As the beginning of the film states, it was a period of time when some of the best Rock and Roll was being made, but only about 45 minutes was played every day on BBC radio. The film focuses on one radio station that chose to defy the government...Rock Radio!

The film itself was very simple. What makes it awesome is the wonderful soundtrack and the amazing ensemble cast. Philip Seymour Hoffman played the Count, Bill Nighy played Quentin, Kenneth Branagh played Sir Alistair Dormandy, Gemma Arterton played Desiree, Jack Davenport played Dominic Twatt, Rhys Ifans played Gavin Cavanagh, Talulah Riley played Marianne, and Emma Thompson played Charlotte. I was really pleased to see a lot of actors that are relatively unknown in the States. Tom Sturridge played Little Carl, Rhys Darby played Angus Nutsford, and Tom Wisdom played Mark. Some of my favorite actors from British television also made appearances. Nick Frost played Doctor Dave, Katherine Parkinson played Felicity, and Chris O'Dowd played Simple Simon.

I would definitely recommend this film to anyone. It is definitely a must-see!

Dream Cast Thursday! A Room With a View

This week's Dream Cast Thursday is A Room With a View. The novel by E. M. Forster came out in 1908. The first film adaptation came outi n 1985. The second came out in 2007. The second adaptation took was much more different from the original novel than the first. I really enjoyed the novel and really love the original adaptation. I didn't really care for the 2007 adaptation, so now, it is my turn.

Lucy Honeychurch is the heroine of the story. In the 1985 adaptation, she was played by Helena Bonham Carter. In the 2007 adaptation, she was played by Elaine Cassidy. In my adaptation, I would cast Keira Knightley. I know that she is sometimes over-used (especially in British films), but I think that she is really good at being naive, sensual, innocent and intelligent all at the same time.

In the 1985 adaptation, George Emerson was played by Julian Sands. In the 2007 adaptation, he was played by Rafe Spall. In my adaptation, I cast Joseph Beattie.

In the 1985 adaptation, Charlotte Bartlett was played by Maggie Smith. In the 2007 adaptation, she was played by Sophie Thompson. In my adaptation, I cast Emma Thompson. At first, I wasn't sure if she was old enough, but I really think that she could pull it off.

In the 1985 adaptation, Cecil Vyse was played by Daniel Day-Lewis. In the 2007 adaptation, he was played by Laurence Fox. This was really hard, because Daniel Day-Lewis did such a wonderful job. In my adaptation, I cast Simon Woods.

So what do you all think? Have you seen either of the adaptations? Have you read the novel? Who would be in your adaptation?

Dream Cast Thursday! Sleeping Beauty

For this week's Dream Cast Thursday, I will be casting a live-action version of Sleeping Beauty (1959).

In the original, the voice of Aurora was done by Mary Costa. I recast Keira Knightley.

In the original, the voice of Prince Phillip was done by Bill Shirley. I recast Jamie Bamber.

In the original, Flora (red), Fauna(green) and Merryweather (blue) were played by Verna Felton, Barbara Jo Allen, and Barbara Luddy.

I recast Emma Thompson (Flora), Gemma Jones (Fauna), and Imelda Staunton (Merryweather).

The voice of Maleficent was originally done by Eleanor Audley. I recast Harriet Walter.

So what do you all think of this cast? Who would you recast in your remake?