Casting Coup: Network

Nashville is my favorite movie, bar none. But sometimes there's a difference between your favorite movie and what you consider to be the best movie. Ask me what I consider to be the best movie ever made, and I'll tell you Gone with the Wind. Ask me to name the second best movie ever made, and I'll say Network.

Written by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Sidney Lumet, Network is a dark satire on the television industry. It's one of the classics, famous for the lines "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore" and "It's a big, fat, big-titted hit!" With each year, it becomes more and more relevant. Take the absurd idea of a reality show based around the actions of political terrorists. The idea does not seem so silly now: even A&E is mostly reality programming now, and there is an increasing number of shows focusing on outcasts, addicts and prisoners. The news has become a farce; what can you say when the most reliable reporting comes from Comedy Central, when the "anchors" of today are loud-mouthed puppets of one political party or another, when Nancy Grace has her own show?

Network is about the end of an era and the beginning of another. "Mad prophet" Howard Beale is a sick man, an anchor of the old school whose ratings are failing, a man who goes off the deep end and rants on air about truths best left ignored. Naturally, instead of anyone taking heed, his madness becomes an entertainment, making his show Number One in the country. But Beale is just one member of an ensemble that includes an old-school news president, a cold-hearted entertainment producer, an urban terrorist organization, and businessmen threatening to take over the studio.

The film was a critical and commercial hit. Looking at it now, its success during awards season was inevitable. The film garnered ten nominations, including Editing (Alan Heim, losing to Rocky), Cinematography (Owen Roizman, losing to Bound for Glory), Supporting Actor (Ned Beatty, losing to Jason Robards in All the President's Men), Actor (William Holden, losing to Peter Finch), Director (Sidney Lumet, losing to John G. Avildsen for Rocky) and Picture (losing to Rocky).

What it did win, though, it fucking earned: Peter Finch beat out co-star Holden for Best Actor, the first actor to win posthumously; he had died two months earlier. Faye Dunaway won her first and only Oscar for Best Actress, beating out Talia Shire, Liv Ullmann, Marie-Christine Barrault, and the great Sissy Spacek in Carrie. Beatrice Straight won for Best Supporting Actress the shortest performance to do so, at five minutes and forty second. This three-category acting victory was the last time such an event occurred, and ties A Streetcar Named Desire for most acting wins for a motion picture. Finally, Paddy Chayefsky won his Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, making it Number Three for America's greatest dramatist.

The idea of a remake is certainly intimidating, but it is not a completely foreign concept. George Clooney planned a live, made-for-TV movie after the release of Good Night, and Good Luck. Well, he talked about wanting to do one, at least, but it never seemed to get past the "now there's an idea" stage. The point is, the idea has come up before, and I think if one respects the original source material, it could be some pretty prescient stuff. Then again, the original already is, so why broke what ain't fixed?

It doesn't matter. Sometimes, it's just fun to fantasize.


THE GREAT AHMED KHAN
Who is He: The leader of the Ecumenical Liberation Army, an urban terrorist organization who film their acts of anarchism. They soon become the subject of a reality series called "The Mao Tse-Tung Hour".

Originally played by:

Arthur Burghardt ("Transformers", "G.I. Joe")

My Choice:

Alexander Siddig (Kingdom of Heaven, The Nativity Story)
The role of Khan is a silent one. He must clearly be the man in charge, and act with his eyes. Siddig's eyes have expressed love and deceit, sincerity and sardonic...ity. He's not so well-known that he would be distracting, either.


LAUREEN HOBBS
Who is She: A radical who acts as the vessel between Diana and Ahmed Khan. Despite proclaiming herself to be a "bad-ass commie nigger", she is not above making business deals with UBS.

Originally played by:

Marlene Warfield (The Great White Hope, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling)

My Choice: Academy Award/Golden Globe/SAG Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress and SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Doubt), Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Supporting Female (Antwone Fisher)

Viola Davis (Disturbia, State of Play)
Oh, I just love her. I want an actress who I know could do it, has a commanding presence, but whose presence would not take anyone out of the movie. Viola Davis has done three films since her Oscar nomination, but unless you're "in the know", no one is distracted by her brief roles.


LOUISE SCHUMACHER
Who is She: Max's wife of twenty-five years. Her big scene comes when she learns of his affair with Diana.

Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress (Network)

Beatrice Straight (Poltergeist, Two of a Kind)

My Choice:

Joanna Gleason (Crimes and Misdemeanors, Boogie Nights)
This Tony-winning actress is one of "those". You swear you remember her from something, but you just can't quite place it. But she's wonderful in everything I have seen her in. She looks like your everyday kind of woman, and she could sell that monologue.


ARTHUR JENSEN
Who is He: The CEO of Communications Corporation of America, the company that happens to own UBS. When Beale denounces CCA's merger with a Saudi Arabian conglomerate on air, Jensen stops Beale with a wrath worthy of God.

Originally played by: Academy Award Nominee for Bets Supporting Actor (Network), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Hear My Song)

Ned Beatty (Nashville, Silver Streak)

My Choice:

Michael Cerveris (The Mexican, "Fringe")
This role is a one-scene spectacular with a monologue delivered as a sermon. I needed someone with a voice equal to that of a revivalist minister's. Is it any wonder that I chose Cerveris, he who won a Tony for playing John Wilkes Booth in Assassins and was nominated for the revival of Sweeney Todd?


NELSON CHANEY
Who is He: God, believe me, I don't remember his exact job. I know he tries to fight the exploitation of Howard Beale, works with Max on the news team, and is only briefly seen before he is booted out of UBS and the film. But his is an important role, one of the first who appear conscious-driven.

Originally played by:

Wesley Addy (Tora! Tora! Tora!, The Verdict)

My Choice: Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Ghost World), Indie Spirit Award Winner for Best Supporting Male (Reservoir Dogs, Ghost World)

Steve Buscemi (Fargo, Monster House)
A bigger character, a bigger name. While mostly known for his more skeezy roles, Buscemi's a versatile guy. When considering him for Chaney, I thought about The Messenger and Monster House. They're the types of roles he does not usually get, but pack a whallop in their brevity. Hopefully, Buscemi can create a more memorable Chaney than Addy. Seriously, what does he do?


FRANK HACKETT
Who is He: The head of UBS, an opportunistic, excitable bastard whose worries are ratings. He appears soulless, firing members of the old guard while approving the exploitative ideas of the new.

Originally played by: Academy Award/Golden Globe Winner for Best Actor [in a Drama] (Tender Mercies), BAFTA Award/Golden Globe Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Apocalypse Now), Indie Spirit Winner for Best Male Lead and Best Director (The Apostle), SAG Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor (A Civil Action)

Robert Duvall (True Grit, Crazy Heart)

My Choice: Academy Award/BAFTA Award/Golden Globe/SAG Award Winner for Best Actor [in a Musical/Comedy] (Ray), Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Male Lead (Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story)

Jamie Foxx (Collateral, Dreamgirls)
I know his post-Oscar career has not been stellar, but I liked Jamie Foxx for a while. He kind of sleep-walked through his similar role in Dreamgirls, but Hackett is not a role you can just roll through. I have no doubt that he could bring the greedy passion required for the character.


DIANA CHRISTENSEN
Who is She: The cold head producer of UBS's entertainment programming. She is the one who sees the potential for a series based around Beale's ravings, and she is the one who comes up with "The Mao Tse-Tung Hour". Diana also begins an affair with news president Max Schumacher, while also coercing Hackett into putting news under the entertainment section, leaving her in charge of most network programming.

Originally played by: Academy Award/Golden Globe Winner for Best Actress [in a Drama] (Network), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Actress (Chinatown, Network)

Faye Dunaway (Bonnie and Clyde, Man of Faith)

My Choice: Academy Award/BAFTA Award/SAG Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress (The Aviator), BAFTA Award/Golden Globe Winner for Best Actress [in a Drama] (Elizabeth), Golden Globe/Indie Spirit/Hollmann Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress/Female (I'm Not There), Indie Spirit Winner for Best Ensemble (I'm Not There), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

Cate Blanchett (Notes on a Scandal, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
Because of everyone else in her generation, only she can bring both the hot and cold, the passion, the sturm und drang, the ruthlessness of someone like Diana. And she's not afraid to make a character believably unsympathetic.


MAX SCHUMACHER
Who is He: The president of the news division at UBS. Schumacher is of the old guard, a friend of Howard Beale's. He begins an affair with Diana, falling in love with her. At the same time, however, he is morally opposed to UBS's exploitative use of Howard Beale's insanity as a ratings booster. Really the lead of the story.

Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Actor (Stalag 17), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Actor (Network) and Best Foreign Actor (Picnic)

William Holden (Sabrina, Love is a Many-Splendored Thing)

My Choice: Academy Award/BAFTA Award/Golden Globe/SAG Award Nominee for Best Actor (Frost/Nixon), Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Male Lead (Starting Out in the Evening), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Good Night, and Good Luck, Frost/Nixon)

Frank Langella (The Twelve Chairs, The Box)
He really doesn't seem like he's over 70. Langella has a great voice, so one would expect him for Howard, but no. He is at his best, I feel, when he is stoic and calmer, the way Max Schumacher is. And if Diana's going to have an affair with an older man, it's going to be someone sexy. Like Frank Langella.


HOWARD BEALE
Who is He: The mad prophet of the airwaves. Given his two weeks notice due to declining ratings, Beale starts going on mad rants about the manipulations of television, the corruption of corporations, the bastardizing of the American dream. His breakdown is the catalyst for the film's events, yet it is also not completely mad: all that he says is devastatingly true, but all the people hear is entertainment.

Originally played by: Academy Award/BAFTA Award/Golden Globe Winner for Best Actor [in a Drama] (Network), BAFTA Award Winner for Best Actor (Sunday Bloody Sunday) and Best British Actor (A Town Like Alice, The Trials of Oscar Wilde, No Love for Johnnie)

Peter Finch (Far from the Madding Crowd, The Nun's Story)

My Choice: Academy Award/Golden Globe Winner and BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Adaptation.), Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Male Lead (Lone Star), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (American Beauty)

Chris Cooper (Seabiscuit, Where the Wild Things Are)
While known for his quieter roles in films like Capote, October Sky and Married Life, Cooper proved in Adaptation that he brings a lot more to the table. His voice certainly helps with the air of divinity surrounding his speeches. He's younger than Langella, but not so much so that their friendship is unbelievable. The role would eb different for him, but he has the power to pull it off.


THE NARRATOR
What is It: A dry, sardonic voice that takes note of the events with statistics and impassivity.

Originally played by:

Lee Richardson (Prizzi's Honor, The Exorcist III)

My Choice:

Bob Schieffer
Schieffer was a year-long replacement for Dan Rather on The CBS Evening News. His real claim-to-fame, however, is as the host of Face the Nation on CBS. The original team wanted Walter Cronkite to play Howard Beale; Cronkite turned it down. But the idea of using an authoritative voice, a news anchor, as one of the players in this drama is intriguing. And what better role for a news reporter than the narrator? I rarely watched Dan Rather, but I always tried to catch Schieffer, for I loved his voice, the Southern richness of it. Truth be told, though, if Walter Cronkite were still alive, this would be his role.


I tried my best. Was it good enough? Can you think of more suitable actors? Or is the whole idea just bullshit? Sound off in the comments!

Casting Coup: The Little Mermaid

We begin Casting Coup Month with an unusual challenge.

The Little Mermaid is credited with bringing Disney Magic back to theaters. Although there are a few recommendable films, the studio hadn't had a significant hit since The Rescuers in 1977. The Little Mermaid was a return to form in many ways. For one, the studio had all but abandoned musicals; with the success of Oliver & Company the year before, it was time to commit to the old standard. It was also fairy tale with a princess at the center, the first since Sleeping Beauty in 1959. The success of the film led to a Renaissance Period for the studio that lasted ten years.

It was not, of course, just a financial success. The Little Mermaid was (unless someone corrects me) the first animated feature to be nominated for the Best Picture Golden Globe -- for Musical or Comedy, of course. More importantly, it was the first of a long period of Disney-dominated music nominees at the Oscars. Alan Menken won his first of three consecutive Academy Awards for Original Score, and would be nominated once more in the same category. Its two nominated songs, written by Menken and Howard Ashman, were the first of fourteen Disney songs nominated in twenty years. The dreamy "Kiss the Girl" lost to show-stopper "Under the Sea" -- it's not quite a choice worthy of Sophie, but it's a tough one, surely.

Also a tough one, as pointed out by TomS, is casting an animated film. What does one do, just recast voice-over work? A worthy question, indeed.

Robert Zemeckis, James Cameron and Peter Jackson have changed the landscape of film forever. The blending of motion-capture performance, animation, and live-action performance is becoming increasingly seamless. The Little Mermaid would be one of those productions, one that, yes, would rely heavily on green screen effects and mo-cap technology -- but would never lose the heart at the center of the story. I mean, hopefully. The animals would be a mix of CG and Babe-style robots. The people would be live! Real! People!

And how would one make the people mermaids? The musical version actually helped me with this. See, to create the illusion of swimming through water on stage, the actors playing merpeople and undersea creatures perform on roller skates, with tails attached to their backs. Now, if Guillermo del Toro can make a satyr, I see no reason why we can't make a mermaid. Use green screen to do away with the legs and CG to add the tail, and we're home. And I know there's a difference between photography and motion picture, but this image reassured me that we are halfway there:



Al. Most. There.

And who would I deem worthy of filling these two-dimensional shoes?

CHEF LOUIS
Who is He: The chef of Prince Eric's household, he is always eager and ready to serve up fish, crabs, seafood in general. He tries to cook Sebastian, which results in a ca-razy fight/chase sequence.

Song: "Les Poissons"
Les poissons, les poissons
Hee hee hee, haw haw haw
With a cleaver I hack them in two
I pull out what's inside
And I serve it up fried
God, I love little fishes, don't you?

Originally played by:

Rene Auberonois (M*A*S*H, The Patriot)

My Choice: BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Frida, An Education) and SAG Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Frida) and Best Ensemble (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Chocolat, An Education)

Alfred Molina (Identity, Spider-Man 2)
He can sing well enough, as evidenced by appearances on stage in both Oklahoma! and Fiddler on the Roof. He can do a French accent. It's a fun cameo, one of the most memorable roles of the film. My sisters and I used to sing "Les Poissons" all the time. You know he would love to be part of the tradition.


GRIMSBY
Who is He: Prince Eric's majordomo, a loyal and caring subject who runs the day-to-day operations of the household. Prone to seasickness, Grimsby can be humorless at times.

Originally played by:

Ben Wright (The Sound of Music, The Jungle Book)

My Choice: Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Babe), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (L.A. Confidential, The Green Mile)

James Cromwell (Spider-Man 3, W.)
I mean, look at that. Cromwell is one of our finest character actors, and would be a worthy addition to any cast.


FLOTSAM & JETSAM
Who are They: Eels under the bidding of the sea witch Ursula. In the Broadway version, there is some, shall we say, tension? A mo-cap/CGI performance.

Songs: "I Want the Good Times Back," "Sweet Child"
Sweet child
Poor child
So, tragic
So misunderstood

Dear child
Sad child
Life’s looking
Shall we say
Not good

Originally played by:

Paddi Edwards (Ghost Busters, Hercules)

My Choices:

Nathan Lee Graham (Zoolander, Hitch) as Flotsam, Graham Norton ("So Graham Norton", "The Graham Norton Effect")


FLOUNDER
Who is He: Ariel's best friend, a young fish that follows her on her adventures. One of them mo-cap/CGI things.

Songs: "She's in Love"
She acts like she don’t see me
She doesn’t even speak
She treats me like sashimi
Left over from last week
You see her late at night
Tossin’ in her ocean bed

Originally played by:

Jason Marin (Back to the Future, Rock-a-Doodle)

My Choice:

Lurie Poston (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Step Brothers)
An old picture, but that doesn't stop the fact that he's a talented young star. It's not just his amazing rendition of "Sweet Child o' Mine" in Step Brothers; he also performed in the original Broadway cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.


SCUTTLE
Who is He: A seagull, Ariel's connection with the world above. He teaches her about people stuff: for instance, the dingelhopper that people comb their hair with. Well-intentioned, but let's face it, the guy knows nothing! Nothing at all! One of those CGI/practical/robot animal (what are those called?) performances.

Songs: "Human Stuff," "Positoovity"
It gives me the zam
And the zow
And the yaddle laddle laddle
That’s why I walk
With a wiggle in my waddle
Cause once you’ve heard that word
There aint nothing you can do
So let that positoovity
Work for you

Originally played by:

Buddy Hackett (The Music Man, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World)

My Choice: Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Ghost World), Indie Spirit Award Winner for Best Supporting Male (Reservoir Dogs, Ghost World)

Steve Buscemi (Armageddon, The Messenger)
Fast-talking character actor who excels at these roles. I mean, I don't know if he can sing, but let's just take a risk on it, eh?


SEBASTIAN
Who is He: Court composer and conductor of the Atlantica orchestra. Music is his life; he also is put in charge of Ariel. Though at times a little wimpy, he does take her side many times, and sings the best numbers.

Songs: "Under the Sea," "Kiss the Girl"
There you see her
Sitting there across the way.
She don't got a lot to say
But there's something about her.
And you don't know why
But you're dying to try.
You wanna kiss the girl

Originally played by:

Samuel E. Wright ("The Little Mermaid", The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea)

My Choice:

Adrian Lester (Primary Colors, Love's Labour's Lost)
The man can sing, do accents, and has wicked comic timing. We wouldn't be able to witness his magnificent hoofing skills, but he's got the rest in spades.


KING TRITON
Who is He: The King of Atlantica, Ariel's father. He can be a bit of a grumpy-shrimp from time to time, but the widowed merman is still a loving father. Triton may be strict and overprotective, but at least he cares.

Songs: "The World Above - Reprise," "If Only"
I’m still the king here – my word is law!
This filth you bring here is the final straw
And push, my daughter, has come to shove!
I’ll make you obey
‘Til you do as I say
I don’t care, come what may
But I’ll keep you away
From that cruel, harsh, cold, vile world above!

Originally played by:

Kenneth Mars (The Producers, Young Frankenstein)

My Choice:

Jesse L. Martin (Rent, "Law & Order")
A deep, commanding voice and a still-fit build are great assets to portraying Triton. Martin's also a great singer, as we have seen in Rent.


PRINCE ERIC
Who is He: The prince whom Ariel falls for, at first sight. He, in turn, falls in love with her voice, then the mute her when she is transformed into a human. Look at 'im.

Songs: "Fathoms Below," "Her Voice," "One Step Closer," "If Only," "Finale"
Somewhere there’s a girl
Who’s like the shimmer of the wind upon the water
Somewhere there’s a girl
Who’s like the glimmer of the sunlight on the sea
Somewhere there’s a girl
Who’s like a swell of endless music
Somewhere she is singing
And her song is meant for me

Originally played by:

Christopher Daniel Barnes (The Brady Bunch Movie, the episode "Feelings" of "The Golden Girls", where Dorothy refuses to pass a star football player, and he plays the football player)

My Choice: Academy Award Nominee/BAFTA Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Brokeback Mountain), Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Male Lead (Donnie Darko), SAG Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor and Best Ensemble (Brokeback Mountain)

Jake Gyllenhaal (October Sky, Zodiac)
Dreamy and a good singer, doesn't Jake look like a prince? He could bring the charm, the humor, the lovestruckity.


URSULA
Who is She: Triton's sister, a sea witch who ruled half the sea until her black magic led to her banishment. Ursula uses Ariel's longing to experience the world above as a way to get revenge on her powerful brother. She is fabulous.

Songs: "I Want the Good Times Back," "Poor Unfortunate Souls"
Poor Unfortunate Souls,
In pain, in need
This one longing to be thinner
That one wants to get the girl
And do I help them?
Yes indeed!

Originally played by:

Pat Carroll (Songcatcher, Freedom Writers)

My Choice: Academy Award/BAFTA Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Chicago), Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Supporting Female (Set It Off), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (Chicago)

Queen Latifah (Hairspray, The Perfect Holiday)
Not only could she bring the brassy bad-assery of "Poor Unfortunate Souls", but she would have a damn good time with "I Want the Good Times Back". She can be baaad, and you'd still love her. And I love Ursula.


ARIEL
Who is She: The little mermaid, a girl with a beautiful voice who tires of living under the sea. She wants to go above the surface, live among the humans. And when she sees that cutie-pie Eric, she knows she's got to. Even at the cost of her voice.

Songs: "The World Above", "Part of Your World", "Poor Unfortunate Souls", "Beyond My Wildest Dreams", "If Only", "Finale"
When's it my turn?
Wouldn't I love
Love to explore that shore up above
Out of the sea
Wish I could be
Part of that world

Originally played by:

Jodi Benson (Flubber, Enchanted)

My Choice:

Leighton Meester ("Gossip Girl", Date Night)
She can sing, she can act, and she's beautiful. And I think it would be nice to see her play a virginal character exploring a new sexuality.


Anyone you would cast instead? Are there some here that you find repellent? Or is this just a wicked awesome cast list? Sound off!