The Gold Rush: An Oscar Discussion - Part I

My friend The March King and I have been going to the movies together since middle school. We were together in 2005, when we actually made an effort to see everything nominated (I failed miserably, he succeeded, but also miserably). He's one of the few people I know that can see five movies in a row, which I think is crazy. The two of us worked hard to see the nominees this year, so there are gaps. When we figured we were prepared enough, we sat down and had a chat.

We began with the usual greetings friends share, before going through the films we were finally caught up on. Unfortunately, we had to start with...

The March King (MK): ...The Wolfman, which sucked.

Silver Screener (SS): Oh, God, The Wolfman is terrible.

Of course, this was what I saw of it...

MK: (laughs) Yeah, if I could go back and unwatch it, I would. The makeup wasn't even good enough for a nomination...at least not to me, but I could be confusing it with CG.

SS: I'm fine with the makeup nom, but I would have chosen several others. The mix of practical and CG made it difficult to discern what was doing what.

More awards talk, less The Wolfman talk, after the jump!

Casting Coup Month: Airport

NOMINATIONS

Best Picture

Best Supporting Actress - Helen Hayes (WON)

Best Supporting Actress - Maureen Stapleton

Best Adapted Screenplay - George Seaton

Best Cinematography - Ernest Laszlo

Best Film Editing - Stuart Gilmore

Best Scoring: Original Music - Alfred Newman

Best Costume Design - Edith Head

Best Art Direction-Set Decoration - Alexander Golitzen, E. Preston Ames, Jack D. Moore, Mickey S. Michaels

Best Sound - Ronald Pierce, David Moriarty

You've seen my thoughts and feelings on Airport. Let's get right to the Casting Coup madness!

ON THE GROUND

CINDY BAKERSFELD

Who is She: Mel's wife, a woman climbing the ranks of Chicago society without her husband. Realizing their marriage was dead long ago -- and citing the airport as one of the problems -- Cindy has started seeing other people. Because he chooses the airport over another society to-do tonight, Cindy goes to Lincoln personally to have it out with him one last time.

Originally played by:

Dana Wynter (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Something of Value)

My Choice: Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Actress (Woman Thou Art Loosed)

Kimberly Elise (Diary of a Mad Black Woman, For Colored Girls)
See, Cindy's not a bad person, she just has different needs that her husband is unwilling to serve. Elise can be classy like Cindy, but she can also play that complicated storyline without making her into a bitch.

INEZ GUERRERO

Who is She: The naive, struggling wife of D.O. Knowing that they're behind on the rent, the kids are living with her sister, and her husband got laid off, she's utterly confused by the appearance of a receipt for a ticket to Rome. It's not until later that she also realizes that some dynamite is missing...and becomes lost and horrified when she puts the two together.

Originally played by: Academy Award/BAFTA Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress (Reds), Golden Globe Winner for Best Supporting Actress (Airport)

Maureen Stapleton (Lonelyhearts, Interiors)

My Choice: Academy Award/Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Actress (Frozen River) and Best Supporting Actress (The Fighter), Golden Globe/SAG Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress (The Fighter), Indie Spirit Winner for Best Actress (Frozen River)

Melissa Leo (The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, Everybody's Fine)
Strangely enough, the Guerrero's are neither Spanish nor Italian. What the what? So yeah, I went to Leo when it came time for a working-class role, but for a different reason. See, we rarely get to see Leo in a weakened state, though we see her vulnerable. This would be a change-up for her, allowing her to play a woman who nothing but vulnerability. And she'd be great.

TANYA LIVINGSTON

Who is She: Public relations agent for Trans America (Trans Global in the film). Tanya is an efficient woman who takes her career very seriously. Divorced with a daughter, Tanya is strong and capable enough, but there is one man whose company she enjoys -- Mel Bakersfeld.

Originally played by: BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Foreign Actress (Breathless), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress in a Drama (Lilith)

Jean Seberg (The Mouse That Roared, Paint Your Wagon)

My Choice: Academy Award/BAFTA Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress (Michael Clayton), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress in a Drama (The Deep End) and Best Supporting Actress (Michael Clayton), Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Actress (The Deep End), SAG Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Michael Clayton) and Best Ensemble (Adaptation, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Actress (I Am Love) and Best Supporting Actress (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

Tilda Swinton (The Limits of Control, We Need to Talk About Kevin)
She can be professional and buttoned-down, but she can also feel passion. It's that combination that she's been so adept at conveying in many of her roles, actually. Swinton likes to have fun, too -- doesn't Airport seem like the type of thing she'd do just 'cause?

JOE PATRONI
Who is He: The frank TWA menchanic who is charged with getting the Aereo-Mexican 707 off the main runway. Bad enough the plane got stuck in the mud, but that runway is the only thing standing between life and death for the passengers of The Golden Argosy. Patroni loves chewing on cigars and making love to his wife, reportedly at the same time. He's a guy who knows his job, and a few others', too.

Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Cool Hand Luke), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Cool Hand Luke, Airport)

George Kennedy (Death on the Nile, Charade)

My Choice: Academy Award Nominee/SAG Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Cinderella Man), Golden Globe Winner for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy (Barney's Version), Indie Spirit Winner for Best Actor (Sideways), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (Sideways)

Paul Giamatti (Duplicity, The Last Station)
Can he play blue-collar roughness? What do you think? I think yes, obviously, and I also think he's comfortable with a cigar.

HARRY STANDISH
Who is He: Customs official. He's trained to notice the odd behavior people exhibit when they're hiding something, and the way Guerrero holds his briefcase makes Standish suspicious. Unable to check himself -- Guerrero isn't coming into the country, but leaving for Rome aboard The Golden Argosy -- Standish reports his suspicions to Tanya. Good thing, too: his niece is aboard that same flight.

Originally played by:

Lloyd Nolan (Peyton Place, Hannah and Her Sisters)

My Choice:

John Cho (Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, Star Trek)
I didn't think of him as being as old as Nolan. Cho is old enough to have been with customs a while -- he's thirty-eight, you know. An underused actor, really; he's more than Harold (though he's great in those films).

IN THE AIR

D.O. GUERRERO
Who is He: A demolitions man in construction, nothing ever goes right for Guerrero. Blessed with a short temper and poor judgment, Guerrero has single-handedly left his family broke. So what is his final solution? Take out a life insurance policy on himself, then detonate a deadly bomb aboard The Golden Argosy, heading across the Atlantic for Rome. A nervous, twitchy kind of guy, Guerrero is bound to screw something up. A defensive, dangerous individual.

Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Johnny Eager), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Foreign Actor (Shane)

Van Heflin (Black Widow, 3:10 to Yuma)

My Choice: Academy Award/SAG Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Fargo), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Seabiscuit), Indie Spirit Winner for Best Actor (Fargo), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Seabiscuit, Bobby)

William H. Macy (Marmaduke, The Lincoln Lawyer)
Macy himself once joked about the amount of losers he has to play in films. The book described the character as tired-looking, with a sandy mustache. Refer to that picture above, please. Consider his desperation in films like Fargo and Magnolia and you'll understand where this is coming from.

CAPTAIN ANSON HARRIS
Who is He: Line captain aboard The Golden Argosy. He's flying tonight, but is in the middle of his six-month checkup, run by Captain Demerest. Harris is a nice guy, a flawless pilot, a man who refuses to put his personal moral standards on anyone else.

Originally played by:

Barry Nelson (Johnny Eager, The Shining)

My Choice:

Matthew Fox (My Boyfriend's Back, Speed Racer)
I just wanted someone who could believably be on the same level as Hamm, not be too old or too young, who I could see as a pilot. Some actors just pop into my head when I'm reading a book; this is one of them.

GWEN MEIGHEN
Who is She: An English stewardess having an affair with Captain Demerest, she now carries his child. Gwen, a level-headed young woman and first-rate stewardess, is deciding whether to adopt or abort the baby when the whole rigmarole with the bomber begins. She is genuinely in love with Vernon, but doesn't expect anything in return...due to his married state.

Originally played by: Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy (Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe) and Best Supporting Actress (Under the Volcano)

Jacqueline Bisset (Murder on the Orient Express, Domino)

My Choice: SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (An Education)

Rosamund Pike (Made in Dagenham, Barney's Version)
A beautiful English actress who's displayed a remarkable range of class and pluck in her film roles. She's just on the brink of filmmakers and audiences in the US discovering and appreciating her talents, and putting them to good use.

MRS. ADA QUONSETT

Who is She: An elderly widow from San Diego who frequently stows away on passenger planes to visit her daughter in new York. Caught by Tanya Livingston, she commits the ultimate rebellion by slipping out from TransAm's clutches and stowing away on The Golden Argosy. Anyplace is better than a return to California! What she doesn't realize is that the empty seat she chooses to occupy is right besides Guerrero and his bomb!

Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Actress (The Sin of Madelon Claudet) and Best Supporting Actress (Airport), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress in a Drama (Anastasia) and in a Musical/Comedy (Herbie Rides Again)

Helen Hayes (A Farewell to Arms, TV's Murder with Mirrors)

My Choice:

Betty White ("The Golden Girls", Lake Placid)
Yeah, we all saw this coming. Again, the most obvious is sometimes the best, and who would be better at playing this part than Betty White? If the First Lady of the American Theatre can handle it, I think it's good enough for the First Lady of Television.

YOUR PROTAGONISTS

MEL BAKERSFELD
Who is He: General manager of Lincoln International Airport. Bakersfeld has his hands full tonight: a snowstorm tying up air traffic and burying runways; a plane stuck in the middle of the main runway; protestors from a neighboring town demonstrating outside; a looming divorce with his wife of fifteen years; and a bomber on The Golden Argosy, piloted by his brother-in-law, Vernon Demerest. Mel is a serious man, formerly a sort of enfant terrible before a promised FAA appointment went sour. He's a logical person, but he doesn't always make the right decisions. Nevertheless, if there's someone you want in charge on a night like this, it's Mel Bakersfeld.

Originally played by: Academy Award/Golden Globe Winner for Best Actor [in a Drama] (Elmer Gantry), BAFTA Award Winner for Best Actor (Birdman of Alcatraz, Atlantic City)

Burt Lancaster (From Here to Eternity, The Rainmaker)

My Choice: Academy Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor [in a Drama] (Hotel Rwanda), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Crash), Indie Spirit Winner for Best First Feature (Crash) and Best Supporting Actor (Things Behind the Sun), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (Traffic, Crash)

Don Cheadle (TV's The Rat Pack, Iron Man 2)
The novel described a lean man, and when I thought to myself, "Hm, who's a lean actor that could believably portray a leader strong enough to handle an airport?" Automatically, my brain latched on to Don Cheadle.

CAPTAIN VERNON DEMEREST
Who is He: The womanizing captain of The Golden Argosy, though he's not flying tonight. Instead, he's checking on the performance of Captain Harris, a routine checkup for all pilots every six months.  Demerest hates his brother-in-law, Mel, especially after Mel allows insurance vendors inside the airport. Demerest is convinced such a thing encourages bombers and wouldn't you know it? Despite his blunt, sometimes hostile, manner with Mel and subordinates, Demerest is tender with Gwen...he even thinks that he may love her back. Oh, and he may be a pompous pilot, but he puts that money where his mouth is. Even people who hate him know he's the best damned pilot out there. It's Demerest who keeps a cool head and devises a plan for taking out Guerrero. Will it work?

Originally played by: Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy (Who Was That Lady?)

Dean Martin (The Sons of Katie Elder, The Cannonball Run)

My Choice:

Jon Hamm (The Town, Sucker Punch)
Hamm playing a womanizer? Shocking! Mais serieuse, what I like about Hamm is his combination of the cad and the carer, as Demerest definitely is. Hell, get Jon Hamm and Matthew Fox in pilot's uniforms and you've got the female audience and half the male one (Pike in the stewardess uniform is the other half). Besides, Hamm's a pretty great actor, so the more we get of him, the better.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Best Actor: Don Cheadle, Jon Hamm

Best Supporting Actor: Paul Giamatti, William H. Macy

Best Supporting Actress: Kimberly Elise, Melissa Leo, Rosamund Pike, Tilda Swinton, Betty White

Gird Your Loins

This week, on the blog:

Casting Coup Month concludes with Airport (1970), a Coup very near and dear to my heart.

With the Oscars coming Sunday, it's obviously time for predictions and opinions.

And, of course, Thursday and Friday will be spent with The Hollmann Awards. Finally, I make my opinion known, according to my new ranking system. (Check out the nominees!)

Casting Coup Month: The Sound of Music

NOMINATIONS

Best Picture (WON)

Best Director - Robert Wise (WON)

Best Actress - Julie Andrews

Best Supporting Actress - Peggy Wood

Best Cinematography, Color - Ted D. McCord

Best Music, Score of Music, Treatment or Adaptation - Irwin Kostal (WON)

Best Editing - William Reynolds (WON)

Best Costume Design, Color - Dorothy Jeakins

Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color - Boris Leven, Walter M. Scott, Ruby R. Levitt

Best Sound - James Corcoran, Fred Hynes (WON)

I'm always surprised when certain films hold up over time, especially one that has become so much apart of the pop culture, like The Sound of Music. One is often tempted to convince oneself that its sunny, optimistic self has probably become insufferable. If the adults don't kill it, you know one of the kids will. Probably the toddler, or one of the sons; they usually suck all the energy out of a room. One of the songs will suddenly be boring. The feel-good feeling will get oppressive. One just knows something awful is going to happen.

The Sound of Music loves it when one is wrong. And when it comes to The Sound of Music, one is wrong all the time. When you're weakest scene is the beautiful love song in the "FINALLY" moment between Fraulein Maria and Captain Von Trapp, you're doing a damn fine job. Every performance hits it right, from Julie Andrews' impish, intelligent, yet naive Maria to Eleanor Parker's surprisingly sympathetic Baroness to Christopher Plummer's stern, romantic Captain to Richard Haydn's career-topping Uncle Max. It's the kind of movie that my mother loves, my grandmother saw in theaters, and my friends throw a party for. Yeah, that happened: a group of us got together to watch The Sound of Music. And we were not afraid to cry together.

I hope you're all on the same page with me. Who can deny the thrill of the chase scene, the warmth of Captain Von Trapp singing, the adrenaline rush of the concert? Hopefully, very few. But if this is one of those perfect movies, why recast it? Why even float the idea of a remake?

BECAUSE WE CAN!

MOTHER ABBESS

Who is She: The head of the abbey where Maria begins as a nun. She gets Maria the appointment as governess for the Von Trapp family. She is also the one to whom Maria flees when the Baroness questions her about her feelings for Georg.

Songs: Preludium, Maria, Morning Hymn, Climb Every Mountain, Wedding Processional, Finale Ultimo

Originally played by: Academy Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (The Sound of Music)

Peggy Wood (A Star is Born, The Story of Ruth)

My Choice: Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Gaslight, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Manchurian Candidate), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Death on the Nile), Golden Globe Winner for Best Supporting Actress (The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Manchurian Candidate)

Angela Lansbury (Nanny McPhee, Mr. Popper's Penguins)

Hey, here's the voice of an angel! Ms. Lansbury has the wisdom of age, and she can still make with the songs. Climb every mountain? I could for you, Mrs. Fletcher. I could for you.

BARONESS ELSA SCHRAEDER

Who is She: The Captain's fiancee. She becomes jealous of Maria's talent and repartee with the children. She convinces Maria to leave, but she isn't a bad sort; she loves that man, but knows she can never be the wife and mother the Von Trapps need.

Songs: How Can Love Survive?, No Way to Stop It

Originally played by: Academy Award Nominee for Best Actress (Caged, Detective Story, Interrupted Melody)

Eleanor Parker (Scaramouche, The Man with the Golden Arm)

My Choice:

Rachael Stirling (The Young Victoria, Centurion)
Oh, I don't know if she can sing. I didn't even know the Baroness sang until I checked out the tracklist for the Broadway show. But acting-wise, Rachael Stirling's a fabulous choice, beautiful and classy, and capable of bringing the British "cool".

UNCLE MAX DETWEILER

Who is He: A close friend of the Captain's. As the talent scout for the Salzburg Music Festival, he continually works to persuade the Von Trapps to enter. Max doesn't necessarily agree with the rising Nazi movement, but he's a man who goes with the flow.

Songs: How Can Love Survive?, Opening Act II, No Way to Stop It

Originally played by:

Richard Haydn (And Then There Were None, Young Frankenstein)

My Choice: Academy Award/BAFTA Award/Golden Globe/SAG Award Winner for Best Actor [in a Drama] (Shine), BAFTA Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Elizabeth), SAG Award for Best Ensemble (Elizabeth), Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The King's Speech)

Geoffrey Rush (Quills, The Warrior's Way)
Well, who cares if Rush can sing? Surely he can play a loyal friend with a sense of humor. Surely he just got an Oscar nomination for that.

CAPTAIN GEORG VON TRAPP

Who is He: Widowed navy captain, he runs his household like he ran a ship: strict and efficient. He is the complete antithesis to Maria, and of course they don't get on! But when music returns to the household, he softens towards Maria and his children. The Captain is a strongly patriotic Austrian, and as such opposes the Nazi regime.

Songs: The Sound of Music - Reprise, No Way to Stop It, Something Good, The Lonely Goatherd, Edelweiss, So Long Farewell - Reprise

Originally played by: Academy Award/Golden Globe/Indie Spirit/SAG Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Last Station), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (A Beautiful Mind)

Christopher Plummer (Beginners, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)

My Choice: SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (Inglourious Basterds)

Michael Fassbender (Hunger, Fish Tank)
As it turns out, he can sing! Historically, he's age-appropriate. Aesthetically, he's dashing. Frankly, he's a great actor.

MARIA

Who is She: A novice nun who arrives at the Von Trapp manor as the new governess. She shows remarkable resilience in the face of the challenges thrown her way by the children's antics and the Captain's strictness. But she brings back the music in their lives and allows the children to get dirty and wear curtains and OOOOH SHE'S SO AWESOME!

Songs: The Sound of Music, I Have Confidence, Do-Re-Mi, My Favorite Things, The Sound of Music - Reprise, Something Good, Sixteen Going on Seventeen - Reprise, The Lonely Goatherd, Edelweiss, So Long Farewell - Reprise

Originally played by: Academy Award/Golden Globe Winner for Best Actress [in a Musical/Comedy] (Mary Poppins), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best British Actress (The Sound of Music, The Americanization of Emily), Golden Globe Winner for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy (The Sound of Music, Victor/Victoria)

Julie Andrews (Star!, The Princess Diaries)

My Choice: SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Milk)

Alison Pill (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Midnight in Paris)
Again, a more age-appropriate casting decision. Pill is an engaging actress, and while I don't see her as a regular leading lady, I believe every actor has one leading role in them. I think Maria Rainer is that role for Allison Pill, who has a beautiful voice and an energy that I find irresistible.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Best Actor: Michael Fassbender

Best Actress: Alison Pill

Best Supporting Actor: Geoffrey Rush

Best Supporting Actress: Angela Lansbury, Rachael Stirling

Casting Coup Month: Mrs. Miniver

NOMINATIONS

Best Picture (WON)

Best Director - William Wyler (WON)

Best Actor - Walter Pidgeon

Best Actress - Greer Garson (WON)

Best Supporting Actor - Henry Travers

Best Supporting Actress - Dame May Whitty

Best Supporting Actress - Teresa Wright (WON)

Best Writing, Screenplay - George Froeschel, James Hilton, Claudine West, Arthur Wimperis (WON)
Best Cinematography, Black-and-White - Joseph Ruttenberg (WON)

Best Film Editing - Harold F. Kress

Best Sound, Recording - Douglas Shearer

Best Effects, Special Effects - A. Arnold Gillespie, Warren Newcombe, Douglas Shearer

Remember earlier, when we were talking about William Wyler? He's back, and this time he's in Britain.

Mrs. Miniver is one those movies that has aged surprisingly well despite its period-specific message. The Miniver clan first appeared in a series of columns written by Jan Struther for The Times, reflecting daily life among middle-class British families in the late-30s. As the Second World War loomed ever nearer, the articles reflected growing fears and preparations; Struther eventually stopped writing them just as war was declared. These columns were then collected and published in 1939, becoming a major bestseller in the still-neutral United States. President Roosevelt himself insisted on the film being rushed int production, and in the Summer of 1942 -- six months before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor -- the film opened in New York City to enthusiastic reviews and appreciative audiences.

The reasons are two-fold. Certainly, the film is well-made, though it ends abruptly and is terribly paced. But one must not forget the rousing speech made by the Vicar at the end of the film or the portrayal of the War's effects on home life; this was a propaganda film emphasizing the importance of global support for the battle against fascism. Kay Miniver, housewife and mother of three, represents the strength and noble courage of the People, facing German pilots and flower shows with similar determination. And if her self-righteousness ever gets annoying, worry not -- she also likes to buy hats on impulse! And, apparently, she doesn't mind a good spank.

The film is episodic in nature, so there's no real plot other than the resilience of non-soldiers. What it does offer are interesting characters and fine performances. Walter Pidgeon immediately charmed me as Clem Miniver, the good-humored patriarch; Garson is fine as Kay; Dame May Whitty surprised me with her understated performance. Honestly, though, I would turned it off and gone to bed earlier had it not been for the sudden appearance of Teresa Wright as Carol Beldon, granddaughter to Whitty's Lady Beldon, a plain-spoken, lovely girl who falls for Vin Miniver, the college graduate endearingly played by Richard Ney. When Ney and Wright are together, I could watch the film all day. When Dame May is around, I am interested. When it's Mrs. Miniver's turn in the spotlight, I'm a little bored. I can only handle Great Strength and Fortitude for so long.

It's for that reason that I wanted to try and see if I could come up with an actress that I felt would be more interesting to watch, while also surrounding her with a cast worthy of her talents. Not only that, but as Wyler himself wasn't necessarily happy with the final result, I'm sure a stronger version could be made. I kept thinking to myself, "I like Dame May Whitty but what if...." Well, what if?

THE VICAR

Who is He: The vicar. He gives a rousing speech at the end of the film.

Originally played by:

Henry Wilcoxon (The Ten Commandments, Caddyshack)

My Choice:

Denis Lawson (Return of the Jedi, Local Hero)

A wizened pate and a great speaking voice. That's what makes a vicar, friends.

JAMES BALLARD

Who is He: The modest railway manager who grows a rose for competition in Lady Beldon's Flower Show. No one has ever gone against Lady Beldon's roses, especially not a lower-class person like Mr. Ballard. He names his specimen the "Mrs. Miniver", after the nicest woman in the village.

Originally played by: Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Mrs. Miniver)

Henry Travers (Ball of Fire, It's a Wonderful Life)

My Choice: BAFTA Award Nominee for Best British Film and Best Original Screenplay, Indie Spirit Nominee for Best Foreign Film (The Magdalene Sisters)

Peter Mullan (Session 9, Boy A)

His thick Scots accent will stick out from the rest, already creating a divide. He's played good-natured many times before, and that face...it's such a friendly face. He smiles with his eyes.

VIN MINIVER

Who is He: The oldest Miniver child, a college graduate who enters the RAF when war is declared. Vin goes through a lot of phases -- vegetarian on his last visit, preaching about the evils of the class system on his next -- but he's mostly talk. When Carol boldly calls him out on his shit, he does what we all do when we meet a bold beauty: he falls in love.

Originally played by:

Richard Ney (Midnight Lace, Premature Burial)

My Choice:

Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy, A Single Man)

LADY BELDON

Who is She: Local aristocrat, grandmother of Carol, organizer and winner of the annual flower show. Lady Beldon seems like a mere snob, and she is. But she's also a wounded widow dreading what the next war could do to pending nuptials of Vin and Carol. She's not unreasonable, though, and she just wants what's best for everyone.

Originally played by: Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Night Must Fall, Mrs. Miniver)

Dame May Whitty (The Lady Vanishes, Suspicion)

My Choice: Academy Award Winner for Best Actress (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie) and Best Supporting Actress (California Suite), BAFTA Award Winner for Best Actress (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, A Private Function, A Room with a View, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne) and Best Supporting Actress (Tea with Mussolini), Golden Globe Winner for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy (California Suite) and Best Supporting Actress (A Room with a View), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (Gosford Park)

Maggie Smith (Nanny McPhee Returns, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)

Some things don't need explanation.

CAROL BELDON

Who is She: Her Ladyship's granddaughter, an intelligent, spirited girl who does what she can to help the community. She falls in love with Vin and weds him, just in time for the War! Carol is a strong young woman who faces the inevitable with courage: her husband may be killed in the line of duty. She may not be one by birth, but her attitude is all Miniver.

Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress (Mrs. Miniver)

Teresa Wright (The Pride of the Yankees, The Best Years of Our Lives)

My Choice:

Emma Watson (the Harry Potter series, My Week with Marilyn)

She just keeps getting better and better. Beautiful and whip-smart, with an easy screen presence, she almost is Carol Beldon. It's time to let her shine.

CLEM MINIVER

Who is He: The patriarch. Clem is awesome. Funny, frank and easygoing. He lays back and takes everything in a good humour. When the War starts, Clem joins up with the other local men to scour the area for a downed German pilot, then takes part in the Battle of Dunkirk. Clem is an old-fashioned man, believing that war is for the men, protecting the innocent females who see little action at home.

Originally played by: Academy Award Nominee for Best Actor (Mrs. Miniver, Madame Curie)

Walter Pidgeon (How Green Was My Valley, Executive Suite)

My Choice: SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

Sean Bean (Troy, North Country)

Dashing fellow who screams MASCULINITY. Bean is like, what, a C-list actor? He should be on the A-list, he's fantastic.

MRS. KAY MINIVER

Who is She: The matriarch. Mrs. Miniver is a strong woman, an example of the stalwart British spirit. When she's the one who has to handle the German pilot, she handles it with calm. When planes crash around her, she leaps into action. She's the kindest person in the town, though she does have a weakness: hats.

Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Actress (Mrs. Miniver), Golden Globe Winner for Best Actress in a Drama (Sunrise at Campobello)

Greer Garson (Julius Caesar, The Singing Nun)

My Choice: Academy Award/BAFTA Award/Golden Globe/SAG Award Nominee for Best Actress [in a Drama] (The Wings of the Dove) and Best Supporting Actress (The King's Speech), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Howards End), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (The King's Speech)

Helena Bonham Carter (A Room with a View, Fight Club)

If anyone can make this role interesting, it's Bonham Carter. She can play "normal" people every now and then. She's always bringing the subtext, and there are few roles in which she disappoints. Even her Red Queen is fantastic!

Fun sidenote: The screenplay was co-written by James Hilton, author of the original novel Goodbye Mr. Chips, starring Greer Garson. EVERYTHING'S CONNECTED!


FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
Best Actor: Sean Bean
Best Actress: Helena Bonham Carter
Best Supporting Actor: Nicholas Hoult, Peter Mullan
Best Supporting Actress: Maggie Smith, Emma Watson