Casting Call

First off, I must say that no more than half an hour after my last posting, it occurred to me, “Hey, I bet the original Brat Pack was rounded out by Kiefer Sutherland, son of Donald Sutherland.” It wasn’t a matter of just remembering something after you no longer need it (famous instances for me being Joyce Kilmer, Toni Morrison, and the Missoula Flood), but the research actually led to my answer.

In the Wikipedia entry for the Brat Pack, it lists various movies and the presence of The Lost Boys was bugging me. Why, I was thinking, because Jami Gertz had a bit part in Sixteen Candles? Because Kiefer was in both Young Guns movies with Emilio? And then I remembered that he has a famous father and it made good sense. Sorting through young and pretty people can be so confusing.

Less young and pretty, but also less annoying, one key advantage of being in the Frat Pack is that you get pretty steady work. One person or another is always starting a new project, and buddies tend to get pulled in. If you can’t get in good with them, though, you should try getting in good with a casting director.

Casting is a really important job. I would say that the best non-documentary movie I saw last year was Batman Begins. The production values were good, pacing was tight, good script, and a mostly excellent cast. After all, how can you go wrong with Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Liam Neeson? Easy! You cast Katie Holmes as the love interest. It could have been worse, because it was a relatively small part and she did not have a lot to do. Still, she sucked the life out of two scenes, and one was at the very end, dulling what should have been a much stronger impression.

I think one of the most impressive casting jobs I have ever seen has been Angels in the Outfield, cast by Pam Dixon. Naturally, I first watched it for O.B. Babbs, and at the time I just thought of it as a cute film. Watching it a few years later, however, whoa, there were a lot of newly familiar faces.

Before we discuss the casting, I am going to digress and vent on a pet peeve of mine. When Roger tells Knox to have Hemmerling pinch hit, Knox objects that Hemmerling couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. That’s an insult for pitchers, not hitters! It makes no sense! Okay, I feel better getting that out. Back to casting.

Now, the three leads probably don’t count. I would guess that Danny Glover, Tony Danza, and Christopher Lloyd all probably had something along the lines of three-picture deals with Disney, where their involvement was set up from the get-go. But after that, whom do we have? Oscar winner Brenda Fricker, future Oscar winner Adrien Brody, and future heartthrob Matthew McConaughey.

In addition, you have some really solid but less famous actors. Joseph Gordon-Levitt became pretty well known through Third Rock from the Sun. Now he seems to be focusing on independent films, but his acting has received consistently positive reviews. Neal McDonough may not be seeing his series getting renewed, but again he is getting critical acclaim for his work, and that does not happen to everyone who works with the Rock.

Then of course we have Dermot Mulroney, who I already think was somewhat known, but for such a small and unsympathetic role as Roger’s father he was so sympathetic to me.

There are others, not quite as well known perhaps, but working steadily, which is a really good sign. I would like to see Stoney Jackson and Tony Longo get more recognition, but often for an actor just working enough so that you don't have to wait tables to survive is success.

Looking over Pam’s IMDB credits, she does seem to have a knack of picking up actors and using them before they really catch the public’s attention. I’m impressed at the talent that went into what was probably never destined to be anything other than a small family film. The only really comparable achievement that comes to mind is Coming to America, cast by Jackie Burch. However, most of that cast is more known for ensemble television shows (Eriq LaSalle for ER, Vondie Curtis Hall for Chicago Hope, and Shari Headley for All My Children), where you don’t get as well known, so the one who stands out most is Samuel L. Jackson. Incidentally, Jackie Burch cast Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club, bringing us back to the beginning.

So, I will return to Batman Begins, and say that before I saw it, they showed a preview for The Dukes of Hazzard, which did not seem like an at all auspicious beginning. I remember thinking, You could not pay me to watch that. I realize now, that’s not really true. I could use some extra money, and I think for forty dollars or more, I would watch it. But I’d be thinking about other movies.