Tuesday, August 01, 2006

What Might Have Been

Many of you probably are already aware of this website, but I just discovered it today. Since it is my blog, I am going to post it.

Notstarring.com gives lists of roles in movies that stars did not get, or were offered but rejected.

I have often played out scenes or movies in my mind starring different people, trying to imagine what it would be like if the other actor considered got the part. I often base that alternate outcome on information gleaned from DVD extras. This website will feed that little excercise in imagination even more.

The thing is, in 98% of all cases, I determine the movie in question would not have been as good had the other person got the role.Whether that is a sign of preferring what I am used to, or astute cast directing in Hollywood, I cannot say.

I can say that so far the most interesting fact I have found from the site is that J-Lo wanted the part of Lucilla in Gladiator, but of course did not get it.

Somewhere in that statement there is a joke involving the term "gluteus maximus". But I am not going to present here.

4 comments:

Suzan Abrams, email: suzanabrams@live.co.uk said...

I guess it's a case of Que Sera Sera, Ty. Whatever is meant to be will be.
Here's hoping you enjoy the rest of the summer.
regards

Anonymous said...

Interesting question you pose. I think once we've seen something and absorbed it into our inner core it's difficult to imagine what it would have been like if it were totally different.

Imagine Shirley Temple in Wizard of Oz? Can't, can you? But supposing you'd seen her first you might have felt just as strongly. I find the same happens with music: I tend to like (generally speaking) the original performer of a song and I find it difficult to enjoy another artist performing the same song.

I don't believe it's very astute casting by Hollywood - I think it's just the way the brain works.

Ty Unglebower said...

Thank you for the comments, Amin, and for visiting my page.

I agree with you. Though sometimes just the right actor gets just the right part, I would by no means conclude that casting directors in Hollywood are always right on target. As with people, our first impression of a movieorsong tends to be the strongest. Our mind is forever emblazened with what we know, and we tend to find ourself preferring what is familiar. So even if we can intellectually know that a certain actor would have done better in a certain part, we usually cannot truly envision it.

One side point about songs...I do not always prefer the original recording of a song, but I almost always prefer the first version I HEAR. There could be 40 versions, and if my first exposure to a song I like happens to be number 39, I will probably always consider it my favorite.

Anonymous said...

Ty, interesting point about liking the first song you hear. That's actually what I meant when I said 'original' song - the first one I've heard.

Don't you think it's a great capacity of the human brain/mind/soul to love/like what it's exposed to? Makes fitting in easier in difficult situations, I suppose. Survival of the fittest in a way - or as one person once said, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!