Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Funny, Bunny


Steven Spielberg has is planning to remake of “Harvey.” You may remember the movie about an likable, endearing Elwood whose best friend is a six-foot-tall imaginary rabbit, starring Jimmy Stewart. The movie was based on a Pulitzer prize-winning play of the same name.

But who should be Elwood P. Dowd? People jump to Tom Hanks as this generations everyman and yeah he is alot like Jimmy Stewart. Some people think Will Smith because of his box office appeal. But the Moveline web site, urged Spielberg to think younger and hipper, has an intriguing list of alternatives and put up a list of alternatives including h Johnny Depp to edgy Sacha Baron Cohen, Shia LaBeouf and up-and-comer Jeremy Renner (”The Hurt Locker”).

Other names Jim Carrey, Clooney, Will Ferrell have been mention. And Jake's name popped up but could he do another imaginary rabbit movie and not have it turn into a mash up of Harvey Darko?

But think there is someone else is the perfect example of everyman and the vulnerable innocence that could see and have a six foot imaginary rabbit as his best friend. Austin.

And I think he does too. Did he take a plan out of Jake's play book and drop a hint about it in post he did on Southern Gothic awhile back. While he might have been talking about Jake,(yes still think so) it could have another meaning about wanting Harvey too? Did he hear the talk about Harvey and wanted to throw his hat in the ring?

Austin does look like the picture of the everyman, the stature similar as Stewart as well as his personality. Honestly you need to be a tall guy to hang with a 6 foot 3 rabbit. That should kick out Stiller and Cruise right off the list. But it is that ability that he displayed at John that showed that he could have such wonderment, and vulnerability yet strong enough of an actor to play against nothing and make you believe it.

What do you think would Spielberg take a chance and go with someone a little less well known but perfect for the part or would he fall back on same old choices? And will he make Elwood an alcoholic like in the original movie? Has that become something that would be changed because attitudes have changed in the almost 50 years since the original came out.

Check out Austin Nichols Journal (aka Spooky's) for pictures of Austin at the Showtime TCA party.

35 comments:

destiny said...

I would love to see Austin do something like this, even if I don't particularly like Harvey. But Spielberg is pretty unimaginative when it comes to the actors he casts, and he likes them bland like Shia. Talk about someone who has the clout to change things and won't lift a finger. Another one who thinks if he just throws some money at the gays he's done his job.

Special K said...

I think there is a similarity between Elwood and Chauncy Gardner.

I think Spielberg would be smart not to cast an A-lister in the part. It's a remake, he is going to refresh it with the same old faces they keep using?

Hugh Grant was also mentioned which would be more bumbling Elwood. I just think there is such a innocence to Elwood. And a lot of the actors mentions can't realistically capture it. Yes Tom Hanks did in Big, and so well, but I think he is too old now. Ferrell and Carrey would be too over the top and play so broad and it would fail miserably.

Johnny is just getting over used for the quirky parts and there are so many other actors out there to see try those odd quirky roles. And I don't think Spielberg wants to Burtonize his remake.

Shia is being pushed in HW, but too young. Too young for this.

I really hope Austin's team try to do some kind of a push for him to get on a list, even on a long one for this.

destiny said...

As much as I like Depp, I really don't want to see him in every movie. ;-D

It would be nice if he goes with someone new and off the beaten path, but would he do that with a movie like Harvey? Spielberg could go with a relative unknown for a franchise movie, not sure he can do that here.

I am hoping that OTH will open some doors for Austin, but I think he will need a year or two as a regular, with good ratings, to show he can bring in the fans.

charybdis said...

Special, you're totally right that Austin would make an awesome Elwood. He would be perfect at Elwood's off-kilter, gee whiz perona. (Plus he's probably among the few younger Hollywood types actually to know and like the original). And then he and Jake could eventually go to costume parties dressed as their respective imaginary bunnies....

Special K said...

Here's more about the cast attending the CW/CBS/Showtime Television Critics Association party.

We Love TV: OTH at the TCA Party

Could it be happen? Since CBS and the CW are under the same parent company, Austin could go on Late Show with Craig Ferguson? Please CW? Or do we need to ask Mr. Redstone?

Love your fancy dress thinking Charybdis. : )

destiny said...

Interesting article, looks like--and if we're lucky--that OTH is going to get a lot of pushing this year with the new cast.

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covering for 2:33 said...

Wasn't some kind of gigantic rabbit in the movie Donnie Darko too? (I didn't see that movie,shame of me) ;)

If Austin is casts in this one, they could hook up to compare notes!

prairiegirl said...

Loved this song.

Wicked said...

I think there is a similarity between Elwood and Chauncy Gardner.

ITA. I could see Austin doing this, but I doubt he would be considered. Not well known enough.

london tb said...

I dislike remakes in general, but Austin would be a great Elwood!

The other suggestions are pretty horrible ...

Music Luvah said...

This does sound interesting. :)

Florida Tom said...

Sorry A. Zachary Quinto would be the perfect Elwood.

m said...

Yes, yes. Austin would be so good for this part. Craig Ferguson is my favorite late show guy. I can't even stand Letterman or Conan anymore. I tape Craig's show every day and watch the episodes in groups. Seeing Austin and or Jake with Craig would be a dream. He would not shy away from the gay issue, no way.

Wicked said...

Sorry A. Zachary Quinto would be the perfect Elwood.

Hmmmm, I could see this.

prairiegirl said...

I have to say that TDAT is on Fox right now! Just in time for a trip down the ol' memory lane...

Special K said...

Flipping back and forth between TDAT and the Sox.

I grin at how many scenes Roland blocked Jake and Austin next to each other. I don't think he was blind to about seeing what was going on during that 5 month shoot.

prairiegirl said...

I have to say that TDAT holds a special place in my heart. It's cool to imagine what was transpiring during the making of that movie.

I still haven't watched the extras on that dvd. My sister even kind of likes it. I had to point out to her that scene in Austin's family's condo where Jake is sitting in the chair, lol.

Is the birthday cake blowing in the extras of that dvd or was that from something else, Special?

Went to Wal Mart tonight and came back just about with a full blown headache. All the kids crying in that store tonight!! People, take your kids home - they're crying because they should be in bed by now! Good grief. I can't get over all the noise in there tonight.

Quiet day, quiet day. We need us some excitement around here. Somebody get up on a table, put a lampshade on your head, and go to it!

lol. Just kidding! Just getting myself mentally in shape for that post-epidural euphoria.

destiny said...

I had some excitement tonight, I went and saw Depeche Mode. I thought they were great, my gf was a bit bored the first half of the show when they did some of their slower, dirgier songs, but I love it all.

Nothing carries me away from everything in life like a good concert, and I admit, I needed it because I haven't been in the best of moods this week, as people who saw me in chat last night know. :-D

Love today's song, another great one from the 80s.

destiny said...

A story about a hate crime in Wilmington a couple of weeks ago.

Hate Crime?

prairiegirl said...

Destiny, I haven't thought anything about it, honestly. It was discussion, through & through.

Hey, and let's face it. When was the last time people on here were genuinely excited about Jake? Genuinely? I would say either 1) the talk about Damn Yankees or 2)the biking pictures. I'm not saying it as a putdown; I'm just trying to be honest here because right now, I cannot call myself a "fan". I can't.

I'm an interested party, lol. I know my thoughts and comments don't reflect those of a fan and how sad is that? It's so sad.

Won't give up the ship, though. And won't give his handlers the satisfaction. So if they think they sniff a white flag, they can just go sniff somewhere else.

But what does this say about this small section of his fandom? I say the ones who have left here have left not because they believe Reeke is real, but they're just fed up with the bull. They know a bad car when someone's trying to sell one and there're a whole lot of other car lots to go check out than to waste on a couple of really cheesy car salespeople.

I miss those who have said they're not going to buy what's being peddled any longer. People like flf and Clarity. People who just simply don't come around anymore for whatever reason. People like jayna, little blue pill, ag, NG, elinor, to name a few. Although Elinor, I believe, may have lost her computer, right?

Regardless, it's a really dwindled community and if I were Jake's handlers, if your client can't hang onto the fans who will hang around when there's not even been a movie released in over a year (when was Rendition released, last year? I forget, lol), I'd kind of be wondering.

And you can point to the focus of OMG and WFT2 and say that well, there's a whole lot of other JG fansites. But what kind of activity is there on any other Jake G fan website? One where they're just fans of a Jake they believe is straight and simply an exciting actor and person? Can someone point the way to me? Is there a big hubbub we're not aware of?

Or is this situation here more reflective of the route his career & fandom is taking?

I'm just asking. All opinions I'd love to hear. I'm not being critical or smart aleck, I'm asking in all honesty.

Stubborn TB said...

Well, I am still a fan. Of both Jake and Austin.

And I was excited to see the new PoP pictures, I was happy to see Austin get recognized for his work on OTH.
I loved that they chose to support the same green cause and I loved that they decided to work with kids for it.

I think they're still together and that's why Austin is looking so happy lately. And yes, I also think they have a family, so sue me.

I'm still not buying Reeke and never will. It's still annoying and boring to me which is why I don't bother talking about it anymore all too much. Why put any energy into something so utterly useless?

Jake and Austin are keeping their private life under wraps as much as possible, so I'm not quite sure why there should be 24/7 talking about what they're doing, either.
They're still getting steady work, so I'd say they're both still doing alright.

I guess I'm a lonely voice with those feelings though.

Music Luvah said...

Oh Destiny, that sounds so wonderful - I love DePeche Mode too, and today's song. I've seen the Furs before, and they are great. :)

TBH, I just have a hunch that there's more (maybe I should say less) than meets the eye to J&R. Can't be sure, but something sure seems off about it. And like any good mystery, I'm going to stick with it. I wish I could skip ahead a few chapters and find out what happens at the end tho. :)

hopeful tb said...

Stubborn, well put. I have very similar thoughts on J&A.

I don't write much because I've had it with Reeke and am bored to death with their "perfect" relationship. However, I intend to stay to the bitter end! Thanks to Special, Wicked and posters for keeping the blog interesting and fun every day.

Oh, and Austin is looking better and better which I believe is because of both professional and personal happiness so I don't think they have broken up. He was also still wearing his necklace in the latest video.

destiny said...

You're right Stubborn that it is absolutely useless to talk about Reeke, but I still can't help doing it anyway because it is suchh a big piece of the puzzle. It would be like ignoring the 500 pound gorilla in the room to talk about bananas.

And speaking of bananas and apes, with Jake spending so much time with Reese I know I can't just look at it as a work/private life divide. And no, I don't Jake is with Reese 24/7 while he is in Philly or D.C., if only because Reese is actually working. But I don't think all the twitters are fake, and it is clear that Jake is spending a substantial amount of time in whatever city Reese is in.

Why does that matter?

Well, if there is a Baby Tile, that means BT is spending substantial amounts of time with only one parent just so Jake can beard and prove he is straight/in a real relationship with Reese.

If Jake was not in the closet he would--and if there is a baby he should--be spending his down time in Wilmington so that this so-called family can be together whenever they can. What Jake is doing now in Philly may be "work" in the sense it is not his real private life (although again I think increasing it is), but it is not like a movie, where he has no choice but to be away from home.

And for all those people who talk about long-distrance relationships, and families in which spouse has to spend the week working somewhere else, this is not that situation.

What Jake is doing, if there is indeed a family, is coming home from work (filming Prince of Persia) grabbing his bag, and saying, hey I'm now going to go spend my time off with Reese, instead of you Austin, and Baby Tile is coming with me, and hey, don't worry, we'll meet up for a day here and there, so Baby Tile doesn't forget who you are.

What in the hell kind of life is that for a child?

It would be like that parent who spends the week away from their home city deciding to spend the weekends and their vacation time going to yet a third place, with or without the kids, but without the spouse, and spending it with a lover or their buddies. The upshot, the kid(s) never spend time with both parents.

If someone you know was doing that would you really think that was just hunky dory for the kids in that marriage?

destiny said...

As long as I'm getting this bee out of my bonnet, one more point.

Everyone is always making fun of Reese for being a bad parent, for leaving her kids with the nanny to run around with Jake, not spending enough time with them on breaks from her work. (That is when they are not talking about her using her kids for publicity.)

Jake and Austin are doing the same things if there is a baby, why do they get a pass? Why is what they are doing okay?

destiny said...

If there really is a Baby Tile, I think it is a shame that money can buy two closeted gay men the ability to have a child with a surrogate just so they can treat their child in such a shameful way.

Jake and Austin could be the poster parents for a campaign on why gays shouldn't be allowed to have children.

Stubborn TB said...

Well, to me discussing Reese most of the times is more like talking about the crazy thing the ape did when he came out into the showroom 3 hours ago while patiently waiting for it to come back out.

As for Jake being with Reese all the time: There were sightings before Rome all the time. Are they now suddenly true, too?
I'm still not sure why I'm supposed to believe sightings that have no pictures to back it up when those same places suddenly float with "evidence pictures" once Reeke has actually been photographed by the paps.

And like someone (sorry, can't remember your name) said a while ago: Jake and Austin probably have a lot more time to spend with their family than regular people with a job get to have.

And frankly, there's a huge difference between a single parent (which Reese essentially is) having the kids and THEN going off alone and the people in a couple with kids occassionally going off to do their thing.
And I still very much prefer never seeing Baby Tile to it being dragged around in front of the camera on purpose.

If you take out all the time that is spent discussing Reeke and you take the time spent together by pictures, it's not nearly as much as people like to make it sound it is.
Any minute spent on Reeke is obviously too much, but it's not like Jake spends 25 days a month with Reese and the remaining ones without her.

Stubborn TB said...

^I meant Reeke, not Reese in the first line, although it's almost the same.

Wicked said...

Jake and Austin could be the poster parents for a campaign on why gays shouldn't be allowed to have children.

The behavior of Jake and Austin has nothing to do with whether or not gays should have children. The decision to have children is undertaken with much gravity by most gay people I know, simply because of the difficulties we have in having kids in the first place. We have to do so much more planning than straights. Most gay parents that I know spend lots of time with their kids.

J/A Fan said...

Destiny, I agree with everything you have wrote this morning. The reason to all of your questions is simple: Jake and Reese are dating and together. There is no babytile and never was. The two men in question careers come first, just as many other Hollywood stars. No time to raise a baby, and this is what you see. Jake and Austin is either straight, gay, or bi. And I say they are bi because they both have dealt with girlfriends in the past and can do it again. This is if they have an interest or ever had in men. I say they do.
I think if Jake and Mr. Nichols ever was together, they have called it quits and now are just friends. JMO

destiny said...

If there is a BT Jake and Austin are living like single parents, between work schedules and the bearding.

And no, I don't believe every twitter that comes along, but most of these sightings are far more substantial than the ones we got way before Rome, and there are often multiple ones, or twitters backed up by Philly paper mentions. Now could they be making some of those up? Of course, but there are way too many of them to all be fake.

I do think PR realizes that too many pap photos was looking bad, so they're still sending Reeke out there to places they know they'll be seen and twittered about, the only difference is not calling the paps.

J/A Fan said...

((I think if Jake and Mr. Nichols ever was together, they have called it quits and now are just friends. JMO))

For Career purposes. They are young and their careers are the most important thing for them at this time in their life. It seems that they have made this choice.

kitty kelley said...

Well that's hollyweird for you. It's all make believe. There's no use in getting upset. They live in a fantasy world. Back to the real world, the two American reporters were released from N. Korea after four months.

destiny said...
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