Films with perfect casting

[Blondbombsite]

I rewatched School of Rock the other day and was struck by how perfect Jack Black is in the role (I know it was written for him). It just made me think of other films which whilst not necessarily being perfect are elevated by someone who is cast perfectly and whom without the film would just be mediocre at best.

I think Dick can Dyke in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is another one. Recast anyone else and it would be fine, but he makes the film.

Most of the cast of Harry Potter with exception of a few. All of the cast in the green mile, I read the book first and was surprised at how well done the film was Tom hanks was great in it. All the cast in hocus pocus (first one) couldn't imagine anyone else as the leads

Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham. I know he's brilliant in many other films but he really was the perfect Sheriff.

Heath Ledger as the Joker

Was also going to say Shawshank, the whole cast were amazing. I read that originally they wanted Brad Pitt and Robert Redford to play Andy and Red, I can't imagine that.

Also Sleepers- I read the book first and everyone in the film were exactly as I imagined.

Woody Harrelson as Haymitch in the Hunger Games. He's brilliant. Also in Kingpin.

I have never heard of Clue, but I love Tim Curry and Christopher Lloyd so have to look this one up.

I had forgotten all about Dead Again too, loved that film.

I would say

Robert Donat in Goodbye Mr Chips
Joyce Grenfell in all of the St Trianian’s films.
Julie Walters in Educating Rita
Brenda Blethyn in Saving Grace. (And the village Bobby!)

The English Patient was perfect casting. A beautiful film.

Completely agree with the Talented Mr Ripley and the Big Lebowski. And Philip Seymour Hoffmann in everything - for whatever reason, I was just thinking the other day about how great he was in Ripley as the odious but perceptive Freddie Miles.

Another actor who really elevates character roles to a different level (and yet another Lebowski cast member) is David Thewlis. Just perfect in the Fargo series he appeared in.

Other films with a great cast - Goodfellas, pretty much anything by Wes Anderson.

Tim Curry in Clue is bloody brilliant - I've only seen it once as I came to it relatively late, but we all really enjoyed it, crappy plot and hammy script aside!

I also agree about Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones in Normal People - I normally avoid tv/ film adaptations of books where I get over involved with the characters, but they were brilliant in it.

You’ve just reminded me of Doubt. Philip Seymour Hoffmann was excellent. The rest of the cast, including Meryl Streep and Amy Adams were great as well. Viola Davis only had a small role, but gave a very powerful performance in a scene with Streep.

Thinking of another film set in a school - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, I wonder if anyone could have played Miss Brodie as well as Maggie Smith. Her delivery and timing were superb. Also, at one point she apparently managed to blush on cue (although I didn’t spot this).

I would say Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara. I think she's astounding in Gone with the Wind and no-one else could've played that part. She acts rings around Clark Gable imo. She was only 25 when it was filmed too.

I also recently watched Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and found Liz Taylor as Maggie absolutely spellbinding in it - I haven't really watched any of her films and never realised what a brilliant actress she is.

Absolutely agree with the Godfather comments.

I also think The Departed is brilliantly cast. Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon,
Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg- all give an amazing utterly believable performances. This is reflected in its host of nominations and awards.

In. terms of awful - I'd say Mel Gibson as William Wallace (painful).

As good as it gets. Everyone is perfect. Even the dog.

Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury

The cast of The Godfather is perfect....

Marlon Brando as Don Vito
Al Pacino as Michael
James Caan as Sonny
Robert Duval as Tom Hagen
Diane Keaton as Kay

Oh, Fatal Attraction just blows my mind every time. Every Character, including the adorable little girl Ellen, just perfectly cast.
Same with unfaithful: Richard Gere, Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez. Brilliant.

Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump.

Alan Rickman (again) as Hans Gruber in Die Hard. In fact I can’t think of anything Alan Rickman did in which he was not perfectly cast.

TV-wise, Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher. No way would MSW have been such a long-running success without her. I suspect most won’t know this one but Peter Jurasik as Londo in Babylon 5. Very recent one - the entire cast of Lockwood and Co. are perfect to the point it’s freaky.

Annette Crosbie as the long suffering Margaret Meldrew in One Foot in the Grave

Doreen Mantle as Jean Warboys was really perfect as well

I came on to say Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins in The Remains of the Day, but since that's already been said I'll add David Tennant as Kilgrave in Jessica Jones.

Maybe, I take your point but she was necessarily twee

Maybe, I take your point but she was necessarily twee

John Casale as Fredo. Robert de Niro as the young Vito.

Gosh that's weird! I thought I was quoting the post about The Godfather.

Not movies but Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, Ted Danson in The Good Place, and Jane Fonda and Lilly Tomlin in Geace and Frankie. Entire cast of Pride and Prejudice 1995, and of Mr Mercedes, and so many others mentioned on here already.

Oh yes and Hugh Grant in Paddington.

Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator

No one else could have made that part what it was. I know as he aged in later films it became less perfect but the first two.

The part could have been written for him.

Also Colin Firth in Bridget Jones, so clever to play up to the Mark Darcy joke by casting him and he was spot on! Equally convincing when you hear who Mark Darcy was actually based upon.