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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Book Adaptations: AIMU to say that TV and films cast the wrong people, and spoil the character that belongs to you in your head? (Big Little Lies)

25 replies

applesauce1 · 28/03/2017 16:18

This is lighthearted!

When I read a really great book, I have such a strong image of that character in my head, like I really know them. In a completely irrational way, when good books are adapted for the screen (as they often are), I feel like the casting directors rob me of people who I have already got to know so well. The picture of the character becomes less clear, almost foggy in my head. Like I said, it's irrational, but like my husband says, if it bothers me so much, I should stop watching the adaptations!

For example:
Big Little Lies. Madeline and Celeste are cast so wrong! I would have had either Kate Beckinsale or the Mum from Gilmore girls as Madeline (she's described as a dark haired "glittery girl", who may not be the prettiest, but always accessorise themselves well), and Charlize Theron as Celeste. Jane is pretty well cast, I had imagined someone much more petite though, like Kate Mara. Can't fault the casting of Perry! Oh and I'd have had an Olsen sister for Bonnie.

Does anyone else have any favourite books that were miscast for the characters that you had already built in your brain and loved? Or am I alone in feeling totally put out by casting directors just doing their jobs?

OP posts:
user1470615988 · 28/03/2017 16:22

Nicole Kidman is a terrible Celeste

bogofeternalstench · 28/03/2017 16:50

Tom-fecking-Cruise is NOT Jack Reacher! That is all.

StoatofDisarray · 28/03/2017 17:01

Russell Crowe as Jack Aubrey? I don't bloody think so!

Fishcakey · 28/03/2017 17:04

Far From the Madding Crowd in my GCSEs. Alan Bates was NOT Gabriel Oak. I still haven't gotten over it 20 years later!

MommaGee · 28/03/2017 17:07

They got Darcy right though...

Clawdy · 28/03/2017 17:10

Douglas Henshaw is a good actor. But he is so not Jimmy Perez! In the Shetland books, Jimmy is a dark-eyed, dark-haired man with Spanish ancestry, and I was so disappointed to see they had cast DH, nice as he is.

ElizaBenson · 28/03/2017 17:14

Totally agree with Tom Cruise not being Jack Reacher!

Rescuepuppydaft2 · 28/03/2017 17:18

Brianna Randall Fraser/ McKenzie is meant to be six foot (with fiery red hair to match Jamie and a fiery temper to match him too) and towering above her Mother Claire and most men in 18th century Scotland. But no, they choose a 5'8 actress with brown hair, which even dyed looks nothing like it should. And at 5'8 she will be two inches shorter than Claire as Caitriona Balfe is 5'10!

Brianna is the daughter of the two main characters in the Outlander series, for those who haven't read the books or watched the series.

Things like that drive me crazy OP so you are not alone! I remember ranting at the Harry Potter movies not including Peeves!

Katurah · 28/03/2017 17:19

Nicole Kidman was the perfect Mrs Coulter for me in the Amber Spyglass. Shame the film was rubbish.

I thought all casting for My Sister's Keeper was hideous - so was the film.

Possibly a theme here!

BewtySkoolDropowt · 28/03/2017 17:25

Clawdy, loving that it looks like Dougie Henshall is your husband - just as well you think he's nice ;)

lessthanBeau · 28/03/2017 18:14

Idris Elba is not Roland! I don't know how I'm going to reconcile myself with this casting! He was Clint Eastwood in my head! Just hoping the film is so good that I'll not notice.

blackteasplease · 28/03/2017 18:20

They always cast badly imo. Usually making the big mistake of making the main characrter (whether male or female) the best looking when they are not supposed to be in the book.

IWillOnlyEatBeans · 28/03/2017 18:22

The Girl With All the Gifts.

The casting director didn't remotely stick to the author's descriptions of people when it came to casting. Which made the film much more diverse, but did mess with my head a bit!

applesauce1 · 28/03/2017 19:26

The girl with all the gifts was also in my mind. That was my favourite book last year and was so sad at the casting choices, although I definitely didn't see it...
I'd imagined a sort of Thandie Newton version of Miss Justineau and a young Elle Fanning as Melanie. Don't mind Glenn Close as Dr Cauldwell though.

OP posts:
MommaGee · 28/03/2017 21:12

lessthan absolutely!!!!! Also Clint Eastwood in my head. There surely is someone vetted fitted that Iris. Maybe Josh Holloway?

flirtygertiefromnumber30 · 29/03/2017 15:22

American Gods by Neil Gaiman has just got a Starz adaptation...characters don't look anything like they do in my head :( Calvin from Hollyoaks is Shadow - just wrong!

jay55 · 29/03/2017 15:23

One for the money, the film adaption's Ranger was not Ranger by any stretch.

Ulysses · 29/03/2017 15:24

Tom Cruise as Lestat in Interview with a Vampire was all kinds of wrong.

MadMags · 29/03/2017 15:25

So many!

The entire cast of that god awful Kiera Knightley P&P for one.

YY to the cast of Big Little Lies and My Sister's Keeper.

Hideous.

Lingotria · 29/03/2017 15:42

I imagined a black girl when I first read Hermione Granger. Someone like how Beyonce used to look when she was younger. Couldn't get over it so I stopped watching and stopped reading too (was just a kid at the time and felt betrayed).

The casting for Dr Strange and Star Trek into the darkness disappointed me too because in both they got Benedict Cumberbatch to play a character who was Indian/Pakistani. There are 100s of top quality actors of Indo-Pakistani heritage who can also bring in audiences, yet the studios decided to white wash the film.

Lingotria · 29/03/2017 15:43

I was also unhappy with the whitewashing of Tilda Swinton's character in Dr Strange because a Celtic Buddhist just didn't make sense.

TheStoic · 29/03/2017 15:52

I think Reece Witherspoon was born to play Madeleine.

I have the opposite problem with Celeste's husband - the character is ruining Alexander Skarsgard for me!

FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 29/03/2017 15:53

Apparently the switching of characters in The Girl with all the gifts was intentional, so the black person wasn't the baddy (no idea how true this is, I read it on IMDB I haven't seen the film or read the book!)

Mrs Coulter is describes as having dark hair in the books and her first name is Marisa! Classic dark haired name! Grin

Tom Cruise as Reacher makes me angry. I have such a crush on book Reacher which is now completely ruined.

Can't think of any others but there are loads.

grannytomine · 29/03/2017 16:01

On the other hand I think the casting of the Godfather was perfect. I completely forget who the actors are and don't recognise most of them in other parts because they are the characters to me. Years after I saw it someone said something about Diane Keaton and I couldn't believe she was in the film! I had to watch it again and yes it was her, how could that be. Amazingly I read the book first which usually means the actors are all wrong but in this case I thought they got it right.

Jack Reacher on the otherhand......................................

Soubriquet · 29/03/2017 16:04

Twilight must be one of my biggest bug bears

Neither Bella or Edward look how I pictured. In fact at times, Edward looked like a foot.

Alice was pretty good though

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