Wake of Forgiveness: Casting Call!

[Goodword]

I also kept remembering The Legends of the Fall--but the father figure for Valclav.

I'd like to see Kevin Costner in there, somewhere--I picture him as the older Karel.

I also pictured Penelope Cruz, Tom Selleck, and Jimmy Smits.

[DarcyPDX]

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coffee_luvr wrote:

I am really no good at this; but in my mind, while reading the book, I kept seeing someone like Robert Duvall as the father.

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The only immediate thought I had about casting was Robert Duvall as Vaclav too!

--Darcy

[bibanon1]

In the book Karel is never older than 27 so he needs to be played by a young man.  I think that puts Vaclav in his late 40s.

So, I like people's suggestions about EMILE HIRSCH or LEONARDO DICAPRIO as Karel.

I cannot see any other actor besides STELLAN SKARSGAARD as Vaclav. He would be perfect!!!  I guess you could also use his real-life son ALEXSANDER SKARSGAARD as Karel.

And JAVIER BARDEM seems a shoe-in for Villasenor.

I can see KELLY MACDONALD as Sophie.

[bookowlie]

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deannafrances wrote:

I know I am in the minority--but I am hoping they never make a movie of this book and all its violence and brutality.  It would be horrific to watch.  And the way movies are made nowadays, I am sure you would see every gory detail in close ups and they might even feel the need to add to the brutal sexuality and animal cruelty.

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I totally agree with you, deannafrances.  Although the author's writing is very lyrical, I think the extreme cruelty and violence would make the story to hard to watch in a movie format.

Carolyn

[bookowlie]

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JaneM wrote:

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deannafrances wrote:

I know I am in the minority--but I am hoping they never make a movie of this book and all its violence and brutality.  It would be horrific to watch.  And the way movies are made nowadays, I am sure you would see every gory detail in close ups and they might even feel the need to add to the brutal sexuality and animal cruelty.

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But if we never made movies without violence and brutality, we would not have classics such as Schlindler's List or The Reader, both of which have to do with the Holocaust.  And what about Hitchcock's Psycho?  That's an interesting movie in that no violence is actually shown, only the indication of violence.  It's possible to make a movie without the gory close ups.  They would have to follow the plot as it relates to the horse race and sexual encounters to have the plot and character development make sense.  But I'm guessing the scene of Karel kicking the heifer would be excluded (I hope!)

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JaneM,

Although I agree with deannafrances, you do make a good point,  I guess it good be a good movie, in the hands of a good director and editor.

Carolyn

[JerseyAngel]

I had trouble with some of the picks but here were a few I could think of:

Graciela - Eva Mendes

Villasenor - Miguel Sandoval (he's in the show Medium)

Sophie - Michelle Williams

Vaclav - Mark Strong

[1archi1]

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TudorRose wrote:

This is a fun and interesting thread.  Here is my two cents...

Villasenor - Jimmy Smits

Graciela - Penelope Cruz or Selma Hyak

Vaclav - Clint Eastwood

Karel - Vigo Mortensen

Sophie - Renee Zellwegger

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Very good picks!!!  Not sure about Renee Zellwegger as Sophie but otherwise I could really see these actors playing the parts.

[BooksToTheCeil…]

I'm thinking this would indeed make a good movie.

Villasenor: Joaquin Cosio

Valcav: Ron Perlman

Karel: Semus Dever

Sophie: Michelle Rodriguez

Graciela: Nadine Velazquez

[PinkPanther]

I would definitely cast William Fitchner as Vaclav, Penelope Cruz as Graciela and Hector Suarez as Villasenor.

[floreader]

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deannafrances wrote:

I know I am in the minority--but I am hoping they never make a movie of this book and all its violence and brutality.  It would be horrific to watch.  And the way movies are made nowadays, I am sure you would see every gory detail in close ups and they might even feel the need to add to the brutal sexuality and animal cruelty.

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I agree, Deanna.  It was hard to read this book due to the extreme violence and cruelty.  I can't imagine this subject matter being shown in a movie.  However, if the book was made into a movie, several people here have already made some good suggestions for movie casting - Leonardo DiCaprio for Karel, Michelle Williams for Sophie, Steve Buscemi, William Fitchner.

[wjbauer]

Vaclav/Villasenor - Javier Bardem, Actor: No Country for Old Men

Karel -  Benicio Del Toro - Things we lost in the Fire or Antonio Banderas

Sophie - Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez-Pinault is a Mexican American actress

Would it be difficult to watch the boys grow up with their necks craned at such an angle for the duration of a film?

       I think it would be hard for and actor to play that part with neck craned. !!

[hashores]

I need to ponder the others, but I am thinking Joaquin Phoenix for Karel - if he could be pulled out of retirement

[hashores]

ohh on second thought- I agree! I agree! (about the Skarsgaard idea)

[crazylilcuban]

I would have to agree with those that said Leonardo DiCaprio for Karel, I think he would be fantastic and he was the actor I sort of had in my head as I read.  And Clint Eastwood for Vaclav, I think he would be perfect though perhaps a bit old for the earlier scenes. I think it would work though.  For Sophie, I thought of someone like Michelle Williams (like her character in Brokeback Mountain).  For Villasenor, I'd pick someone like Andy Garcia.

I think that whoever was directing/producing the film would have a large impact on whether a film version would skate over violent scenes or handle them directly.  If it was done as more of an indie film with a director not unaccustomed to portraying harsh realities like this (and doing it well), I think it would be less likely but I could see it easily being glossed over if it were turned into a bigger budget, larger audience kind of movie.