MovieChat Forums > Billy Jack (1971) Discussion > Billy Jack 1971 and Billy Jack 2004

Billy Jack 1971 and Billy Jack 2004

posted 21 years ago by mrcleangarrett
75 replies | jump to latest

I just got thru watching all 4 of the Billy Jack films, I know a lot of critics are down on the films for the contradicting peace by means of violence, but characters relate to each other in the films in an ad lib fashion, such as real life, what would be called bad acting is more or less the way the characters relate to each other, the films have a script, but as Tom Laughlin points out with his wife Delores on the commentary tracks, the script is more like a guideline, the rest he states comes from inside spontaneous and raw......Now there is a rumor on the net about a possible remake with Keanu Reeves in the title role, just like there is a remake for Walking Tall in the process with the ROCK considered for the title role.....any comments would be welcomed.....and just 3 more days till DIOE ANOTHER DAY and SERGIO LEONE'S ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST....THANKS

[–] hammers_dad 21 years ago

a remake would be cool if they could pull it off I doubt keanu reeves is as cool as tom laughlin (i don't remember billy jack saying a lot of dudes or whoa's?) and i'm having a hard time comming up with another actor that could pull it off

Now, which is it gonna be: drive your car in the lake or get a dislocated elbow?

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] roger-395 12 years ago

Laughlin was uniquely intense and he also was a rough and tumble type guy. Reeves simply lacks the intensity and the body to be a tough guy. A remake of Billy Jack would to me seem ridiculous. It was a very different time, 1971, and for anyone who didn't live it I'm afraid it would be impossible to describe. Every generation wants to set its mark and does. Remakes invariable come up empty and for good reason. I often wonder if Hollywood is imply out of ideas. For certain, the megacorporate owned studios simply won't make small films and Indie films are a real bitch to get widespread distribution. My thinking is to simply enjoy the original for what it is and let sleeping dogs lie.

[–] smilin'-2 20 years ago

The Billy Jack series was a strange phenomenon from a very special time in motion picture history which I don't think can be recaptured; we're simply too sophisticated/jaded these days. The closest things you "kids" would recognize that approached the spontaneity of the Laughlins' work would be something like "Boys Don't Cry", or "Buffalo '66" (except these films relied to some extent on box-office-drawing talent to make a profit, whereas "Billy Jack" used a pop-culture message to achieve its unique allure). Keanu Reeves, talented or not, would sort-of ruin "Billy Jack" just because of the profit motive that would underly the project from start to finish. Oh, hell, who knows? Maybe I'm just acting too "old" for my own good (43) - the message of the film was so cool anyway - kicking the living crap out of racists and bigots is always a good thing in my book and screw all the philosophical crap anyway. Go for it, Keanu, its a great message and the country is ready for it right now! Billy Jack forever!

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] trusso1441 20 years ago

My husband and I were discussing this same topic earlier tonight. We sat trying to come up with actors who could play the part of Billy Jack and we couldn't think of a single one.

Usually when we are thinking of remakes we can think of someone to use, this is the first time we've ever been this stumped! There is no actor that either of us can think of who has the look, skills or attitude.

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] trusso1441 20 years ago

How about Nicolas Cage? I would think he would fit in a lot better than Keanu Reeves!

[–] daja_ace 20 years ago

Yeah, he might do better than Keanu but you got to admit Nick is kind of silly. lol. By the way, Merry Christmas everyone!

[–] trusso1441 20 years ago

I have another suggestion. How about Tom Berenger? He has the look! What do you think!

[–] daja_ace 20 years ago

Now, he's a good choice. He even knows some Martial Arts from his role as the Substitute.

[–] mlynch2 19 years ago

Jean Claude van Damme can kick anyone's ass.

[–] terrance_jaremko 19 years ago

what do you think about tom sizemore?

[–] pastabake-1 18 years ago

Eric Bana would do a brilliant job.

[–] sm-connors 17 years ago

I totally agree with you on this one. Banna is an excellent choice, he's got the looks and I think has a good enough range to be able to take on that part. Im thinking maybe Renee Zellwegger could play Jean.Maybe Ryan Philippe as Bernard ?? I think there are alot of good actors who could have portrayed Billy at some point... they're all too damned old now .. ie Berenger, Van Damme, etc. Are there any young "kick ass" actors out there anymore ?? What about Cole Hauser ( Paparazzi ) maybe ?

[–] bigsexy8track 17 years ago

Laughlin was 40 when Billy Jack came out.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] cine-maum 9 years ago

You cant have a Billy Jack Remake-- this is a cult classic--frozen in time
Its just like you cant have a Woodstock 2. Sure you can have another concert, but you cant have "Woodstock" again. Billy Jack came around on the edge of the 60's civil rights movement. It was hippie-ish. One tin soldier who was for equality, and would kick someone's behind--to make sure everyone on the reservation could live in peace.
Im not even sure, if someone would "get" the movie's impact, not alive in 1971==\

It was only 800K budget & produced by Tom -- starred Tom & his wife. Tom Laughlin died in 2013- He was Billy Jack. The end. The movie might be mediocre now--it was then too. But Billy Jack the character is legend. Superhero fighting injustice. Im betting you'd have a hard time getting the rights to it.
This was his baby.

[–] kdryan 20 years ago

Defintely not Keannu Reeves! "Dude! Drive your car into the lake!" No Way! Hugh Jackman could do it though...

[–] oceanmyst 20 years ago

So very happy to see that not everyone agrees with Yenlo from the post on June 2000. I was 18 when this came out. If I remember correctly, most of the males I knew really liked this movie...Yes, possibly the females liked it better (hey, Tom Laughlin was in it!) They liked it, just some of them would't admit it! I do agree, it will be very hard for those of us who lived in the time of the original and those since who like it to accept anyone in the role of Billy. Personally, I can't think of too many who can play Delores Taylor's role of Jean either. I mean "whoo" when she gets mad...(smile). No, she didn't come off as ballistic....didn't really even seem angry but...that was Jean.

[–] wounded82 20 years ago

I'm a youngin whose dad was a big Billy Jack fan, so I kinda grew up on it. While I thought the films were decent, I did not think they were great and believe a remake would be a perfect idea. Mr Reeves in the role would not be the end of the world, because as long as he doesn't talk a whole lot, he does okay. I, personally, could think of a few more much better actors, but would have less box office appeal. On the top of my list is Jim Caviezel. If your not familiar with him, check him out. With the proper makeup and outfit, he would be perfect. Possibly Billy Crudup, maybe. As far as someone playing Jean. There are many talented female actors who could play this perfectly. Intermedia outbid Dreamworks for the film rights, so this is going to be a big box office movie. In other words, don't expect an exact copy of the original. Just hope that the remake pays proper respect to the original material.

[–] TequilaTx68 20 years ago

The best thing about the Billy Jack movie was Tom Laughlin. The only action star I could think of with that kind of charisma is Chow Yun-Fat. Obviously he won't work without having to change the whole background of the character. There are a couple actors who might be able to pull it off...Jim Caveizel is a good choice, Guy Pearce, possibly Adam Beach, etc...but remaking this movie with Keanu Reeves would be a terrible mistake.

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] wounded82 20 years ago

Laura Linney could play the role of jane easily.

[–] wounded82 20 years ago

make that jean...

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] jth1206kp 20 years ago

Michael Chiklis from "The Shield" might make a good Billy Jack.

[–] beteljooz 20 years ago

For the box-office draw and for the look, has anyone considered Bruce Willis? We know he can play the ex-Green Beret, (Tears of the Sun) and we know he can play more sensitive roles (6th Sense, The Kid) and even the tough-yet-sensitive character (Mercury Rising). He is about the right age for an ex-Green Beret. And for the role of Jean, how about Teresa Kelly, who was in the original film (the young girl with the guitar who wrote and sang "Look, Look to the Mountain" and "Johnnie") and is Delores Taylor and Tom Laughlin's real-life daughter? Just my two cents.

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] ega52 20 years ago

I too have given this a lot of thought. As far as resemblence to Tom Laughlin---the country singer Dwight Yoakum is in my opinion a dead ringer for Laughlin if you discount his hair line (check out the video "Suspicious Minds", Yoakum in the floppy cowboy hat). Yoakum is a fantastic actor ("Slingblade", "Panic Room"). He could pull it off. However from what I've heard on the grapevine (and on the website billyjack.com, which Laughlin visits for online chats from time to time)the proposed BJ project is more of an update-passing of the hat kind of thing than a remake. In that case I could see Reeves as well as any number of other actors being involved. I myself would hate to see a remake---"Billy Jack" was lightning in a bottle, a product of the times which created him, I don't think a remake is viable, unless it too was set during Viet Nam. On the other hand, "Shaft" and "Charlie's Angels" were also very much about their time, but they both gave birth to some very fine feature films the last few years. Ultimately, according to Laughlin, any BJ project is on hold---he's in the middle of a court battle as we speak with some Holywood-type moneygrubbers over BJ's name.

[–] SheetsAB 20 years ago

How about Johnny Depp? I think he could do a good job in the part. Also, Tom Laughlin should be the producer and director.

[–] mrcleangarrett 20 years ago

He just might, he is the right age at 40, Tom I believe was in his later 30's when he made Billy Jack....and his popularity has never been higher nor his acclaim......and Marlon Brando back in 1996 after their collaboration in Don Juan de Marcos stated that Johnny was the greatest actor of his generation and possibly of all time..of course Brando being Brando I am not sure what his stance would be for Johnny playing a half-breed Indian American, but acting is acting, no matter what the nationality, I concur that he could pull it off....and yes since Tom Laughlin holds the license to the Billy Jack films now he will no doubt be the producer or exec producer or better yet get an independent company or some big indie like New line Cinema ( yes believe it or not they are still an Independent company, by far the largest in the world mind you) which would give Tom some license to work, you could have a top notch remake or continuance....some people think that remakes is a new occurance, remakes have been going on since Thomas Edison and the Lumiere' Brothers 5 minutes after they invented the format along with many others back in 1894....

[–] RD2sactown 20 years ago

How bout' Sarah Wynter from 24 to play Jean. What if Rob Cohen directed it?

[–] MikeKnispel 19 years ago

Okay, here's who I suggest regarding casting for a Billy Jack remake:

Billy Jack - Willem Defoe or Kurt Russell
Jean - Julianne Moore
Little Carol (Teresa kelly in the original) - Dakota Fanning

[–] emason44 20 years ago

Johnny Depp is a good actor but this requires someone that not only can act but is thought to be sincere. I don't think it is necessary for the actor to look like Tom Laughlin so my suggestion, I know I'm going to get killed for this because he hasn't been mentioned yet but it is Steven Seagal.

[–] ninja77 20 years ago

Nick Cage would be a horrible Billy Jack. He always plays himself. Yikes. And Keanu... he doesn't have the depth. I agree that Johnny Depp, although enormously talented, is too irreverent to play such a passionate character who is a strange mix of hippy and violent-badass-butt-kicker. I think it would be hard to find someone who could say such sweet, loving things about the kids (like BJ does in the ice cream parlor) and make it convincing, then turn around and kick the crap out of a bunch of rednecks. Hmmm. Maybe Steven Seagal could pull it off. I've never seen any of his movies so I don't know.

I think that 1971 was a rare time in history too, hard to duplicate with our current culture. Kids were rebelling by being peaceful and loving and the squares just didn't understand. Kids were rejecting the "establishment" and now they just eat it up. Look at all the kids imitating these manufactured pop stars, and the crud they see advertised on TV. I get nostalgic for that time even though I wasn't even born yet. We're all so jaded now, not just cinematically but with our ideals. Sigh.

Maybe someone who remembers 1971 can tell me it wasn't as groovy as I imagine it.

[–] swoods-1 20 years ago

i'm not impressed with any of the suggestions here. In fact, Keannu Reeves is better than everyone mentioned, in my opinion. I thought he was pretty good in The Matrix films. Johnny Depp?? Come on! The guy's a great actor, but the man is too good looking and too effimenitte, and this isn't his genre of film, anyway. Steven Seagal? Washed-up, and wouldn't be believable. Tom Berenger would have been great in the eighties, now he's too old.

Either DON'T remake the film or get someone coming up like Tom Jane from The Punisher.

[–] doug-330 20 years ago

I saw on billyjack.com that Tom was trying to get financing for "Billy Jack for President" which could be a good segue for a handing the torch type film instead of a remake. besides Tom is getting up there in years and I believe the Keanu as Billy was already quashed shortly after that rumor surfaced. So I don't see a remake in the near future since it's been over 2 years since it was originally announced and that's a long pre-production/development period for any film.

[–] briginsh 20 years ago

STEVEN SEAGAL hahahahaha - oh oops, he already played that role (On Deadly Ground) - Billy Jack anticipates a lot of recent stuff - Walker Texas Ranger is another one. Great movie. Bit weird though. What's with all that singing hahahahah

[–] jep831 19 years ago

I nominate Christian Kane to be Billy Jack. He's not (yet) well known, but he has proven he has the physicality for the role (check out his fighting moves as Young Hub in Second Hand Lions) and has demonstrated he can be the lead (in the excellent but little-seen Crooked E that came out on television nearly a year ago now). Also, he really is part Indian, and he is a good actor, a true professional and someone who deserves a breakout role. He's only 30, but there's no reason he has to be older just because Tom Laughlin was. I also think the remade movie should be brought up to date -- with Billy Jack coming back from Iraq in the present day (rather than from Viet Nam in the 1970s).