I've seen a number of comments relating to the movie that completely trash Andie MacDowell's performance. While I certainly don't think she'd ever be considered for an Oscar for this role, I thought she did a decent job. Am I missing something here?
sharefairpenguinwrote:
Presumably only to try to pickup Charles as she didn't know the deceased or his partner very well.Carrie was married to Hamish at that point, and we do not have any reason to believe that she was ever unfaithful to Hamish after she married him. She made no attempt to pickup Charles. Gareth had died at her wedding.I believe this movie is frequently misunderstood because people expect a different sort of movie, a conventional Romantic Comedy.Please see : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109831/board/view/236602761?d=236602761#2 36602761I would be very interested to hear what specifically in my understanding of the movie you don't agree with. share
[deleted]
fairpenguin wrote:
She was unfaithful to the 60+ year old before their marriage.Carrie exaggerated the age difference. I believe that Hamish is 15 to 20 years older she is. I think that Carrie is about 35, and her biological clock is telling her to settle down now.
It doesn't matter whether they were married at the time. It was still cheating.That is a matter of your personal morality, and there is no point to arguing about it. I cut Carrie a lot of slack in that matter — it was clear that the writer and the director do from what they said in the commentary — because Charles is the one that she really wants.
but what were they all doing at her wedding?I think that you're asking for explanations for things that were really decreed by the Plot Gods. If you want an explanation, Tom and Fiona are very wealthy, wealthier than Hamish, and their presence may well lend prestige to his wedding. They may also have business dealings. I expect that if you want them to come, you have to invite all of them.
The Carrie character just seems a contrivance to me.What would you do if you met a man at a wedding and thought that he might be the one for you? The problem is that you no longer live near him, you are flying 3000 miles away the next day, and you know that the man has a severe fear of commitment. Don't you need to know right away if there is any point to putting off your fight — if that is possible; it may not be — or to flying right back? Carrie takes the direct approach, and Charles — not unexpectedly given what he said in his best man's speech — shows no interest in exploring a relationship. Carrie gives up and leaves saying, "I think we both missed a great opportunity here."When she runs into Charles three months later, she tries again to interesting him. It would've been harder for Charles to say something then because she is engaged, but he has had three months to think about the "great opportunity" that he did not take.
I liked her well enough in Groundhog Day and Sex, Lies and Videotape.I agree. Andie McDowell gave the Carrie that Mike Newell and Richard Curtis wanted. share
When she runs into Charles three months later, she tries again to interesting him. It would've been harder for Charles to say something then because she is engaged, but he has had three months to think about the "great opportunity" that he did not take.
TrentinaNE wrote:
And he does chase her down and say "I think I love you" at that pointI am talking about the second time that Carrie initiates sex with Charles and that was the second wedding.What you are referring to happened happened one month later, after Charles received the invitation to Carrie's wedding.Actually, Charles has to quote someone to say, "I think that I love you".
Charles: In short, to recap in a slightly clearer version, in the words of David Cassidy, while still with the Partridge Family, I think I love you. And... I just wondered whether by any chance you wouldn't like to... No. No, of course not.That has to be the most wishy-washy declaration of love in all Romantic Comedy.
a huge admission for CharlesYes, but not for the reasons that you gave. Do you remember what Charles said it is best man's speech.
Charles: I am, as ever, in bewildered awe of anyone who makes this kind of commitment that Angus and Laura have made today. I know I couldn't do it and I think it's wonderful they can.Carrie does. This entire thing takes place in the context of Carrie trying to attract a commitment phobic man. Go back and look at what Henrietta says about Charles and commitment at the second wedding.http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/f/four-weddings-and-a-funeral-script.html
Yet she walks away from Charles and marries Hamish "because I love him."It was way too little and way too late. Carrie is already picking out a wedding dresse. If Charles had said, "I love you, marry me," maybe, but he does not even come close to that.________________________________________________________________
http://dilbert.com/strip/2015-06-07share
I am talking about the second time that Carrie initiates sex with Charles and that was the second wedding.
That has to be the most wishy-washy declaration of love in all Romantic Comedy.
For me her role was weakly written. We saw so little of her that she was more of an image Charles fell for. Her accents seem to be weird too. For all that, I blame the writers and the director.
Who knows, but maybe it's easy to blame a woman.
ArthurDental wrote:
We saw so little of her that she was more of an image Charles fell for.When you say that Charles "fell" for Carrie, I have to wonder what you mean.Do you mean that he fell for her unconsciously. That is probably true, but the first sign that Charles gives of any interest in Carrie is when he quotes someone to say that he loves her. Carrie then prompts him, but he is unable to say the words, "I love you," for himself.The morning after the first wedding, he does not ask Carrie if he can see her again, or when she will be back in London again. When Carrie makes it clear that she is looking for a relationship with him, he does not say anything.Do you recognize that never in the movie does Charles try to contact Carrie. Never in the movie does he ask her for contact information.Charles tells us about his fear of commitment in his best man's speech. Henrietta reinforces this after the second wedding. If you are afraid of commitment, the last thing that you want to do is get involved with a person that you would find it hard to just dump.Whatever is going on in Charles's head, he does not give Carrie any indication that he wants to explore a relationship with her until after she is picking out a wedding dress.
For me her role was weakly written.It is a Romantic Comedy, not a character study, and a Romantic Comedy with the normal sexual roles reversed. Still, I feel that I know her, and I like her, and I trust her.
Her accents seem to be weird too.Andie is an American actress playing an American woman. As an American, I have no idea what you are talking about.
For all that, I blame the writers and the director.Richard Curtis and Mike Newell certainly got the Carrie that they wanted, and I think that she is wonderful. share
I adore everything about this film except the casting of Andie McDowell as Carrie. It wasn't a good fit. And, sorry, ppllkk, despite your multiple profuse posts to the contrary, she wasn't the writer and director's "perfect" Carrie given that she was their fifth choice to play the part. And no, I didn't "misunderstand" the character; I just didn't like McDowell's performance.
sharekerryalex wrote:
And, sorry, ppllkk, despite your multiple profuse posts to the contrary, she wasn't the writer and director's "perfect" CarrieI have never said that. I said that Andie McDowell gave them the Carrie that they wanted, and I have no reason to believe that they were dissatisfied with it. If you think that Andie McDowell could not have given them a different Carrie if they had wanted it, I would guess that you have not seen any other of her movies. She is quite a fine actress.
given that she was their fifth choice to play the part.Where do you get that. I know second choice.
I just didn't like McDowell's performance.Are you sure that it isn't that you just don't like the Carrie that Richard Curtis and Mike Newell wanted? She is not a conventional romantic comedy heroine at all, but she fits completely with the rest of the film.
And no, I didn't "misunderstand" the character;I wish that you would say something to me to demonstrate that you do since so many people don't.For example, do you understand that Richard Curtis is systematically playing with the conventions of Romantic Comedy in this film? Do you understand that he has reversed the traditional Romantic Comedy male and female roles in the film? share
Brooke Shields, Marisa Tomei, and Melanie Griffith all turned down the role of Carrie. Jeanne Tripplehorn was cast, but then dropped out before Andie was finally cast. So, yea, Andie was not exactly the first choice of the role.
I'm sure that ppllkk will respond to this with a rebuttal- that poster seems very devoted to this topic! LOL.
Marisa would have been a good and interesting choice. Don't know about Jeanne, but she did have decent chemistry with Grant in Mickey Blue Eyes. Don't think Brooke or Melanie would have been good.
shareThe reason Andie McDowell feels out of place in the movie and detached is because she was thrown in last minute. The original casting choice was Marisa Tomei and then Jeanne Tripplehorn. But they had to drop out. So they phoned in McDowell because she was a filler actress who had just done Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. She also asked for a lot of money but was able to instead demand profits from the film.
In addition, her lines were dubbed. Listen carefully and you can tell that's not her voice. For what ever reason, the director was not happy with how her thick southern accent got in the way with the other British cast. So they had another woman who spoke proper dub the lines- this is why she comes across awkward in a lot of her scenes. She's just not present like the other characters. But it makes sense- she was never supposed to be in the movie.
JaysonT wrote:
For what ever reason, the director was not happy with how her thick southern accent got in the way with the other British cast.Do you mean the thick southern accent that she had in Groundhog Day?
In addition, her lines were dubbed.I believe that you are confusing Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes with Four Weddings and a Funeral. I realize that is very easy to do.Do you have any sources for any of the stuff that you wrote? share
Sorry you're correct- she was dubbed for the Tarzan movie- with Glenn Close doing her lines, right?
For some reason I thought she was dubbed here. Does her accent still come off a bit weird, or is that just me?
JaysonT wrote:
she was dubbed for the Tarzan movie- with Glenn Close doing her lines, right?Yes. It is not a secret.
Does her accent still come off a bit weird, or is that just me?No, not at all. She is soft-spoken. She is not Fiona or Henrietta, and quite deliberately so. share
Who said it was a secret? I was confirming.
And her accent obviously does come off weird, or she wouldn't have ALL these threads with people complaining about it.
JaysonT wrote:
And her accent obviously does come off weird, or she wouldn't have ALL these threads with people complaining about it.Do you mean her "thick southern accent." I do not remember all those threads complaining about her accent. share
Not her accent per se, but her cadences often sound unnatural. For example, the way she says "Oh, I think we both know that's a big lie" sounds like no sentence said by a real person, ever.
shareTrentinaNE wrote:
For example, the way she says "Oh, I think we both know that's a big lie" sounds like no sentence said by a real person, ever.Carrie is not as self-confident as most women who look the way that she does are, and she is not normally aggressive. It is an extremely awkward moment.Carrie is propositioning Charles and Charles is declining. She knows that he is declining because his fear of commitment leads him to see a very attractive woman who is interested in him as a trap.The exchange is:
Charles: No! No, no. Don't go. We can meet now. The evening's just getting going. Carrie: We both know that's a big lie.It is a big lie.Carrie is pissed and exasperated — as she is for the same reason the next morning. Maybe that is what you are picking up on.I don't agree with you about her speech cadences. I think that it is her personality which is not what many people expect in a romantic comedy heroine. share
[deleted]
She did a great job. Ignore the haters that hate everything. They're aholes, plain and simple. She was beautiful and talented in this.
shareAndie MacDowell did indeed ruin this fine film for me. A totally vacuous performance. Thank goodness for the fast forward button.
Hey, Petey's Julienning her skinny little chicken arms.
Totally agree. Loved Andie MacDowell in this film.
shareI'm not a fan of hers in general. But she's fine for what this character is, and I still enjoy the film. What really helps the movie is that the supporting actors and characters- Scarlett, Fi, Charles, Gareth, David, Tom, Matthew, etc. Some of their lines are what I remember most about the film.
sharelilamendezes12 wrote:
But she's fine for what this character is,I think that is the critical, and frequently not understood, point. The people who don't like her simply want a different sort of Romantic Comedy heroine because that is what they are used to.But I believe that Andie McDowell's Carrie is what Richard Curtis and Mike Newell wanted. The whole story plays against the usual stereotypes of Romantic Comedies and she is certainly not the typical Romantic Comedy heroine.I gather I like the character more than you do. I think she is wonderful and a very suitable mate for Charles. share