MovieChat Forums > Harrison Bergeron (1995) Discussion > Sean Astin = Please Kill Me Now

Sean Astin = Please Kill Me Now

posted 17 years ago by rembrandt40
11 replies | jump to latest

The story and plot were pretty good. I loved the original short story... have read it over and over again. But my only question for this movie... Why Sean Astin? He is HORRIBLE in this movie. Completely wooden, unemotional, everything he says just sounds wrong and completely void of emotion. "But... ... why... ... keep... ... me?... ... What... ... about... ... my... ... family?" How this has been getting good reviews.. 7.4 stars I think, is beyond me.
Someone, please tell me what I'm missing. I don't even mind the screenplay for it, but Sean Astin is just absolutely the worst choice for the role.
Overall, very disappointed. Had it been possibly ANYONE BUT Sean Astin, this could have been a good movie. But lets face it, he destroyed it.

[–] coolcoz 17 years ago

I thought Harrison was at least supposed to be attractive. I mean Sean Astin is ok looking but not a bombshell.

[–] p_sicher 17 years ago

I dont care that he is not good looking, he is supposed to be 7 foot tall and god knows how heavy, not a hobbit :)

I like the movie, and i like the short story, but they are two very very different animals.

[–] LinkinSixEcho 17 years ago

This was a plot and thought driven movie, not a star vehicle for any particular actor (obviously). Sean was OK, actually, made me believe in his character and therefore be immersed in the story. I suppose you would have rather seen Keanu Reeves (ha)?

The movie was NOT "destroyed" because of his supposed wooden acting. Pay more attention to the message of the movie and less of how lines are delivered and you'll get more out of it.

[–] Master_X_3_1_1 16 years ago

Agreed. Harrison was supposed to be some kind of super-man, but in this he was closer to an untermench. They needed a dynamic actor. something like Patrick McGoohan in "The Prisoner", or Kennith Branagh in "Hamlet". (Although obviously someone young who fits the role).

"No man is just a number"

[–] Ninjapumpkin 16 years ago

Especially since Harrison = 7 ft tall
Sean Astin = hobbit.

"You like Tuuuuuubah girl!?"

[–] tam358 16 years ago

I thought he was okay in the first half when we (the viewers) were discovering what was going on and things were still kind of bizarre. But as the story progressed and Harrison started finding out shocking stuff, he just didn't seem at all affected. There were numerous moments where I would look at his face and just didn't see the sort of reaction the scene demanded.

I kind of wonder if the director isn't at fault. I'm not familiar with Astin's work beyond Rudy (yes, I never saw any of LotR...) so I don't know anything about his acting talents, but as viewers we often blame an actor for what could be the director's choices, since we see the actor onscreen. It seems to me that as the director, if I saw Astin responding (or not responding as was generally the case here) and it didn't work at all, I'd stop, give direction and reshoot the scene. Clearly the director didn't, so maybe it was actually the direction being given.

[–] I_eat_food 16 years ago

Because he's a sci-fi pimp!

[–] paulh-17 16 years ago

I haven't seen the film yet, but I gotta agree with the OP.

I remember reading this story in school, and Sean Astin is about as far away as it gets from how I pictured Harrison Bergeron.

[–] grapplernz 15 years ago

Knowing Sean Astin's political view points he probably just didn't get the storyline.

Sean is a Unionist loving liberal and probably believe's that men should be created equal.

[–] artsavant 9 years ago

Yep, you're so right. A real union-buster like Ronnie Reagan would have been so much better in this part. Oh, wait, he was head of the actors union before he busted the air traffic controllers. Guess generalizing isn't such a great way to cast movies after all.

[–] Enrique-8 12 years ago

No. Sean Astin made it real. A Shakespearean actor would have ruined it.

Enrique Sanchez