MovieChat Forums > A Dance to the Music of Time (1997) Discussion > Why Standing for Purefoy in Movie 4?

Why Standing for Purefoy in Movie 4?

posted 15 years ago by crittercat
12 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone know why John Standing replaced James Purefoy as Nicholas Jenkins in the final film? Nearly all the cast carried through from earliest years to the conclusion. I could justify it -- the story is told through Nicholas's eyes and perception and for him, he and his wife are growing old...he had to remain "real" while the others could become caricatures of their previous selves...etc. -- but that would be mere justification. And it was a bit off-puting. I like Standing. He did a fine job but I was used to Purefoy.

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[–] crittercat 15 years ago

No response?

Come blog with me: http://blufftoninthedriftless.blogspot.com/

[–] aaltoilu 15 years ago

I do not know the answer, but I came here wondering about the same thing. I don't think changing the actor playing the main character works at all, ever. Suddenly you're left with nothing to identify with. Replacing Purefoy was a horrible mistake IMO.

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[–] nostinkin 14 years ago

Good question....but how do you even know it's John Standing? The. Cast list, though lengthy, omits numerous important characters- not only the older Jenkins, but Polly, Cuts, et.al.

[–] Harold_Robbins 13 years ago

I've read much negative reaction to this, and have to admit I'm enjoying Purefoy and the others so much that I'm almost not looking forward to Part 4.

10/28: Actually, the changes in actors is less jarring than I expected - what's actually more jarring are the contrasts in obvious age-makeup (such as for Quiggin) and the fact that Miranda Richardson's character hasn't aged ten minutes in the years since World War Two.

"In my case, self-absorption is completely justified."

[–] Backlot_Manager 12 years ago

This otherwise excellent production was like a football game that started to fall apart after the 4th quarter started, and just kept crumbling. The inexplicable way that certain characters were recast, while others were not, the horrible make-up efforts to make some of actors look older or fatter, and so forth. I rate the first three films 9/10, but the final film only a mediocre 6/10.

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Oceania is at war with Eastasia. Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia.

[–] Squeeth2 12 years ago

Apparently, people who have read all the books tend to say they fall off a bit too.

Marlon, Claudia and Dimby the cats 1989-2005, 2007 and 2010.

[–] zaza_22041 12 years ago

I felt robbed watching the last part of this without Purefoy. Standing was fine but he wasn't the Nick Jenkins I had been watching and this took a lot away for me. After reading this post I knew it would be a different actor but thought I needed to watch the entire mini series. Such a disappointment. Plus I was hoping that Winderpool would die a horrible death because he was such a horrible little man. Alas, he just died.

Other than the above, I enjoyed this series.

[–] randommovies2002 10 years ago

I couldn't buy into John Standing as Nick Jenkins. I kept thinking of him as Richard Dalloway. I tried really hard to find Nick in his portrayal, but could not. I, too, felt cheated.

I also missed Geraldine Somerville (Jean) and Emma Fielding (Nick's wife). Their replacements were also v. good actors, but I couldn't feel the connection.

[–] randommovies2002 10 years ago

Was Widmerpool the only character who was played by the same actor throughout? Well, of the main "school boys" he is, but some of the men who were already "older" at the beginning were also played by the same actor throughout, such as LaBarr, and the white haired gentleman who asked Miranda Richardson after the funeral if she was feeling better.