MovieChat Forums > The Giver (2014) Discussion > Jeff Bridges Question?

Jeff Bridges Question?

posted 10 years ago by gapeach1
23 replies | jump to latest

About the movie: I haven't read the book. I didn't think Katie Holmes was all that bad. Her character was supposed to be unemotional and joyless - so she was pretty good.

I really loved the movie and I haven't felt like that for quite sometime.

What I have wondered about and it's about Jeff Bridges. In the movie he spoke like he had snuff between his teeth and his gums. I would have thought it was for his character but he was talking like that on a couple of late night shows.

Has he become a cowboy sidekick like Gabby Hayes?

[–] bruce-129 10 years ago

That's a good point, that key character really had practically no depth ... not entirely due to Bridge's interpretation or acting though ... the movie failed, but as they said somewhere it had its heart in the right place.

[–] Alex_Askew 10 years ago

Do you mean like when he doesn't really say S's? Like he just kind of slurs and mumbles a bit? Because I've noticed that for a couple of years. I think I first noticed it during a talkshow interview for a movie like Tron or Crazy Heart or something. I asked on his board if anyone knew what was going on with his mouth, no one else seemed to notice it.

[–] gapeach1 10 years ago

Apparently we are not the first to notice. I just googled "What is wrong with Jeff Bridges' mouth?" I got many hits.

This is one:

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130625220357AAyh136

[–] Alex_Askew 10 years ago

Hmm..yet more speculation and no real answer. I think the stroke theory sounds good. I thought maybe he had ruined his tongue or something with some sort of drug (chewing tobacco or something?). Dunno.

[–] ckanelevy 10 years ago

He's been speaking like that for years.

[–] gapeach1 10 years ago

Well I just noticed it recently. Wonder if it is a medical problem?

[–] denise1234 9 years ago

His breathing when speaking sounded labored, to me...

~~ Truth exists; only lies are invented. ~~ G. Braque

[–] melinda2001 7 years ago

He's getting old and everything goes eventually.

[–] Kingsbridger 10 years ago

You people are such jerks. It's an acting decision on his part. Is he like he was in "Last Picture Show"? No. He's 64. Probably a lot more active than most of us. Maybe I'm over reacting as I'm essentially his age. But there is nothing wrong with the guy. You play in a band, play guitar, do all sorts of movies after a stroke. You can't. Just the aging process.

What was I talking about? Where am I?

[–] gapeach1 10 years ago

"What was I talking about? Where am I?"

I'm wondering that also. You seem very upset that we were wondering about his voice. It's different than when he was in The Last Picture Show. There was no criticism or negativity.

I'm a fan and just wondered if he had been sick. We all are fans - so I don't understand why you had to be so negative and call us jerks.

[–] Sublime23 9 years ago

I came on the board just to search for this. Since Tron came out, I've noticed he has a slurres speach. Very prominent in the Cohen Brothers western movie. It kind of sounds cool and was wondering if its because of his aging or something was up.

[–] choda_boy_1 8 years ago

An "acting decision" for EVERY film he has made for several years? NO. There is some other reason.

Signatures are stupid...🙍

[–] DJFrodo 9 years ago

Leave "the dude" alone! Haha. But really, does every actor sound the same in EVERY movie?! No.

-=1000 travel books are not equal to 1 real trip=-

[–] gapeach1 9 years ago

No, actors don't sound alike in their movies but "the dude's" voice in this movie just seemed wrong. I don't think any of us meant it as a criticism - but just were concerned that it didn't seem right.

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[–] mel-holden 9 years ago

I also found his speech distracting.

When a character or actor or plot distracts me from what I'm probably supposed to be focused on when watching a movie, I don't tend to think that's a good thing.

Such an incredible amount of thought, effort and editing happen, there's no reason to have something in a movie without there being a good reason for it to be in there.

His mumbling, like I said, distracted me a few times.

I haven't noticed it in his other roles.

[–] AmosNomore 9 years ago

I believe he is channeling his mentor, John Huston.

[–] JonahVarque 9 years ago

I was very very pleased that for probably the first time in the last 35 Jeff Bridges movies, he wore his hair in a different way.

As for the choice to speak like he's just had a Novocaine injection, I think that's just something he does these days. I don't think his jaw is actually paralyzed, I think he just likes the effect. True, it takes away from the depth he can give a character or the character's words.

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