Redford is 30 years too old to play Bill Bryson. It wouldn't work. It needs to be someone in their 40's. He would be an awesome choice to direct, though. Alec Baldwin would be good as Bryson. I thought that this might be a good opportunity for a reunion of Thomas Hayden-Church (Bryson) and Paul Giamatti (Katz). It just needs to be someone much younger than Redford. If you read the book (which I recommend, it's really great) you'll understand why.
shareI agree Thomas Hayden-Church and Paul Giamatti could have been a terrific "Sideways" reunion. Very much the sort of chemistry required. As a huge Bryson fan I'm disappointed to see Redford cast as Bryson, but we'll see if he and Nick Nolte can bring it despite being way too old.
shareWhat about Nick Offerman... who is in the movie as someone else.
shareBeing a big fan of the book i also reacted as you did when i saw Redford cast. I thought, "Yet another one of my favorite things ruined by Hollywood." But, the fool that i am will still watch it upon release. I'll never learn.
shareHaha : did you ever see a picture of Bryson ? He is about the physical opposite of the still mean & lean Redford (even at his age!).
shareTrue, the book was written when Bryson was in his 40s.
I always pictured John Goodman as Katz and maybe Robin Williams as Bryson.
For someone younger and more in line with the age of the book, maybe Nick offerman as Bryson and Zach Galifinakas as Katz.
Thomas Haden-Church and Paul Giamatti would definitely work too, but I think they'd have to be switched around. Giamatti fits the more book-ish, introspective Bryson character better, whereas I see Church as the sluggish, partying, drug-taking Katz almost perfectly.
~ That's much too vulgar a display of power, Karras.
Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden-Church would have been an inspired choice!!
Redford is too old, plus he injects his own partisan politics in his roles now.
Seeing as the book is pretty staunchly environmentalist, and that Bryson frequently goes off on tangents about how we've succeeded in ruining our environment for profit, I don't think that Redford can inject more politics.
shareI sure his will get his environmental points in but I still like it that they can hit a lick at that age. Redford is 80 I think. BTW, I think Redford is at the point that he does stuff to keep active and does not really care if it makes money. I see most of his movies as personal projects. I am glad that he and Nick Nolte have connected since Nolte was in a terrible slump for quite awhile and it looks like he was finished. I will check it out. It would be neat to see him and Clint Eastwood do something like this but I think Eastwood is pretty much retired from acting.
shareHow does being an environmentalist make you automatically political? There are conservatives who care about the environment too...granted its usually because they can profit from the "green routines" and that's all they care about. Environmentalism is a social issue though and always has been. The book just tells it like it is on the trail. When uncaring people walk the trail, they leave their trash behind and it's disgusting. If Bryson has to go off on a tangent to get his point across about how sad littering is, so much the better. And since when has Redford ever been political on a national stage? He doesn't use his movies to spread political propaganda like certain others (Kirk Cameron for instance) do.
shareAgree, the casting blows. Redford is about as funny as nut cancer.
Paul Giamatti could do either role really, I also like the suggestion of Jeff Bridges as Katz.
I disagree. Robert Redford did a good job, given his age. he is not supposed to be the funny bone in the film.
Luna
But he wrote with a very funny "voice" in the book. The book made me laugh out loud many times, where the movie just had me chuckle a few, and usually not by Redford. If you've ever read a Bryson book, you'll see that he is a very very funny man, indeed.
They're, their, there. They're different. Trust me on this.
I agree. Redford and Nolte just looked so worn and haggard. I'm sure there are older hikers, but it was just so hard to believe those guys could hike as far as they did.
shareSome of us didn't read the book and therefore loved the movie.
shareelrigby65 wrote:
"Some of us didn't read the book and therefore loved the movie."
Correct (myself a case in point here), my Beatles-song loving poster.
I enjoyed Robert Redford's (totally unrecognizable!) "Katz" performance (meow!:))
as that wheezy grizzled prospector like buddy of Nolte's "Bryson" even though Redford seemed to copy Walter Brennan's distinctive voice and delivery!
And the "fallen off the cliff and staying overnight on the cliff below" scene...MEMORABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amanda Bynes is hot and Lindsay Lohan is not.
Profile pic: Courtney Thorne-Smith.
OP's post is from 2008 ?! Why'd it take them so long to make this film ?!
sharePlease do not take offense to my remarks about Mr. Redford's environmental points. I respect his opinion and call myself a conservationist which I define as an environmentalist with common sense. We are here to be good stewards of the earth and we can do that and still provide a good environment to live in. No one with commons sense wants to litter or trash the landscape. If you want to see a place where no one cares how much of a mess they make of the landscape, they just have to go to most of the other countries in the world outside of Europe. I have been there and a lot of them need a good clean up. We can keep things clean and still live here with our standard of living.
shareRobert Redford, even if he gets social security or a pension which I doubt considering the millions he made, hit retirement age in 2001. He's only 33 when he did Butch & Sundance with Paul Newman.
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