Rocket Surgery

Frequently when I read a book that has not been made into a movie, I mentally pick actors and actresses for the characters. I have recently been reading Atlas Shrugged (again) and here are my casting choices:

Dagny Taggart - Hilary Swank
To be honest, this was not the first person that came to mind. Mary-Louise Parker actually came to mind first, but she’s getting too long in the tooth for the role. But Hilary Swank is the right age, has the right look, is tough, and can really, really act. And most importantly, she could carry the movie. I understand that Angelina Jolie has been cast in the real project that is underway, but she just doesn’t seem right to me. She seems overly sexual, so much so I don’t think she could pull off the effective executive part right. Nobody was supposed to notice her beauty except the brilliant men in her life, etc., and for people not to see Angelina Jolie in a non-sexual manner just seems preposterous.


John Galt - Carey Elwes
He’s borderline getting too old - but I think he’s remarkable. He looks right, has the presence needed, and has a great voice. He’d be just the guy to give the radio address.


Hank Reardon - George Clooney
He looks like I imagine Hank Reardon looking. He’s older than Dagny, and looks worn by his life and all the work. He looks like he could have spent time around metal mills.


Francisco D’Anconia - Orlando Bloom
Ok, I know he’s not really Hispanic. But he could be made to look the part without a lot of difficulty, and he’s sufficiently good looking, active, and could play the part of a lovesick man pretending to be a playboy. He also looks like he could have been Hilary Swank’s first love. He’s a tad bit too young but that could be fixed with the makeup and stuff.


James Taggart - Edward Norton crossed with Anthony Edwards

If you could make Edward Norton look like Anthony Edwards, it would be perfect. Edward Norton (one of my very favorite actors) can do a snivel like nobody’s business and he makes a terrific villain who seems like a pushover at first.


Lillian Reardon - Catherine Zeta Jones
Beautiful, dangerous. She would be easily capable of doing the icy, deadly sarcastic Lillian. I can see her at the anniversary party, sweetly insulting Hank, and then in a staredown match with Hilary Swank as Dagny over the bracelet.


Ellis Wyatt - Barry Peppper
I thought he was terrific in Saving Private Ryan, 25th Hour, and The Green Mile. Fine actor, would be believable as an oil guy from Colorado, and can really do the whole tortured-with-some-internal-struggle thing.


Cheryl Brooks Taggart - Scarlett Johansson
This one was difficult. There are not many very young actresses with serious drama credentials; most of the young lady actresses these days do stupid comedies on the Disney Channel or spend as much energy on their “singing careers.” Scarlett Johansson, though, can really do the pitiful, tragic Cheryl. My main concern with this casting choice is making her look poor. In the book she is supposed to be too thin when we meet her. I suppose they can pull this off.


Eddie Willers - John C. Reilly
If you saw him do “Mr. Cellophane” in Chicago, you know he would be perfect as the guy who was always in the shadow of someone else, always longing for the unattainable woman and knowing he could never have her. He also would be great in the scene near the end when the Taggart Comet stops.


Wesley Mouch - Ronny Cox
He makes a great bad guy in the executive office. You saw him in Robocop and in Total Recall, so you know what I mean.


Hugh Akston - Morgan Freeman
He’s the wise, older man of Hollywood today. This to me was a no-brainer casting choice.


Dr. Robert Stadler - Bob Gunton
You probably remember him as the double-crossing, manipulative warden in The Green Mile. He also played a corrupt General in Glory. Of course, Dr. Stadler is not the double-crosser or manipulator in Atlas Shrugged, but he seemed to me to be the guy.

Dr. Floyd Ferris - Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington would be underutilized in this role, but he usually is. He does a superb job playing the ruthless, dangerous, ambitious villain who seems all safe and polite on the outside.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 9th, 2008 at 7:52 am and is filed under Books, Movies.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.