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Author
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Topic: Who Should Play Neil Armstrong?
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ejectr
Member Posts: 1488
From: Brimfield, MA
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 11-18-2006 03:19 PM
   
Harrison Ford....he's even a pilot. |
Duke Of URL
Member Posts: 1301
From: Syracuse, NY, USA
Registered: Jan 2005
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posted 11-18-2006 05:19 PM
How about Denzel Washington? |
Moonpaws
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posted 11-18-2006 07:24 PM
I think Ellen should be Mrs. Gorski. Woody
Allen as Mr. Gorski. [Edited by Moonpaws (November 18, 2006).] |
Naraht
Member Posts: 232
From: Oxford, UK
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 11-19-2006 02:26 AM
I have to say that out of the multitude of themes from the American space program that could inspire movies, "the life of Neil Armstrong" has to be one of the most uninspiring. This is not to say that Armstrong himself is not inspiring, just that the idea seems to me to lack dramatic potential. I have no idea how one would turn "First Man" into a movie.As for casting... well, yes, Ed Harris would be the obvious choice for Gene Kranz. Glynn Lunney, however, is much harder to cast. The guy who played him in Apollo 13 did an extremely good job, it was just that he didn't look anything like him. So I have no suggestions on that front. Aaron Douglas (Tyrol in Battlestar Galactica) might be a good choice to play Jack Garman, although he's over ten years too old. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 1567
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 11-19-2006 03:33 AM
I'd still pick Matt Damon to play Neil. |
Wehaveliftoff
Member Posts: 728
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 11-19-2006 03:41 PM
I've met Christian Slater AND Matt Damon more than once, their personalities are extremely different than Neil. They Always converse at length with Everyone they meet or run into. They both far too nice too play him. Leonardo Dicaprio is the closest to behaving with the general public; though I seriously doubt he would play Neil after portraying Howard Hughes, he's been there and done that.
Ed Norton perhaps. Both would ask for too much money to play him, but may reconsider to
work with Mr. Eastwood.[Edited by Wehaveliftoff (November 20, 2006).] |
bruce
Member Posts: 830
From: Fort Mill, SC, USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 11-19-2006 07:53 PM
When I think of Ed Norton, I picture Art Carney's character Ed Norton from The Honeymooners! "One of these days Alice, POW!, right to the moon!"Bruce |
Michael Cassutt
Member Posts: 263
From: Studio City CA USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 11-19-2006 10:29 PM
Gotta go with Matt Damon on this. He's the closest in age to Armstrong as he's likely to portrayed in the film, has at least a vague resemblance to him, and is a bankable star. Two points for Colin B and others.As for his price, not an issue. WB/Malpaso will pay whatever the quote is. Not that this seems to be imminent... I haven't heard of a script being finished. Michael Cassutt, the space guy in Hollywood |
leslie
Member Posts: 208
From: Surrey, England
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 11-20-2006 07:51 AM
Howard Hughes!------------------
Leslie |
Jim
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posted 11-20-2006 01:00 PM
How about William Peterson (Gil Grissom from CSI) to play Neil Armstrong?Jim |
Michael Cassutt
Member Posts: 263
From: Studio City CA USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 11-20-2006 01:15 PM
Jim asked:"How about William Peterson (Gil Grissom from CSI) to play Neil Armstrong?" He's 50. Is he going to play Armstrong as a college professor in Cincinatti?  Michael Cassutt |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3093
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 11-20-2006 01:57 PM
I think Tobey Maguire has a certain open, innocent quality in the roles I have seen him play that would make him an interesting choice - I could see him being both a test pilot and an engineer, with the quiet understatement needed for the role.
http://www.glist.com/models/images/maguire2.jpg Plus, in the Spiderman movies his father-figure Uncle was played by Cliff Robertson - who once played Buzz Aldrin in a movie... But as Mike can probably explain better than anyone else here, rights are bought for books all the time and nothing more happens. I doubt we'll see a movie of this book, though I may be wrong. [Edited by FFrench (November 20, 2006).] |
General Lee
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posted 11-20-2006 03:07 PM
Hmmmm, Here are my three choices to whom should play Mr. Armstrong.
1.Ryan Phillippe
2. Will Smith
3. Ben Affleck |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 2024
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 11-20-2006 06:24 PM
Someone else mentioned this a few days ago: VIGGO MORTENSEN from "The Lord of the Rings" looks (in my opinion) uncannily like Armstrong in contemporary films. Look at him in "A History of Violence." No contest as far as I'm concerned. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3093
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 11-20-2006 06:59 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Blackarrow:
Look at him in "A History of Violence." No contest as far as I'm concerned.
http://media.movies.ign.com/media/041/041274/img_2627184.html |
KC Stoever
Member Posts: 1009
From: Denver, CO USA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 11-20-2006 07:07 PM
Matt Damon is a natural choice--age and appearance. Alas, he's too much of a natural star. The callow beauty, the smile? But if you saw him in THE DEPARTED, you know he can play nearly anyone, given the constraints of his appearance. So Maybe Matt.I like Ed Norton for his ability as a character actor. But he has that unfortunate sneer. I like Viggo best [on edit: yes, he was brilliant in HoV] but wonder if, even for his interior, controlled swagger, he might not look too exotic (and too old) for the NA part. My guess? A brilliant casting agent will find someone perfect and unknown. Age? About 32, who can play young and mature both. [Edited by KC Stoever (November 20, 2006).] |
Moonpaws
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posted 11-20-2006 08:16 PM
I think that Leonardo Decaprio would be perfect for the role. When I see him I don't associate him with other roles he has played. Although I agree Damon would be a good "Hollywood" pick, I would be reminded
of all his other roles while watching him.(especially Stuck on You - I believe this is the correct title to the movie where he and another guy were siamese twins. |
Astro Bill
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posted 11-21-2006 10:10 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Naraht:
I have to say that out of the multitude of themes from the American space program that could inspire movies, "the life of Neil Armstrong" has to be one of the most uninspiring. This is not to say that Armstrong himself is not inspiring, just that the idea seems to me to lack dramatic potential. I have no idea how one would turn "First Man" into a movie.
I disagree with your opinion that a movie about Neil Armstrong, based on James Hanson's book First Man would be "uninspiring." and "lack dramatic potential." Considering Armstrong's experiences as an X-15 pilot, his nearly fatal accident while testing the LM on Earth, his experiences aboard Gemini 8 with astronaut David Scott, his landing on the Moon with Buzz Aldrin, his first steps on the lunar surface and the return of the Apollo XI crew to Earth, in addition to Neil's family and personal life - how much drama do you want? Perhaps your standards for drama a set a little too high. This will not be another "Terminator" movie, it will be a real-life account of the man (or team) that won the race to the Moon. Modern special effects experts will add quite a lot of drama to the movie. This movie (the story of Apollo XI) has taken nearly 40 years to reach the screen. I am sure that it will be a great success when Director Clint Eastwoon begins production (if he has the vision to do so). It will require three actors to play the role of Neil Armstrong from boyhood, to astronaut, to "reclusive space ikon." The actors do not need to have the same "laid back, soft-spoken, reclusive" temperament in real life as Armstrong. That is what acting is all about. There are many actors who could play the role of Neil Armstrong with conviction. The actor must resemble Armstrong in some manner and the age of the lead actor should be close to that of Armstrong when he landed on the Moon in 1969 (39). I disagree that an unknown actor should play the leading role. An established well-known actor would have a large fan base that would line up to see the movie. I agree with DavidH that Christian Slater would be perfect for the role. This movie could be a great success and could be an epic space movie. It will require more than 2 hours to tell Armstrong's story. This story will have to be seen on the big-screen to be appreciated. [Edited by Astro Bill (November 21, 2006).] |
AstronautBrian
Member Posts: 235
From: Madisonville, Louisiana, U.S.A.
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 11-21-2006 12:08 PM
Bill, I believe you are right in everything you said above. The story of my life is uninsperational. Neil Armstrong's life, IMHO, is very insperational.They have made a movie about every other kind of person under the sun - actors, politicians, authors, sports figures - you name it. I cannot, however, think of ANY movie based on the life of an astronaut. Apollo 13, FTETTM, etc. all focus on the missions, not a particular person. If there is such a movie out there, please point it out to me. If they are going to make a movie about an astronaut, I'd say Neil's story is up there with the best that can be told. ------------------
"I am sui generis; just leave it at that." - Huey P. Long |
spaced out
Member Posts: 2597
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 11-21-2006 02:13 PM
Looking at some candid pictures from the time of Apollo 11 the actor that sprang to mind was actually... Timothy Stack from "Son of the Beach"!  I couldn't find a really good picture to show what I mean but if you know the show think about it... you know it's true. Pic1
Pic2 |
FutureAstronaut
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posted 11-21-2006 02:36 PM
DAN CRAIG ------------------
Mike |
Naraht
Member Posts: 232
From: Oxford, UK
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 11-21-2006 03:20 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Astro Bill:
I disagree with your opinion that a movie about Neil Armstrong, based on James Hanson's book First Man would be "uninspiring." and "lack dramatic potential." Considering Armstrong's experiences as an X-15 pilot, his nearly fatal accident while testing the LM on Earth, his experiences aboard Gemini 8 with astronaut David Scott, his landing on the Moon with Buzz Aldrin, his first steps on the lunar surface and the return of the Apollo XI crew to Earth, in addition to Neil's family and personal life - how much drama do you want? Perhaps your standards for drama a set a little too high. This will not be another "Terminator" movie, it will be a real-life account of the man (or team) that won the race to the Moon. Modern special effects experts will add quite a lot of drama to the movie. [Edited by Astro Bill (November 21, 2006).]
It's not that I want an action movie, nor that I think Armstrong's life lacks incident. Perhaps, in fact, there's almost too much incident. In order to make a good movie, you have to have a single dramatic arc to hold up the plot. Apollo 13 had one--the quest to bring the astronauts home safely. The Challenger movie that's apparently in production will have one--Richard Feynman's quest to find the truth about the accident. October Sky had one--one boy's efforts to better himself and move beyond the confines of his home town. What would be the arc in "the Neil Armstrong story"? Armstrong's quest to be the first man on the moon? That wouldn't work, because it wasn't really his goal as such. Conflict with another character? Not that I know of. Internal character development, conflict within himself? Again, not that I know of (Buzz Aldrin, maybe...) So, while the incidents in his life may be interesting, I don't think there's one common dramatic thread that can hold the movie together. Maybe a better writer than I could find one. But until then, I'll maintain that it's an uninspiring choice of topic. Give me the Richard Feynman story any day. [Edited by Naraht (November 21, 2006).] |
Astro Bill
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posted 11-21-2006 03:46 PM
Naraht:To begin with, who is Richard Feynman? Did you read "First Man"? If you had, you would know that the thread in Neil Armstrong;s life is his strict religious upbringing my his mother and his excellence in achievement throughout his life and his straightforward, almost "cold", approach to solving serious problems. I am sure that is the "thread" in Armstrong's life that the director of "First Man" will emphasize. It will be a great movie. I can picture the ending, with Armstrong alone aloft in his glider when he sees the Moon in the early evening sky and remembers what got him there. Since you mentioned a few other space movies, what other astronauts would rate a movie of their life? How about Alan Shepard or John Glenn?
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FFrench
Member Posts: 3093
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 11-21-2006 04:19 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Astro Bill: what other astronauts would rate a movie of their life? How about Alan Shepard or John Glenn?
Pete Conrad. Not just a movie, but a Lord-Of-The-Rings-Style trilogy! |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3593
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 11-21-2006 05:05 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Astro Bill:
To begin with, who is Richard Feynman?
The answers you seek can be found here.
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Mike Isbell
Member Posts: 342
From: Silver Spring, Maryland USA
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 11-21-2006 05:32 PM
My choice would be Andrew McCarthy. |
Naraht
Member Posts: 232
From: Oxford, UK
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 11-21-2006 11:46 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Astro Bill:
To begin with, who is Richard Feynman?
Nobel Prize winning physicist, safecracker, bongo-player, raconteur, and all-around one of the great characters of the twentieth century. Also a member of the Rogers Commission, with a whole appendix all to himself ("Personal Observations on the Reliability of the Space Shuttle".) He's already had a movie ("Infinity") made about him, but it was exclusively about his earlier life. quote:
Did you read "First Man"? If you had, you would know that the thread in Neil Armstrong;s life is his strict religious upbringing my his mother and his excellence in achievement throughout his life and his straightforward, almost "cold", approach to solving serious problems. I am sure that is the "thread" in Armstrong's life that the director of "First Man" will emphasize.
Hmm, fair enough. I suppose that could provide a common thread, although generally speaking "excellence in achievement" isn't a particularly good theme unless there's a very decent obstacle to overcome along the way. quote:
Originally posted by FFrench:
Pete Conrad. Not just a movie, but a Lord-Of-The-Rings-Style trilogy!
As Michael Collins so memorably said, "he could play Pete Conrad in a Pete Conrad movie!"As for other astronauts... how about Gus Grissom? Make his Mercury flight and Apollo 1 the twin centers of the story, and you have a clear arc, with dramatic irony, tension, tragedy, and the wider question of whether the engineering decisions made by NASA were flawed. It's not as if this is a test of whether Feynman/Armstrong/Collins/Grissom/whoever is a sufficiently worthy person to have a movie made about them. You can actually make a movie about a surprisingly small incident providing that it has a good hook to it. (For example, I think the best episode of FTETTM was the one about Tom Kelly, who was hardly a household name before that, or even now.) Yet without that hook, you're going to end up with screenwriters who overdramatize something in order to make the movie sell. For example, the FTETTM episode about Apollo 11 was dull (in my opinion), because it just didn't go anywhere. The TV movie about Apollo 11 was interesting, but ridiculously angsty, because the theme that they'd chosen to emphasise was everyone down to and including Gene Kranz and Steve Bales worrying themselves sick about whether the astronauts were going to die. And I don't think you want that sort of thing in the Neil Armstrong movie. |
Shuttlefan
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posted 11-22-2006 12:02 AM
Though some age problems:
Dennis Quaid
And there is one fine german actor, whose character (and physical appearance someway) would fit in.
Heino Ferch |
Jim
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posted 11-22-2006 12:05 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Michael Cassutt:
He's 50. Is he going to play Armstrong as a college professor in Cincinatti? Michael Cassutt
Hmmm...good point. Didn't realize he was that old. Never mind...
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 27327
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-20-2006 05:01 PM
James Hansen has shared his picks for who should play Armstrong and his Apollo 11 crew mates:  quote:
Attached is my contribution to "Who Should Play Neil." The photoshop job is not great but you can see the transition from the real crew of Apollo 11 to the movie Apollo 11.Matt Damon as Neil
Matthew McConaughey as Mike
Michael C. Hall as Buzz This cast could do a great job of portraying the "Amiable Strangers," IMHO. I'm especially taken with the idea of Michael C. Hall as Buzz. I have loved Hall in 6 FEET UNDER and DEXTER. Damon and McConaughey are great friends. Obviously they'll have to tone that done a lot for the movie.
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issman1
Member Posts: 888
From: UK
Registered: Apr 2005
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posted 12-29-2006 11:49 AM
I agree that Matt Damon would be ideal as Neil Armstrong. As for the Duke of URL's suggestion for Denzel Washington, I think Mr Washington would be the best actor to play Guion Bluford - America's first African-American in space. |
Wehaveliftoff
Member Posts: 728
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 12-29-2006 02:28 PM
The budget for this film, maybe 10 years hence, shan't be big. You're really dreaming if you think all these actors will be in it.
Only one well known actor, and how well known, at the time should be all the budget will allow. There is Not that much interest in a film about astronauts to the general public, and certainly not about one who shuns the general public so much.
Though I do think (and hope) Mr. Eastwood will beat out Mr. Scorcese again at the next Oscars. This movie probably won't outgross next years Billy Bob Thornton's "Astronaut Farmer" film realistically speaking.
[Edited by Wehaveliftoff (December 29, 2006).] |
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