Book-to-Movie Casting Choices: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Adapting a film from a beloved book is tricky business. Filmmakers must meet impossibly high standards to satisfy fans: the story needs to do the novel justice without employing a ridiculous running time, the set and costumes need to be just as creative as the author's and audience's imaginations, the music must perfectly compliment the overall mood - the list is endless. Perhaps more important than anything else, though, is matching the characters with famous faces in the paramount (no pun intended) casting process. With that in mind, I thought I'd examine the casting choices on a few upcoming such movies (only from books I've read, to be fair) and weed out the smart calls from the doomed decisions.

The Good
I have to admit, I was pretty skeptical when I heard that Peter Jackson was directing the big-screen adaptation of Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones. For the benefit of those unfamiliar with the book, the story is about a 14-year-old girl who watches her family unravel following her rape and murder. (I should probably mention that she's in the afterlife.) While the latter provides plenty of opportunities for Jackson's fantasy proclivities, the story is, at its heart, a quiet family drama miles away from the Lord of the Rings franchise. One look at the attached actors, however, dissolved my doubts. First and foremost, Saoirse Ronan (that brilliant - but in context, bitchy - little girl from Atonement) is set to play the tragic protagonist Susie Salmon. This choice makes me so happy, I don't even know what else to say, so I'll move right along.

Susie's parents, the broken-hearted yet vengeful Jack and ultimately adulterous Abigail, will be embodied by Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz. Weisz has proven herself a remarkable actress and thus gained the trust of many, but there's a lot of skepticism about Wahlberg and, really, it's somewhat justified. He is, after all, best known for playing macho badasses so his leap to a grieving father understandably has some fans worried. However, despite the type casting, Wahlberg is a pretty decent actor (he didn't get that Oscar nod for nothing, you know) who has been known to successfully step out of his comfort zone (in addition to Shooter and Four Brothers, films like I Heart Huckabees, The Basketball Diaries and Boogie Nights appear on his resume). This might be the Departed fanatic in me talking, but I say we give 'ol Marky Mark a chance.

Rounding out the Lovely Bones cast is Stanley Tucci, as the despicable child predator. He may be best known as Meryl Streep's sarcastic fashion assistant, but this guy has so much creep potential, it's not even funny.

My other pick for excellent casting isn't officially confirmed, but it's so perfect that I had to comment. After finally nailing down a director (no, it's not Jackson but rather Guillermo del Toro, of Pan's Labyrinth fame), The Hobbit has begun searching for its Bilbo Baggins, and early word says it might be none other than James McAvoy! If McAvoy's undeniable talent weren't enough to persuade you, consider this case-making evidence:

The Bad
The cast of The Secret Life of Bees has been causing quite a stir among fans of the Sue Monk Kidd novel. Alicia Keys as a somewhat frigid 60-something? Paul Bettany as an abusive southern father? Not your first guesses, I'm sure. But while choices like these can mostly be rectified by slight alterations (obviously, Keys's age will be downscaled while Bettany...is going to have to rely on his acting, it seems), the film has made a fatal flaw in the casting of its lead. Our 14-year-old heroine Lily Owens, who flees Bettany's character to find comfort (and background on her long-dead mother) with three black sisters in '60s South Carolina will be portrayed by...Dakota Fanning? Aside from the fact that physically, she looks nothing like Lily, there are two key issues with this decision. Although Fanning fits the age, for some reason she still looks like she's 12 years old. Given the fact that she's supposed to have a 16-year-old love interest, it's a bit problematic. Worse still, Fanning's unshakable reputation as the cute, precocious blond girl will be difficult to get past. Granted, I didn't see the super-controversial Hounddog, so maybe I'm being unfair, but a role like Lily Owens seems way out of her league and unlike Wahlberg, she hasn't really showcased a range as of yet. Who knows, she might prove me wrong, but I can't help feeling that they could've found a better choice, very easily.

The Ugly
Tom Hanks in Angels and Demons. Not the hair again, please, anything but the hair!