Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Meg Ryan Gets Lucky: Now Allowed to Stand Next to Annette Bening

<-- The photographic evidence!

I believe the two stars are in character here on the set of the remake of The Women (filming in Boston). How else to explain Meg's hideous wardrobe?

Still, how does that even explain it. Annette Bening is playing the quippy 'Sylvia Fowler' (Roz Russell in the original). Meg Ryan's got the plum lead 'Mrs. Stephen Haines' (Norma Shearer). Now Mrs. Haines wasn't quite as glam as her frenemies in the bitch goddess classic but she never would have been caught dead in this getup. The hair looks like an homage to Carrie Bradshaw (circa '98), the top is totally "Papa Don't Preach" (circa '86), and the skirt is (gasp) ankle length. It's very Big polygamist Love.

Is Mrs. Haines now a cosmo-sipping Madonna wannabe Mormon ?!?

There's no costume designer listed on the IMDB but maybe they're a fan of the original catfight classic and sabotaging it from within? At least they've got a sense of humor: please note the "jungle red" belt.

For those of you who have no idea what the hell I'm talking about, I think it's time you rented the 1939 movie, don't you? Because believe me: The Bening, a remake of one of my favorites, and an all female cast. You'll be hearing more about this one.
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17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Meg Ryan, Eva Mendes AND Debra Messing?!?! UGH, no thank you.

NATHANIEL R said...

yeah the cast list is worrisome. i'll give you that.

but it'd be so nice if Meg did something good again and The Bening is always grade A

Cinesnatch said...

I'm keeping my expecations LOW, but I am giddy about this. Still, you're both right ... the casting ... ugh. My prediction: The Bening will be a stand-out, which will be both good (to watch) and bad (because the rest of the cast probably won't keep up). But, I can't judge until I see it.

But, I guess all of Meg Ryan's persistence has finally paid off. She's been trying to get this movie made for, at least, the last 13 years. But, that's a long time to wait to end up wearing an outfit like that? I've never cared for Ryan outside of her earlier work, namely "Sally," "Innerspace" and "Top Gun." As far as the rest of it: she tries hard. But that's my main beef with her: the effort always shadows the performance.

Still, I would have liked to see a more interesting cast. Hey, maybe the sum will outshine the parts?

Andy Cooper said...

Bening is awesome and I kinda liked Meg in the crime drama In The Cut (OK, OK it was the nude scene...)
Don't get a good sense of the chemistry here, but I'm open to being surprised.
Andy's DVD Reviews

Anonymous said...

I find it funny that people criticize actors who don't get decent film offers, but when they do "oh the cast is worrisome" based on WHAT the horrible films that they get offered.
What the fuck ever.

NATHANIEL R said...

it's 'anonymous negativity' day here at the experience. WOOT!

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with anon- I am happy to see some women of color on screen and they don't get offered the same type of roles as thier White counterparts.

Andy Scott said...

I'm rooting for Meg. I miss the days when she was America's sweetheart.

God, it was painful watching her in In the Land of Women.

Anonymous said...

her best perf is when a man loves a woamn overlooked in 94 and replaced with a coasting sarandonluv the bening.

Cinesnatch said...

In response to anonymous, this is how I feel:
One of the actors I know next to nothing about, nor care to (Mendes)

Three of the actors shined brightest on TV (Bergen, Messing, Smith) and that's where they should stay (along with Helen Hunt)

One of the actors is Meg Ryan, who hasn't done anything credible in 13 years. I haven't personally liked any of her work for the last 18 years. And when she's bad, she's really bad. It has nothing to do with the crap roles she gets, it has a lot to do with her limited range as an actor.

The one actor I love is Bening, who, as I already predicted, will stand out without question, though, I'm inclined to think there will be a couple of performances that might mildly surprise.

Sam said...

I'm so distressed by this remake. The Women is one film that should never be messed with. Trying to update the 30s sensibility to the present day will be very, very tricky. I love Annette Benning so I will probably see it for that reason and actually, I would like to see Meg Ryan have a successful comeback. But I wish she had chosen something else.

NATHANIEL R said...

it does seem odd to cast so many tv specific women. it's already risking feeling like a tv movie.

as for eva mendes... i haven't seen enough of her work to judge and i'm all for women of color getting better roles (hello Kerry Washington! shouldn't she be a huge star by now. I mean, come on. With that much talent and beauty she should be way more famous than say Jessica Biel...

but alas

Cinesnatch said...

I just realized that Meg has been trying to get this film made for exactly as long as she has been making consistently crappy movies (well, "In the Cut" was interesting, but, auteur director aside, it was still pretty crappy). Maybe this is her comeback role. Maybe she will be good.

Nick M. said...

I've had to take dozens of side streets the past few weeks due to this movie. The past week there have been large catering vans set up in front of Boylston St. (where most of my college's building line-up) and, while out smoking a cigarette, I've see them grilling rack of lamb, filet mignon and swordfish. I keep imagining Ms. Bening requesting, "I need my swordfish, now!"

Denzel Washington and Steve Martin have blown in recently, too. It seems as if Boston is now one of the top locations to film in. Apparently it has something to to with taxes.

Kenneth M. Walsh said...

Is it true that Kathy Griffin has something to do with this film or was that (yet another) Page Six error?

Unknown said...

The writing in this post is too gushy for me and the comments remind me of Film school maybe even Theatre, but that insecure arrogance runs rampant in both I suppose. Annette Bening has never really wowed me - not very real on screen, but I did like her in this movie ... Good day.

Riane said...

Bad movie, oh corse. But Ryan's wardrobe does get pretty good at the end. Not until the very end though, so you can fast forward.