| Well, Badlands is my favourite film, and this ought to be easy because there's only a few important characters; Kit, Holly, Holly's father and Cato, but all the performances, especially Sissy Spacek's are just indelible pieces of screen acting. Behind the camera is just as tough... who the hell could you replace Terence Malick with? I'd want Roger Deakins to shoot it, his work for No Country for Old Men and The Assassination of Jesse James showed that he'd be a strong choice. As for the director, you want someone with vision, someone who makes great looking films and who works well with actors... Bring me Paul Thomas Anderson. Now the really hard bit... casting Kit: How about Joseph Gordon Levitt? He's young, handsome, and most importantly, a hell of a versatile actor who could bring a real intensity to Kit, without repeating Sheen's performance. Holly: I can't cast Jennifer Jason Leigh 25 years ago, can I? Guess not. It's a tough role because Holly is 15, so you need someone in her early 20's, who can play younger, and is a great actress. My thought is Kelli Garner, she can act (see Bully and Lars and the Real Girl), she's 23, the same age Spacek was, but could easily look younger and she's something of an unknown. Holly's Father: Holly's dad seemed quite old to have a 15 year old daughter, you also want somebody who seems like he can handle himself, without being so imposing he's scary. Billy Bob Thornton might be a good pick. Cato: You want a good, strong character actor here, someone who can be memorable in just a couple of scenes. He's older than Kit so, bearing in mind the Director... Phillip Seymour Hoffman. So those are my thoughts, but, of course, Badlands should never be remade... it's perfect as it is. |