Liam Neeson is tall and stoic, but Daniel Day-Lewis offers the possibility of a Lincoln of real complexity, above and beyond the screenplay and direction. I can’t think of an actor of his stature who I would be more excited to see in this role.
You?
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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?
So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.
And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.
There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.
I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.
But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”
My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher
“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.
~ David Simon
I’ve been meaning to read Team of Rivals. This is a nice reminder. Certainly can’t argue with this casting.
You’ll love it, Paul MD. It’s a page-turner.
Good to know. Thanks Chris.
I think DP is dismissing Liam Neeson a bit, probably because Neeson has been coasting in commercial fare for awhile now. But Neeson certainly would have stepped it up for a serious Spielberg movie– he was Schindler, after all.
That said, Daniel Day-Lewis is the fucking man, and this is indeed the best possible outcome. Holy cow is this great news.
Adam Sandler – he could make it less boring
The accompanying photo here reminds me of Bill Hader.
I like Neeson, Eric, but he is cool the way DDL gets hot. Serious vs Madness, on some level.
This is for Abe Lincoln, Vampire Hunter – right?
Excellent choice of course. I just want to take a moment and say that Neeson would have been a fine choice too. I am sure he would have given a great peformance.
And with that “Bring on Lincoln!”
Spielberg’s never directed an actor toan oscar win,this casting confirms that will continue because day lewis won’t get a third oscar.
I do think the performance will be better (Neeson would have won as a make up for schindler), which is all that matters, and the film should be great, but I was wishing david straithern would get the role.
I wish I could believe this will be a challenging and historically legitimate look at Lincoln and the civil war, which is still as relevant as ever, instead of more americana hokum from Spielberg.
torpid, it doesn’t matter if it is challenging and historically legimate in how it looks at Lincoln, you’ll somehow find a way to see it as Americana hokum no matter what. Confirmation and selection bias are ugly things,and it’s clear from your tone your mind is already made up and completely closed. Shame.