Miscast

I've noticed something in a movie I've seen lately (The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood) and in commercials for Secondhand Lions that stands out to me. Something that feasibly ruins a movie for people watching it: when an actor has been grossly miscast.

This can be because they're acting persona doesn't match the character, because they just don't have the right look (they're too pretty to play a plain part, or too intelligent to play dumb), or they're just the wrong nationality.

Now, don't go getting pissed about that last one. Here's what I mean by it. The two glaringly obvious examples of this come from the two movies I listed above. Maggie Smith and Michael Caine. Both British. Both asked to play Southerners. Both totally and completely wrong for playing Southerners. They're fine accents. But folks, when I'm watching a movie about the South, or in which people are required to have Southern accents, if you don't pull off at least a slightly plausible accent, it's not going to work.

So, for everyone, name someone who was miscast in a movie, and give why. I'll start things off.

1. Maggie Smith, The Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Implausible southern accent
2. Michael Caine, Secondhand Lions - Implausible southern accent
3. Kevin Spacey, K-Pax - Too intelligent for the role/couldn't get the eyes to match the character

Signs of the Weird

I've told everyone I'm weird. This is an established fact. You have witnessed my weirdness.

Well, one thing about me is I hate to be too serious about some things. If it's supposed to be an emotionally wrenching something or the other, I tend to want to be silly. I'm more comfortable with silly. This is why my family was concerned that I might giggle all through my sister's wedding (incidentally, I sobbed through my sister's wedding, which was a shocker).

My sister was a stickler for planning every detail of her wedding. But the one thing she didn't care about was the music for her reception. She let the DJ choose. Hence lots of "ass" shakin' rap (which was not a hit with my mother). Now me, that would have been taken care of *first*. I'm all about some music. I personally would love to plan a wedding built around a Randy Travis theme (shut up, it would work in backwoods NC, plus he has some wonderful, simple, loving songs).

There are specific songs that I would like played at the reception. I've had two in the back of my mind for years. So a couple of weeks ago, I decided, while waiting for my parents to arrive for lunch at a restaurant, to work on a list of songs that I insist on.

I'm so twisted. The songs that have popped into my head, well, I just don't *do* serious. Except the ones that I do serious, are seriously serious. Let me show you what I've currently written down as evidence of my twisted nature.

Not So Serious Selections

1. "Kiss" by Prince
2. "Let Me Clear My Throat" by DJ Cool
3. "Rock Lobster" by The B52's
4. "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper
5. "Daydream Believer" by The Monkees (or the Monkees Theme)
6. "Burning Love" by Elvis
7. "I Feel Lucky" by Mary Chapin-Carpenter
8. "Forever & Ever, Amen" by Randy Travis
9. "Trouble" by Travis Tritt
10. A Dwight Yoakum Selection
11. A BeeGee's Medley
12. A Celia Cruz Selection
13. Some Salt N Peppa
14. "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner

Serious Selections

1. "Angel Eyes" by the Jeff Healy Band
2. "Deep River Woman" by Lionel Richie and Alabama
3. "The Way You Look Tonight" by Tony Bennett
4. "I Will Love You" by Fisher
5. "My Best Friend" by Tim McGraw

See, where my really twisted nature comes into play is on the father/daughter dance. My sister did "Butterfly Kisses." *sigh* I just don't do that kind of thing. It's not me. Katie is all about the sweet and sappy.

Which is why it suddenly struck me at lunch what the perfect combo would be. Something my dad and I both thought was hysterical, with a touch of the sweet thrown in.

A Lion King medley. End with "Can You Feel The Love Tonight". Start with:

Luau!

If you're lookin' for a hunk of fat and juicy meat,
Eat my buddy Pumba here he is a treat.
Come on down and dine
On this tasty swine.
All you have to do is get in line.

Are ya achin'!
(Yup, yup, yup)
For some bacon!
(Yup, yup, yup)
He's a big pig!
(Yup, yup)
You can be a big pig too.
Hoy!

Think my mother would have a heart attack?