Loungers - if they remade It's a wonderful life today - who should play the lead/etc?

[The Straight Story]

The Original Cast:

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Stewart George Bailey
Donna Reed Mary Hatch
Lionel Barrymore Henry F. Potter
Thomas Mitchell Uncle Billy Bailey
Henry Travers Clarence
Beulah Bondi Ma Bailey
Frank Faylen Ernie Bishop
Ward Bond Bert
Gloria Grahame Violet Bick
H.B. Warner Mr. Gower
Frank Albertson Sam Wainwright

(easy to cut and paste, no need to include all:)

George Bailey
Mary Hatch
Henry F. Potter
Uncle Billy Bailey
Clarence
Ma Bailey
Ernie Bishop
Bert
Violet Bick
Mr. Gower
Sam Wainwright

[riderinthestorm]

1. Tom Hanks or even Jeff Bridges and/or Tommy Lee Jones for George Bailey

Maybe Jennifer Garner for Mary Hatch (same dimples as Donna Reed) although I think Gwyneth Paltrow has the right "vibe" for the part
John Lithgow as Henry F Potter. He has that sneer (Alan Rickman or Jack Nicholson could also pull it off)
I keep seeing Morgan Freeman as Clarence
Jim Broadbent (Professor Horace Slughorn in Harry Potter) as Uncle Bill Bailey

Can't think about the others yet....

Funny OP!

[valerief]

3. Aren't your Georges WAAAAAAAY too old for your Marys? nt

[riderinthestorm]

4. LOL!! Yeah, probably.

I was trying for that folksy, whimsical, earnest schtick. I can't think of a single "youngish" male actor who could do that role.

I'm actually doing the end of the month bookkeeping as I'm online here and not very focused. I freely admit to putting in about 2% of my brain cells into this OP. I have to admit your choices were much better!! :evilgrin:


(and now riderinthestorm bows out and exits stage left.....)

[bigwillq]

8. Was just going to say Hanks as Bailey!

GMTA! :)

[valerief]

2. Here's a start

Alan Grayson as George Bailey
Rachel Maddow as Mary Hatch
Roger Ailes as Henry F. Potter
Barney Frank as Uncle Billy Bailey
Al Sharpton as Clarence
Hillary Clinton as Ma Bailey

[Gidney N Cloyd]

7. If you're going that route then I think Chris Matthews HAS to play Uncle Billy.

[valerief]

9. Yes, that's a better choice! nt

[Kennah]

10. Except Uncle Billy had very few lines

[Gidney N Cloyd]

14. But they'd all be gold.

"'Slacker George' only popped two buttons off his vest. HA!"
"George-- tell me something I don't know. Like where I left the $7000!"

[Rhiannon12866]

34. LOL. Like your cast list...

:D

[Kennah]

5. How about ...

George Clooney - George Bailey
Teri Hatcher - Mary Hatch
John Lithgow - Henry F. Potter (too good to ignore the suggestion)
Donald Sutherland - Uncle Billy Bailey
Morgan Freeman - Clarence (also too good to ignore the suggestion)
Kathy Bates - Ma Bailey
Steve Buscemi - Ernie Bishop
Dennis Franz - Bert
Lauren Holly - Violet Bick
Anthony Hopkins - Mr. Gower
Russell Crowe - Sam Wainwright

[Kennah]

6. And Bradley Cooper as Harry Bailey

[The Straight Story]

22. +1 to your list, especially Morgan Freeman and Teri Hatcher (nt)

[GoCubsGo]

29. I mostly like 'em all, especially George.

He was going to be my choice for George. Matthew Broderick is my second choice. For a younger option, I would like to suggest Toby Maguire. I think he'd be especially fitting if it were set during the same time period as the original. He can pull of that 1930's look better than anyone in his age group, IMO. He also does the "Mr. Nice Guy" so well.

I am not too keen on Teri Hatcher playing Mary, however. And, not because she blamed George for causing all of her psychological issues because he dumped her. I just can't see it. Perhaps Demi Moore or Renee Zellweger would be better. Or, switch roles with Lauren Holly. If George was played by Toby instead of George, I'd suggest Anne Hathaway or maybe Claire Danes, or even Kirsten Dunst.

I really like the suggestion of Morgan Freeman as Clarence. Or, Christopher Lloyd.

[Tom Ripley]

11. Bruno Ganz as George Bailey

[geardaddy]

12. How about Mike Myers plays them all?

[edbermac]

13. Charlie Sheen and Pam Anderson as George and Mary

[MiddleFingerMom]

15. It was remade in 1977 as "It Happened One Christmas" (a reference to yet ANOTHER Capra film)...

.
.
.
... and was one AWFUL ego-driven film (produced by the actress who portrayed
Jimmy Stewart's role in the original, Marlo Thomas).
.
.
.
Can you say horrifically LIGHTWEIGHT?
.
.
.
Sure... I knew you could.
.
.
.
I'm listening now to dozens of Jimmy Stewart-led Western genre radio shows
called, "The Six-Shooter" in which Stewart is EXCELLENT (and it's pretty much
classic Jimmy Stewart acting).
.
http://otr.net/?p=sixs
.
.
.
That website, BTW, is an INCREDIBLE resource for anyone who enjoys the
theatre of Old Time Radio -- sometimes incredible shows that were put
on week-in-and-week-out. There are a total of 169 different shows to
choose from (some of them admittedly stinkers) and 12,369 episodes of
those shows.
.
http://otr.net/
.
YEARS of listening enjoyment (you could live the TOTAL childhood experience
by laying on the floor propping your chin up in your hands in front of
your computer while listening -- perhaps drinking a mug of Ovaltine).
.
.
.

[BrendaBrick]

16. Nicholas Cage - George Bailey

Ashley Judd - Mary Hatch
Ed Asner - Mr. Potter
Woody Allen - Uncle Billy
Christopher Walken - Clarence

[Kennah]

19. How about swapping Asner and Walken?

Christopher Walken is one bad assed motherfucker bad guy!

[BrendaBrick]

20. Hmmm.

Keep Asner - maybe Dustin Hoffmann or Dick Van Dyke for Clarence? Leonardo DiCaprio for George.

[Chan790]

17. I'd like to categorically discourage remaking It's a Wonderful Life. n/t

[Demoiselle]

18. I agree, Chan...but...

if I had to recast George Bailey I might consider Mark Damon. (Marc?)
But I'd rather not.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

21. Matt n/t

[Demoiselle]

23. Matt! Oh geez am I an idiot. It's amazing I didn't suggest Vic Damone!

[Earth Bound Misfit]

32. ...or Johnny

:evilgrin:

[charlie and algernon]

24. Clive Owen as George Bailey, Kelsey Grammer as Potter

It's been too long since I've seen the movie to adequately cast the rest, but Owens and Grammer would be perfect.

[geardaddy]

25. How about a Curb Your Enthusiasm version?

George Bailey - Larry David
Mary Hatch - Cheryl
Henry F. Potter - Suzie
Uncle Billy Bailey - Jeff
Clarence - Richard Lewis

[BrendaBrick]

30. Good one!

:thumbsup:

[Iggo]

26. ...if they remade It's a wonderful life today ...

...I would take hostages.

[The Straight Story]

27. I dunno, some of the ideas here I think would be pretty cool

But it won't ever be the original, I never get tired of watching it.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

28. Here's a cast for a comedy version:

George Bailey----------------Ray Romano
Mary Hatch-------------------Tina Fay
Henry F. Potter--------------Danny Devito
Uncle Billy Bailey-----------Bobcat Goldthwait
Clarence---------------------Stephen Root
Ma Bailey--------------------Rosanne Barr
Ernie Bishop-----------------Billy Crystal*
Bert-------------------------Christopher Guest*
Violet Bick------------------Jennifer Aniston
Mr. Gower--------------------Christopher Lloyd
Sam Wainwright---------------Kevin James
Joseph (Angel, voice only)---Don Novello

(* = doing Frankie and Willie characters from SNL)

[BrendaBrick]

31. SNL's: It's A Wonderful Life Lost Ending w/Dana Carvey

About 3 minutes:

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/its-a-wonderful-life-lost-ending/2731

"Well, what are waitin' for? Let's go get 'em!!!!" :-)

[pacalo]

33. My own cast of DU lounge lizards in their "IAWL" roles...

Amerigo Vespucci - George Bailey
CaliforniaPeggy - Mary Hatch
Sid Dithers - Henry F. Potter
Taverner - Uncle Billy Bailey
MiddleFingerMom - Clarence
Dystopian - Ma Bailey
Ptah - Ernie Bishop
NYC_Skp - Bert
applegrove - Violet
the beer & travel money ex-DUer - Mr. Gower
TheDoctor - Sam Wainwright
ohiosmith - Bartender
bluesbassman - Harry Bailey
LynneSin - the Baileys' lovable, sassy maid
Trof - the neighbor sitting on the porch watching George & Mary lasso'ing the moon