dream cast: hypothetical ‘Midnight Run’ remake
I’ve been convinced to give Dream Cast another try. (Thank my brother Ken, who posts comments here sometimes as “Ken,” if you’re happy to see this feature return.) This week: Midnight Run, the 1988 action buddy comedy starring Robert DeNiro as a bounty hunter and Charles Grodin as the mob accountant on the run he’s been hired to bring in.
(If you have a suggestion for a classic TV show or movie we should play with, feel free to email me.)
Midnight Run is one of my favorite movies, and one that continues to make me laugh no matter how many times I see it, because the humor springs from the characters, not from punchlines, and from the inspired performances of and palpable chemistry between DeNiro and Grodin. Key to a successful remake would be finding two actors who could replicate that chemistry and who are funny without trying to be comic.
The original cast:
Jack Walsh: Robert DeNiro
Jonathan Mardukas: Charles Grodin
FBI Agent Alonzo Mosely: Yaphet Kotto
Marvin Dorfler: John Ashton
Jimmy Serrano: Dennis Farina
Eddie Moscone: Joe Pantoliano
I’d love to get at least one woman on the cast -- though I think Jack and the Duke both have to remain male, lest a romantic/sexual element be introduced that would completely change the dynamic. Shfiting Mosley to a woman, however, could create some additional comedy, since at several points in the film both Jack and the Duke pretend to be Mosely. And I’ve changed the mobster from Italian to Russian, which feels more appropriate for today.
My dream cast:
Jack Walsh: Russell Crowe
Jonathan Mardukas: Luke Wilson
FBI Agent Eliza Mosely: Angelina Jolie
Marvin Dorfler: Philip Seymour Hoffman
Jerzy Sergeyev: Christian Bale (he gets to do a new accent!)
Eddie Moscone: Sam Rockwell
Funny stuff:
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comments
posted by PaulW (Thu May 28 09, 10:36PM)
If I had my druthers, I *would* make the bounty hunter Walsh a woman, but still aim for the non-icky-romance stuff by making her a by-the-book professional with a sarcastic streak, and establishing that for both bounty hunter and bail jumper it's all strictly professional.
Jackie Walsh: Gillian Anderson
Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas: Samuel L. Jackson (not playing an angry black guy but a slightly unhinged black guy who stays cool, sorta like in Formula 51, who plays mind games whilst figuring out fiendishly clever escape attempts)
FBI Agent Alicia Mosely: Lauren Holly
Marvin Dorfler: Kevin Smith
Jimmy Serrano: Andy Garcia
Eddie Moscone: Joe Pantoliano (oh cmon, who wouldn't hire Joey Pants?)
posted by Victor Plenty (Sat May 30 09, 12:36AM)
Basing my selections on something interesting I read awhile back, but can't find a source for now. If it's not true I'd rather not mention it, but if it's a valid piece of trivia, someone will probably recognize it from the following cast list:
Jack Walsh: Tom Cruise
Jonathan Mardukas: Dustin Hoffman
FBI Agent Angelina Mosely: Valeria Golino
Marvin Dorfler: Kim Robillard
Jimmy Serrano: Michael D. Roberts
Edwina Moscone: Bonnie Hunt
posted by Ryan (Sat May 30 09, 2:04AM)
Crowe could work but Luke Wilson would be a terrible choice, he can be funny (in a movie like Idiocracy but he can't play a character like the Duke) but certainly nowhere near Grodin's level or style for that matter. As for Paul's post, what the fuck are you smoking? Andy Garcia is a good suggestion and Joey Pants obviously did great in his original role but what the hell is with the other picks? Anderson's cool but it just flat out wouldn't work. Jackson is incredibly overrated, probably wouldn't try that hard in the role (just seems to collect paychecks now) and (like Anderson) just doesn't fit. As for Agent Mosley you want to change a character to a female a second time and cast in the role an actress most people haven't seen in 15 years (Dumb & Dumber). And your choice for Marvin makes me think you are in fact Kevin Smith and just looking for more. For the record I've always been a Smith fan but he's better suited staying in his own films or roles that don't require much (Live Free or Die Hard).
Vic I'll keep it short, Dustin's too old now (though he would've been a good choice at one point) and an actor like Cruise just can't replace someone as great as DeNiro.
posted by Ryan (Sat May 30 09, 2:07AM)
Sorry Silent Bob I meant to say looking for more work.
posted by Victor Plenty (Sat May 30 09, 2:22AM)
Ryan, it seems you didn't get the obscure reference I was making, but no worries. There's a very specific reason for suggesting Cruise and Hoffman play those roles, and it has nothing to do with "replacing" DeNiro.
posted by Alan (Mon Jun 15 09, 3:58AM)
My Dream Cast remake for Midnight Run:
Jack Walsh:Mickey Rourke
Jonathan Mardukas: Bill Murray
Alonzo Mosely: Don Cheadle
Marvin Dorfler: Danny McBride
Jimmy Serrano: Mark Strong
Eddie Moscone: Dwight Yoakam
Jerry Geisler: Dennis Hopper
posted by STEVE (Sat Jun 20 09, 7:51AM)
MY DREAM LINE UP FOR MIDNIGHT RUN
JACK WALSH=SEAN PENN
"THE DUKE"=KEVIN SPACEY
ALONZO=NICK CAGE
DORFLER=PHIL SEYMOUR HOFFMAN
SERRANO=JAMES WOODS
EDDIE=STEVE BUSCEMI
JERRY=KEVIN BACON
Y DREAM LINE UP FOR MIDNIGHT RUN
posted by Victor Plenty (Sun Jun 21 09, 4:15PM)
Glad nobody uses BLINK tags anymore. (HTML nerd joke.)
But seriously, those are some good choices, STEVE.
posted by TH (Tue Jun 30 09, 2:42AM)
How would Jack Walsh impersonate ELIZA Moseley?
posted by Victor Plenty (Tue Jun 30 09, 10:02AM)
Are you serious, TH? If so, I find your lack of film history education deeply disturbing.
By the power vested in me by the possession of somewhat average knowledge, you are therefore directed, at your earliest convenience, to make arrangements to view:
Some Like It Hot;
Tootsie;
Mrs. Doubtfire;
La Cage Aux Folles and/or
The Birdcage;
To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar and/or
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
(not necessarily in that order).
Perhaps then you will find the answer to your question. Good luck.
posted by F M Wolf (Mon Jul 06 09, 12:28AM)
One thing really quick: the "Jack Walsh impersonating a female FBI agent" angle would work better if she had an androgynous, but still feminine, name...something like "Kim" or "Leslie." Maybe even Lauren. The gag would work well at least once, when Jack presents the stolen ID with the picture partially obscured by his thumb. The person seeing it could notice a wisp of long blonde hair, and he could say something like, "It was the late 80s," with a shrug. Just my thoughts.
Cast:
Jack Walsh: Vince Vaughn
Jonathon "The Duke" Mardukas: Robert Downey, Jr.
Marvin Dorfler: Danny McBride (I hate to reuse one, but that was pretty good).
Lesile Mosley: Holly Hunter
Jimmy OBrien: Collin Ferrel (I chose to make the Serrano character an Irish Mobster)
Eddie Moscone: Jason Bateman
Just a few ideas I had.
posted by F M Wolf (Mon Jul 06 09, 1:55AM)
One more thing I just thought of: maybe instead of Bateman for Moscone, how about Simon Pegg?