Britt's On

So I devoured John Green's fantastic YA debut, 'Looking For Alaska' in the last day. And lo and behold, it too is becoming a movie. Interestingly, seeing as how I 'cast' films in my head when reading books, I found this amongst the hardest to picture. About a third of the way through the book, I googled a bit to learn about the movie, see if any casting rumours had been sparked, and so far nothing...although one name from the few and far between fan cast lists I saw did stick with me and served as a very good potential casting choice, even if the movie isn't coming out till 2013. Most of the discussion on casting the movie was back in 2008, so I'm revitalizing it for 2011, since casting likely IS going to happen soon and shooting will happen in 2012. I hope. Interestingly, apparently Josh Schwartz is tied to the project...which would play in well for my number one choice for the titular Alaska.

Anyway. Here's my attempt to cast Looking For Alaska, in terms of the five main characters. The b-characters and authority figures (Mr. Hyde and 'the Eagle') could be SO many different actors, I won't bother.

MILES 'PUDGE' HALTER
Our main character and narrator is a lovable every guy - the type of wallflower that is content to fade into the background because it's easier, but is actually a pretty special person once you discover him. Needs to be tall, skinny, gangly, but also kind of good-looking.

Gahhhhhhh how I struggled with this. All of the skinny gangly types I could think of weren't good-looking enough, or were too old (and thus too bulky at this point). Adam Brody (Seth on the OC) and Penn Badgley (Dan on Gossip Girl) both would have been choice for this five to ten years ago.


Logan Lerman
Well okay. This works. Perfectly actually. I don't know how tall Logan is, I've never seen any of his movies, and I've only heard his voice in a YouTube clip I just Googled...but his look is pretty dead-on to the vaguest of vague images I had in my head. Sort of the boy next door, a sweet, vulnerable face. AND he's the right age - 19, like my primo choice for Alaska.


Justin Kelly
The actor I occasionally settled on casting in my head was Justin Kelly, who is a newcomer to the Degrassi cast this season...which is apparently my main source for 'mining' dreamcasts. Anyway. Jake might be a little beefcake-y to play 'Pudge', but he has the right look from the neck up, and could play a good little boy lost that easily slips into the crowd.



Gaelan Connell
If Hollywood wanted to get real about casting something, then Gaelan Connell would be a great choice. The character he played in "Bandslam" was pretty much Miles Halter to a tee. I'm not sure he's quite 'cute' enough for the role, given uber hot Alaska is supposed to be attracted to him whilst my casting choices for The Colonel and Takumi are both good-looking, but in terms of typecasting, he's totally your guy for the part...getting a bit old though, so act fast Hollywood!


David Henrie
Another actor I have zero experience with (but hey, if they cast Selena Gomez they could be reunited), but one that fits the bill for me physically. He's got that gawk-ward look to him that also reads charrrrrrrming. I'd need to see him act first to make sure he's not too mired in Disney slapstick drama, but watching a clip of him on YouTube he seems like an okay choice.


Matt Prokop
Apparently this kid was in High School Musical 3, which (shame) I have seen...I assume he's one of the newbies they randomly interject for a Degrassi: The Next Generation-style transition, but I don't remember him. Anyway he has the scrawny thing going for him, and he can apparently attract hot chicks if he's dating Modern Family's Sarah Hyland. Who for the record, would be a fabulous Alaska if she had a little more emotional range.

CHIP 'THE COLONEL' MARTIN
The troupe's fearless, overachieving leader with a serious chip on his shoulder. Caustic sense of humor and a passion for revenge, he's also fiercely loyal, protective, and dedicated. Should be short-ish, stocky, and commanding.

You know who I wanted to cast for this? A younger version of Russell Hantz (of Survivor fame), if such an actor existed. Alas...Hollywood, go with an unknown here I think. These are my two prospects for your enjoyment though.


Josh Hutcherson
I've only ever seen Josh in 'The Kids Are All Right' and I liked him well enough. In that movie he was relatively passive so not sure he'll be able to pull off the snarktastic guy in this film, but he has the right 'look' that I had in my head. Unfortunately I think his 'Hunger Games' duties will be keeping him busy for awhile.


Jeremy Sumpter
He played a SERIOUS asshat for a season and a half on Friday Night Lights as the love-to-hate baby-faced QB JD McCoy. That should disqualify him - playing a pretty boy jock type? But it doesn't. Because he was cold, and he had a stiff upper lip, and he was good at making smart cracks, and he's actually pretty small. See, I never necessarily saw The Colonel as a bad-looking dude. I saw him as a square-jawed guy with short(er) man syndrome. Jeremy Sumpter can grit his teeth and stare you down and set his jaw like few others, so I think he could rock this one out.

ALASKA YOUNG
The smokin' hot yet stupidly fucked up want-what-you-can't-have-love-interest in the book. Apparently has a rocking bod, but also needs to be extremely acerbic, dry, confident, and brainy.

A few names floated around in my head until I saw someone else's suggested cast list from years ago. The thing is, the main casting choice - the easiest one for me to picture - would actually still work in terms of age.


Willa Holland
Some keen eyes might recognize Miss Holland from her stints on The OC and Gossip Girl (both Josh Schwartz productions). At first I was like 'NO!' when I thought of her for the part...then I was like, actually yes. She's got the skinny / curvy body described in the book, and she's definitely good at playing a bit of a fucked up drama queen. The thing about Alaska is she's never entirely likable or stable in the book - but you WANT to love her, and I feel like Willa would do a bang-up job of portraying her brassy sentimentality. She's only 19-ish right now so she could totally film it in the next year and pass for seventeen.


Maiara Walsh
Seeing double? Yeah, Maiara Walsh is pretty much Willa Holland's doppelganger. So if she's not available, cast Maiara, she'll be fine enough. I've seen her on Desperate Housewives where she played a pretty thankless role as Gabby's niece. It was more of a self-entitled princess role, but she has the right 'look' - I'm sure she can pull of Alaska's complex smart-tortured-girl vibe. Willa's still my first choice though.


Aly Michalka
Aly played an awesome, mostly likable 'bad' girl in Easy A and Bandslam - I particularly liked the interesting level of gravitas she super surprisingly brought to the latter. She might be a tad old to play Alaska, but I think she'd be good at playing the bad/good/crazy/smart/dreamy/feminist multi-dimensional heroine.

TAKUMI HIKOHITO
I believe Takumi is supposed to be Japanese, although in the racist traditions of Hollywood, any Asian'll do (Hi, 'Memoirs of a Geisha'). He should be kind of laid-back and cool, and imminently likable if a little quiet.

My go-to 'Asian' at the moment is pictured below. I know. I'm as racist as Hollywood, given Shannon here is not from Japan (I feel like he's from somewhere really bizarre like South Africa), but he's a stone cold fox, and therefore I want to see him on my screen as much as possible.


Shannon Kook-Chun
See above. Shannon Kook-Chung is mesmerizing and downright dreamy on-screen. He might be a little too zen to play Takumi, who has this sorta slacker vibe circa John Cho in 'American Pie', but I think he'd make a good fifth wheel for the fab five that feature heavily in the plot.


Leonardo Nam
Quite frankly, Nam is too old at this point, but he sprung to mind while reading the book for his portrayal of Brian McBrian in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants films - a character I felt was quite similar to Takumi. So whoever the next Leonardo Nam is, if Shannon Kook-Chung is unavailable, I nominate you.

LARA BUTERSKAYA
A tricky one as she's described as a Romanian immigrant student who, up until a few years ago, didn't speak a lick of English. All of her dialogue is modified to including soft "i's" so she speaks leek theese. She is supposed to be very beautiful and have 'perky breasts', so I picture a gal who looks doll-like, as most beautiful Russian girls do. The hard part will be to find a girl who can do a subtle accent without sounding too fluidly American, or too cheesily faux Romanian a la Shannon Elizabeth in the Pie films. Since I've never seen any of these actors portray someone with a faux accent, I'm picking them for looks alone!


Lucy Hale
This is ultimately who I pictured as Lara, as per her doll-like features. She plays a good flirty wisp of a girl on Pretty Little Liars and I think she could nail the awkwardness, aloofness, but also sweetness of Lara.


Selena Gomez
True story. I've never actually seen Selena ACT in anything - only appear on many red carpets and talk shows. Sure she's actually a quarter Mexican as opposed to Eastern European, but if she can possibly portray Charlotte York, surely she can do a Romanian girl. The main motivation here is I see a resemblance between her and Mila Kunis, who actually is from Russia.


Nina Dobrev
I like how one of the more minor characters has so many options. Anyway, Nina Dobrev is a no-brainer because she's actually Bulgarian, which is close enough to Romanian in my books. I haven't watched her on the Vampire Diaries but she's got that sort of vacant sweetness with a touch of fiery flirtiness (on Degrassi) that this role requires.

Hmmmmmmm well we'll see how Hollywood decides to fuck this one up. I really sincerely vouch for Willa Holland above all others on this list. I can't imagine another actress more suited to the part that's actually of the right age, and I hope some lovely casting director out there stumbles upon this and heeds my warning! Don't. Fuck. This. Movie. Up. Thanks.

- Britt's On

I feel a little lost without my 'Fall TV Preview' of Entertainment Weekly...which I HOPE is in my mailbox when I get home tonight...a week late. F*ckin Canadian mail system / EW not printing anywhere North of the border. LAME. Anyway I took it upon myself to jot down a list of fall TV viewing that I'm planning to partake in. I added nary a show to my viewing last year, aside from short-season cable TV programs like The Walking Dead (AMC) and Boardwalk Empire (HBO).

This year, however, the networks have wizened up and pulled out ALL the stops in getting me to watch a few of their new programs - bringing in hot stars from the silver and small screens alike and fresh new high-concept plots. Below is a preview of what I'm planning to tune into - at least for the first episode - this fall. And lordy it's a LONG LIST.

Mondays

The Playboy Club (NBC) - Premieres September 19th
There have been two buzzy 1960s Mad Men wannabes on the network's schedules for this year - the Playboy Club is probably a fair bit less promoted. I'm not 100% sold to be honest. We saw a glimpse of the legendary bunnies on Mad Men and that felt like enough for more. Also I'd feel a little lascivious to say I'm an avid fan of the show, I mostly feel like it's fueling the Hefner marketing machine. I may check out the premiere though.

Terra Nova (FOX) - Premieres September 26th
I'd be lying if I said I didn't have my doubts about this one. It's been mired in production issues, and dragged out for years past its original planned premiere date. However! It features a Degrassi alum (Landon Liboiron, above), has Stephen Spielberg attached, and promises to be pretty high-concept when it's not doing the action sequence thing. I'll at least do the premiere of this one for sure.


Gossip Girl (CW) - Premieres September 26th
Seriously, how cute is this picture? Granted two of the stars in it aren't returning as regularly billed cast members this season - Jenny and Vanessa - but they will be back in guest spots. Sidenote, why does Eric never get any love in the cast photos / promos? I mean, I know he looks like he's permanently 10 years old, but really. Anyway the beat goes on with this one. Not looking forward to the actress that played Charlie joining the cast - I found her acting very awkward - but hoping for some more Blair & Dan non-romance sparks to fly.


Being Erica (CBC) - September 26th
I LOVE BEING ERICA. Having watched the first 3 seasons on Netflix in 30 days, I'm all kinds of excited but also sad for the final farewell to our plucky heroine, Erica Strange (Erin Karpluk). This is one of my top to-watch shows this fall...I can't even imagine having to wait from episode to episode now.


Hart of Dixie (CW) - September 26th
Man CW is really shaking things up this year. A doctor drama? A show starring someone over the age of 30? Anyway I thought this show looked supremely lame, and it still might be...but it also has the potential to be a slice of small-town heaven, which has been sorely missing from the CW's glossier productions of the last few years. I'm uncertain as to whether Rachel Bilson can be a leading lady - she has yet to 'own' anything she's been in, including the final near-solo-lady season on The OC - but I'm curious to check out the premiere of this one. The CW has a habit of yanking shows though (LUX!), so I'm wary.

TUESDAYS

Parenthood (NBC) - September 13th
Looks like we're fast-forwarding a bit on Parenthood, given the state of Christina's swollen belly in this screen grab. I'm okay with that for the most part, given the show has always fudged around with their timeline (what grade are the Braverman children in anyway?), and I don't know that I wanted to see a season of Amber trying to figure out her life, Jasmine and Crosby trying to forgive, and Christina complaining of backaches. I'd rather see the wounds after they've somewhat healed, so altogether, I'm JAZZED for this new season.


Ringer (CW) - September 13th
SMG is a lucky gal to have such a massive fan base. Here's hoping she's doing the right thing with it by getting us all to tune into her promisingly twisty dark drama premiering, oddly, on the CW in a week. Entertainment Weekly made it sound interesting enough, although I'm still a tad concerned about the fact CBS pushed it from their slate onto their little sister network...but c'mon, they've got Christoffer Polaha (last seen as the dreamy screw-up Baze on Life Unexpected) and Nestor Carbonell (last seen as the dreamy demi-god Richard Alpert on Lost) PLUS BUFFY. Sold.


New Girl (FOX) - September 20th
The thing I've been consistently hearing about Zooey Deschanel's new hipster rom com sitcom is that if you like her, you'll like the show. Generally speaking I like Zooey and I'm curious to see what she does on the small screen. That's it that's all.

WEDNESDAYS

Survivor South Pacific (CBS) - September 14th
I'd heard there were former cast members returning again this season - guess it's a guaranteed ratings booster - but I didn't know who they were until today. Ozzy, possibly the greatest physical player of the game ever, but also the cockiest. And Coach, possibly the greatest 'character' of the game ever, but also the most naive. Quite frankly, I'm psyched to see them back, although not so much with the return of Redemption Island. Interesting sidenote - a relative of Russell Hantz's is on the show, and I thought it might be a cool future incarnation to have friends / family compete that know former legendary contestants. Parvati's mom! Russell's wife! Coconut phone Shane's pride & joy kid! Anyway, count me in for another season o'Probst.


ANTM All Stars (CW) - September 14th
The 'All Stars' concept seems a little weird for ANTM, given it's a show where virtually any contestant - if a truly bona fide model contender - should have been able to find work afterwards. Also aging is a major factor here...regardless, Tyra's tired show could use a little kick in the pants, even if it's mostly for the sake of bringing back the best / most memorable 'characters' (read: lots of house bitches) instead of the best potential models.


The X-Factor (FOX) - September 21st
I gave up on American Idol after Season 3, which is weird, cause Fantasia was a respectable winner...at the time. When I heard Simon Cowell's other, self-developed show was making its way across the pond I figured I'd give it a shot for at least Season 1. I do enjoy singing competitions, I just got tired of Idol. Here's hoping X Factor can give the Fox juggernaut a run for its off-key money.


Modern Family (ABC) - September 21st
Not much to say on this one. I ploughed through Season 1 and the first half of Season 2 in approximately six weeks. Many thought S2 paled a bit to S1 but the happy blur of them both has me psyched for Season 3.

THURSDAYS

The Secret Circle (CW) - September 15th
Over the last few years I've *tried* to pick up several CW series, including 90210, Hellcats, and the Vampire Diaries. But none of them appealed to me by halfway through the premiere - in fact I didn't even get through the full premiere of any of them. I'm only going to (attempt to) tune into The Secret Circle because Britt Robertson from Life Unexpected is starring in it, and she's interesting. I'd like to see her do well.


The Office (NBC) - September 22nd
It's been awfully quiet when it comes to promoting the 9th season of the sans Michael Scott version of The Office. I was never a Michael Scott fan, really, but I feel like he was the glue that held the premise's wacky concept together. I suspect this season will be like any show that loses a major star - dismal - and I hope it gets put to bed sooner rather than later. I'd like to see it go this year.

WEEKENDS


Boardwalk Empire (HBO) - September 25th
Another show that kept me warm and entertained last winter (having caught up during an HBO marathon), I'm quite excited to see the return of Nucky & co. I feel like they've got their joints warmed up...now I'd like to see them explode some of the groundwork laid in Season 1.


Pan Am (ABC) - September 25th
Probably the most hyped up show of the fall TV season, as ABC's entre into the Mad Men 60's drama. Not sure that planes have the same 'glam' factor as ad campaigns, but I feel like I at least need to tune into the premiere here and see what they can do with a cable-type concept.


The Amazing Race 19 (CBS) - September 25th
I'm a little tired of TAR to be honest. I think we all are. They've never been as good as Survivor at creating characters and drama, and some of the pieces that made the earlier seasons so insanely addictive and water cooler-worthy - like crazy flight advantages, fast forwards, and ridiculously long road blocks - have been turfed. But I'll tune in again. It's habit.


The Walking Dead (AMC) - October 16th
Hm, it seems my Sundays will be primo TV nights if all goes well. I'm beyond excited to see the return of AMC's breakout zombie hit from last year. Seriously, every week was like a terror-inducing movie...I can't wait to see what they can do with it this year, and a full(er) order of episodes.

Yowza. If I watch all this shiz, I'm going to have to start curling weights during them so I don't become a total couch potato. Still, SUPER EXCITED for the return of Fall TV, even if it puts a damper on doing anything else, ever.

- Britt's On

Last night was the finale of the second summer o' Degrassi, and our final glimpse of this year's grade 12 class. Although...I recall hearing from Stephen Stohn (one of the show's creators) / Kary's Degrassi Blog that there was still a 'one-hour special' that will air this fall as sort of a send-off to these characters, similar to how we said goodbye to Jane, Spinner, Manny, Emma, and Jay a year ago with the New York movie. I certainly hope that's true, because it felt like these last few episodes were about highlighting the future grade 12's as opposed to saying goodbye to the current cast.

In terms of a review of the overall half-season, I think the show did one thing way better than last year, and one thing I have mixed feelings about. The way better comes from the way they integrated characters into secondary plots. It's something the original series did really well ("Hey, there's Yik and Tessa talking in the hallway!") but the current incarnation has always struggled with - you generally only saw characters when it was 'their week' (or episode, as it were). By bringing in the characters / having them create atmosphere, it allowed us to further their character development and remind us of how they fit in within the school. Great example? Jenna's one-liner at Marisol and Katie's presidential debate, regarding Marisol and KC's affair. Great reminder of one of the season's best plots, and how it didn't just end with their break-up.

In terms of the not-so-great? I have mixed feelings about the direction the show is moving in - to long-term plotlines. Degrassi is a short and sweet little show that in the past, gave you half an hour to 'get' a story, and sometimes left things unresolved. Now they're doing more long-form plots - to the point where every character this summer had one, if slightly meandering, plot line. This means if you don't like someone's plot, they're pretty much a write-off for the season. Also Degrassi has such a huge cast, it felt like the pushes forward in each character's plot were sometimes totally out of nowhere / you'd kind of forgotten, etc. etc. Not that the original format didn't suffer from weird plot inconsistencies. Degrassi is just a really weird show for that I guess. The main reason why this has cropped up in my mind is reading the Degrassi Blog this summer, I noted that each person really had one, and only one story, other than minor involvement in secondary plots. It never felt like that before, and I'm not sure what to make of it...it made for a slightly slower summer, admittedly.


Anyway! Back to the grads. This batch has a special place in my heart because they are the last of the 'crossover' characters that interacted with the original cast members, having arrived in season 7 with the Lakehurst / Degrassi merger. Except Chante, who has been on the show since what...season 5? 6? and probably should have graduated a year or two ago. Anyway. I really liked these kids, and I felt like they did a good job of growing them and giving them interesting plotlines all around.

Everyone knows by this point that I think Holly J (Charlotte Arnold) is all kinds of awesome. I don't know that she loves being 'famous' all that much, and I've heard she's off taking journalism at Ryerson, so I'm skeptical that she'll go the Hollywood route, despite being a fantastic actress and probably my most to-be-missed characters on the show. I loved her original 'Mean Girl' role when she first joined the cast, but I also appreciated that she grew up and became an ambitious, mature, respectable character.

Chante (Jajube Mandeila)? Well, she never had a major plotline, like, ever. She had a b-plot that one time, getting Principal Snake to listen to the students...and I half-expected her to lead an end-of-season revolution to BRING BACK REGULAR CLOTHES! But kudos to Degrassi for sticking to their guns, because really, the uniforms only came into play 'half a school year' ago. There's no way they'd scrap them that easy. Anyway, I don't have much to say about Chante. Really. I don't.

As for Anya, I generally liked Samantha Munro's portrayal of a ditzy, clueless, but sweet, lost girl. They finally made her grow up and get interesting in the last couple of months, and it's sad that her development ends here - but again, thumbs up to the writers for giving her a little rebellious streak that made sense with all of her plotlines. I actually enjoyed the Ownya (Owen & Anya) relationship as well. He is a 'type' of guy I think every girl knows, and they made their 'haters gonna hate' relationship work well. It'd be neat if next season they did a 'long-distance relationship' thing with the two of them, because they haven't really to this point. Neater still if something terrible happened to Anya. Not in a sadistic way, mind you, but in a "how much does this relationship mean?" way.

Sav (Raymond Ablack) kind of fizzled out, mostly because his primary castmates graduated the previous year, and he had no real friends in his grade. So they hinged the bulk of his storyline on Holly J until their inevitable break-up, and then he disappeared, only to reappear for Ally's runaway plot and his bizarre, awkward romance with Mrs. Oh. The addition of Moe gave him a friend in the final episodes, and made him interesting again imo - Sav works well with other actors - but otherwise kind of an unmemorable character post-Studz. I hope he makes an appearance here and there given Ally's still kicking around.

Riley / Zane. Well, Zane's not part of the Lakehurst crew, but I LOVE him just the same. I seriously hope Shannon Kook-Chung goes to Hollywood as I find him mesmerizing on-screen. Unfortunately the two of these characters were buried in gay-land tales, instead of getting to participate in other, non-sexuality related plotlines, so their departure (especially since their surprising break-up) isn't that sad to me, other than I'll miss the rare occasions they let Zane appear in an episode. I wish them well as they ride into the Brokeback Mountain sunset at 'Eastern U'.

As for next season? We've got some new niners. When I think back to S8 (cited by many as one of the worst evarrr), aka the last time we had new grade 9's, I do cringe at the immaturity of some of the plotlines - like Connor and KC fighting over a pre-makeover Clare. I hope the producers learned their lesson and can come up with a way to make us fall in love with these kids the way we have with those former grade 9's, who are now about to join grade 11. When they graduate? Man that'll be tragic. The new crop of grade 12's are actually ALL new characters that joined in the last year, so I'm not quite as attached to them (Eli!). But the grade 11 class, at this rate, by the time they graduate we'll have been with them for about 5 years of television time. So maybe that'll be the time to hang up the Degrassi hat and say farewell to the show? Doubtful, as they're masters at introducing new characters and continuing on the awesomeness, but we'll see.

- Britt's On

One of my allllllllll-time favourite book series is the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty. I read 'Sloppy Firsts' and 'Second Helpings' back in my angsty teenage days and was so moved by them, I emailed Megan to thank her for writihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifng the books, and actually received a really lovely reply that I've buried in my emaihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifl account to this day.

One of the questions I asked in that email was why the book hadn't been made into a movie or TV series. Oh naive me. Looking back, and thinking about how Hollywood has a tendency to BUTCHER book adaptations (at least 50% of the time), do I really want them to make a movie? Urgh, well in light of the terrible potential Sex and the City prequel casting, I'm a little apprehensive about seeing Notso and friends appear on screen.

Megan, for her part, has been spreading the word by asking fans to vote for who they'd like to see in the semi-iconic roles of Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie. The thing is, these books have been released over the last decade, so many of the actors and actresses that I (and fellow readers) have maybe once considered are probably wayyy too old now.

I went to a movie camp one summer, and this guy there was a dead ringer for Marcus in my head. He had red hair, just not in dreadlocks, and he was good-looking in that ruffian, artistic kind of way. Seeing as how he is not an actor (that I know of) and I have no clue what his name is, or for that matter, the fact this happened nearly a decade ago and therefore he is ALSO too old, it's time to move onto other prospects.

I gave a haphazard answer on the Megan-post on Facebook about who I'd cast in the Sloppy Firsts movie, but now I'm trying to think a little harder. My main criteria for each character:

Jessica:
- Needs to LOOK young. None of this twenty-five-year-old playing a seventeen-year-old business (ahem, guess that counts me out).
- Needs to embody the 'everywoman' in terms of facial beauty. This is why I'd love to cast someone from Degrassi - the people on there just look normal. I don't want goddam Emma Roberts invading my screen for this.
- Ideally lanky in frame, although petite would work also. Va-va-va-voom curves are out.
- Needs to be able to carry off the whip-smart personality of our girl Jessica. No cutesy pandering to cameras, a la most Hollywood starlets.

Marcus
- Needs to be interesting looking, the type of guy that not all girls will immediately admit they're attracted to
- Again, ideally lanky in frame - not a muscular guy
- Slightly more okay with him looking mature (based on his reputation of being a dropout of sorts) - although depends on the actress he's paired with.
- Needs to have a very expressive face. Marcus is such a complex character - you always get the sense there is WAY more going on behind his eyes, just by the way Jessica describes his mannerisms, and the actor that takes on the role needs to be able to capture someone who is smart yet also a tad emotionally unavailable / chameleon-like.

Now. Ideally I think this film would cast some unknowns because what I've just described there doesn't describe very many people...at all...in Hollywood. But I'm going to try.


Saoirse Ronan
This photo of Saoirse makes me think she'd be an amazing Jessica Darling. She has an everygirl beauty about her, but her eyes really make her pop and stand out a little - much as I pictured Jessica. She's definitely got the long, lanky frame, and as an actress, from what I've seen her in, I think she can tackle Jessica's mix of self-assuredness yet also pull off her reactions when she gets hurt / has a wake-up call. She did a solid job at being an American in 'The Lovely Bones' so I think she could do this.


Ashley Rickards
A lot of people on Megan's Facebook discussion topic picked out Ashley Rickards, who I first encountered on One Tree Hill. I think she's definitely got the right personality - snarktastic to the nth degree - and her everygirl looks are pretty dead on. I'm a little worried this role might be too close to what she's currently doing on 'Awkward' - an outsider that has a surprisingly good grasp on navigating the social sharks of high school. Maybe that's not a bad thing? I wouldn't be disappointed if she got the role really.


Hailee Steinfeld
I just considered Hailee as of this morning. It's a really tough call for me though, because she's only been in True Grit, and really...that's not much of an audition for the role of Jessica Darling, other than the fact she held her own on screen with a very experienced, male-dominated cast. I'm not sure how she'd handle the petulant teenage role. And she's a touch young...but if the movie weren't being made for a year or two? I feel like she's got a sweet kind of pretty and as of right now, the right body type...hm.


Jamie Bell
THIS is what I'm talking about when I say Marcus should have an interesting, good-looking quality to him. Jamie Bell (of Billy Elliot, once upon a time) is not a ripped Prince Charming type. He has an impish quality that I always associated with Marcus. Now obviously, he would not be a good fit for someone like Hailee. He'd need an actress that's a little closer to his own age. But I think he's a solid contender.


Aaron Johnson
He came off a little weasely-voiced (given he's a Briton) in Kick Ass, but from a looks standpoint alone I think AJ here would be a fantasmic choice for Marcus. He is riveting to watch on-screen, has that charming smirk down pat, and is able to embody the nuances of a character incredibly well (see: his portrayal of a young, complicated John Lennon in 'Nowhere Boy').


Tyler Blackburn
The numero uno pick for Marcus that I saw on MM's Facebook wall. As someone that watches Pretty Little Liars, I don't disagree - his role as Caleb, the burnout cell phone hacker with abandonment issues works as a great audition tape for Marcus. He's a little too pretty and a little too wooden as an actor to fully make him my dream choice, but again, wouldn't be disappointed / surprised if he got the part. He can work a smoldering bad boy eye.


Munro Chambers
It's incredibly difficult for me to picture Degrassi's Munro Chambers without his trademark dark emo-cut and guy-liner, but from an acting standpoint alone, he would be a phenomenal choice. He is easily one of the most winsome young male actors I've seen on the screen in forever, and his role as Eli - manipulative, hot & cold, passionate, independent - is a fantastic foundation for playing Marcus. However, Munro is known to be a short guy, and Jessica is known to be a tall character...can it work? Hm.


Paul Dano
Believe it or not, Paul Dano is actually 26 already, which makes him probably too old to play Marcus, although I think he has an interesting look that would work for the part. I've only seen him in Little Miss Sunshine where he played a mostly mute role, but his ability to win you over in that film with little more than facial expressions proves he's still a potential dreamcast member


Hmmm...I need to think more. Hollywood is rife with young starlets, but few that I'd even remotely consider for the part. That being said, the b-cast members, man the possibilities are endless!

- Britt's On

I just finished the second book in 'The Carrie Diaries' series - Candace Bushnell's YA look at Carrie Bradshaw BEFORE she was Carrie Bradshaw. If you're not familiar, the first book took place in Carrie's small town, in her final year of high school. This book covered Carrie's first summer in New York, where she's a temporary resident attending a writing program, contemplating whether University is really the right place for her come fall.

For people expecting a carbon copy of the bits and bobs of origins that the TV show covered - LOOK ELSEWHERE. There are tons of anachronisms that will probably irritate or confuse most diehard Sex and the City fans...like say, how Carrie lost her virginity, or what her family life was like. As an example, apparently in this world, she had sisters!!! Carrie always screamed only child to me so this was shocking.

Regardless, I would genuinely be interested in seeing the books come to the big screen. Or even the small screen. I'm not sure how well it would go over because they're set in the 80s and you can tell Bushnell is longing to make her characters appealing to the modern reader, but thankfully she doesn't pull a Francine Pascal and time warp her characters to be modern but un-aged. I talked before about my casting choice for Carrie, but after reading this book I now have picks for the young 'un versions of the fab four.

Playing the part of Carrie Bradshaw...

Degrassi's Charlotte Arnold


Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Charlotte Arnold would be a phenom choice to play Carrie. She's got similar enough looks / voice to SJP, and she's a great, endearing actress. I don't know that she'd actually do it since she seems pretty focused on her journalism schooling, but I imagine if the opportunity came up, she'd take it.

Playing Samantha Jones:

Glee's Dianna Agron


Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones

I'm not a huge Glee fan whatsoever, but I've caught a couple of episodes, and for some reason Dianna Agron popped into my head while reading this book. She's supposed to be older, confident, street smart, and snappy in the book - but also with a tinge of vulnerability. I think Dianna would be an awesome choice to embody all of that, plus I see a bit of resemblance with her and Kim!

And now onto Miranda Hobbes...

Parenthood's Sarah Ramos


Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes

I had to think about this one a lot before landing on Sarah Ramos, who is a wonderful actor on NBC's Parenthood. Once I thought of her - it clicked! She's got the ability to have that sort of tough sneer that Miranda has, but also to be hilariously caustic. And I think based on the maturity level of the characters, Sarah has a great ability to come off as both a know-it-all and know-nothing. Again, there's enough of a resemblance between her and Cynthia Nixon that I could see it working.

Finally Charlotte York, who only has a bit part...

Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester


Kristin Davis as Charlotte York Goldenblatt

Another character I didn't give much thought to because I didn't even expect to see her in the books, but I think Leighton Meester would do a fine job with it, even if she's a touch older than the other girls. The brand of comedy typically used for Charlotte-centric scenes is very campy, and that's exactly what Leighton employs on Gossip Girl. She'd have to tone down her manipulative girl bit and go for a more airy, less self-assured gal though.

NOW. I did google ideas for casting Charlotte when I wrote this post - Leighton came from a list of the hottest stars under 25 - and was surprised to see the prequel has been green lit (not sure if it's the original C Diaries or the latest book). No official casting news has been made, but the four rumored potential starlets for consideration are...


Carrie - Elizabeth Olsen
Lizzie Olsen (yes, of the Olsen dynasty) is about to make her feature film debut, and has been making a splash on red carpet as the more sane, relatable member of the clan. In a picture like this, I can see the resemblance, however I need to see the girl act before I can gauge whether she can embody SJP's punny, brassy take on the everywoman Carrie.


Miranda - Emma Roberts
I find this a really odd choice. Nothing Emma Roberts' has done has impressed me to date, and her on-screen persona is more indie dreamgirl waif than tempestuous activist / feminist. I also don't see a huge resemblance between her and Cynthia Nixon at all.


Samantha - Blake Lively
I mean...really? I have Blake burnout at this point. And this is totally the wrong role for her. Blake's whole thing is this irresistible, indecipherable charm / coquettishness - and Samantha's whole thing is bold, upfront, I KNOW WHO I AM AND WHAT I WANT. Maybe it's from years of watching Serena on Gossip Girl waffle on just about everything, but I find this one really hard to envision from both an acting and even a physical point of view.


Charlotte - Selena Gomez
This is BY FAR the weirdest rumored choice of all. No offense to Selena, but her doll-ish ethnic-flavoured looks are not matched to Kristin Davis' WASP appearance at ALL. Granted she's barely in the film (in theory) but if they go with Gomez because of her tween popularity I'm officially calling this prequel a fail.

Seeing this potential foursome makes me think a prequel will be an epic fail. Not saying my casting is perfect - Leighton is too old I think - but it's definitely more inventive than what Hollywood can come up with. Leave it to the big wigs to pick the four prettiest starlets they can find, when part of what made the original show so appealing was that the stars really did look like your gal pals, or women on the street (albeit with crazy styling), with different body types. The actresses I picked celebrate each woman's key features without downright re-envisioning them as glam, size zero starlets. Sigh.

- Britt's On

So we're more than halfway through Degrassi's summer season, and while I'm enjoying it and clamouring for the next episode the second the one I'm watching is done...something feels off about it and I can't put my finger on what. I actually like what they're doing with the season, and I've thought all of the storylines have been good apt choices, and I appreciate that they're not neatly (or ambiguously) wrapped up in 22 minutes...but what is it? Maybe that there is a certain level of inevitability to most of the storylines? Or all the previews online kinda spoil a lot of the drama? Or that there isn't this insane level of buzz that surrounded the show the first time they did the 24 episode summer? I'm debating.

Either way, thinking about Degrassi and Project Runway - my two fave summer TV fixes, along with Pretty Little Liars - inspired me to look back at two posts I wrote about last year in regards to stuff these shows had (surprisingly) not tackled yet.

The Degrassi post touched on issues I was surprised weren't that prevalent in this incarnation of the Degrassi-verse. Here's a quick rundown of what I said, and what Degrassi has or hasn't done about it:
- Adoption: Came up in a big way this season with Holly J's increasing health worries. I appreciated that they put a very tricky, sticky human life element into the story...but I also feel like Holly J's health issues have overshadowed the turmoil of emotions she should be experiencing right now. Consider Wheels' downward spiral in the original Degrassi compared to Holly J's laissez-faire "Well I'm still reeling, but I need a kidney so whatever." There's no family drama to be seen - it's all health-based.

- Suicide: I listened to a Stephen Stohn interview while making dinner one night and he explained the discrepancy here. First, he didn't think the way they handled Claude in the original series was the best storyline, and I agree - the show wrapped up shortly after that episode if I recall so there was a lack of reverb (particularly for Kaitlin). Second, they were worried about copycat situations in real life. Third, and this was skirted around, they don't want to kill off a character the fans are invested in. Obviously Eli would make the most sense at this point, but can you imagine the Eclare hysteria??? HOWEVER. I suspect that if Eli is scooped up by a US network at some point, he'll be the one to carry the suicide storyline.

- He Said, She Said: I'd say to a degree this has happened with Clare and Eli, although Adam seems to be doing fine straddling their collective friendships. There has been a big focus on "I heard you..." between the two of them, Jake, Katie, Imogen, etc.

- Duelling Exes: Underway with Eli and Jake. Weird - I'm feeling like the Degrassi people read this blog lol.

- Interracial Dating Tension: This is sort of happening with Alli and Dave right now, however it's more about Dave as a person versus Dave's 'race'. But the Bandari household is a copout for this plotline - we've seen seasons worth of material regarding Sav not being able to date who he wants to date.

- Aboriginal: Still no aboriginal characters, which is a shame. Like I said before though, I see why the show is probably super hesitant to dip their toe in this - from a political and a story-relevance-based point.

- School Cheating: Still nothing major here, which is so weird to me. Oldest trick in the book I say, and I can't think of a single major example of this being pulled off effectively. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Season 4 of One Tree Hill had a cheating storyline as a major plot point, and they did it well.

- Depression: Eli was on anti-anxiety (codename for depression?) drugs this season. I'll give the writers credit there.

- Stalking: Imogen seems to be a borderline stalker / psychopath so far, which I appreciate. I like that she's in the school versus an outsider, like Darcy's temporary stalker.

- Uppers & Downers: Ummm hm. Anya's cocaine addiction is similar, but not directly tied to this plot point.

Now I also wrote a post about Project Runway challenges I was surprised they'd never done.

The only piece of advice they heeded from me was...oddly...fitness wear. Except it was 'active wear' for Heidi's Amazon.com line, and it was really moreso loungewear. Not stuff you'd actually work out in, but might run around town in, or wear post-gym while grabbing a carton of milk on your way home.

I still think my other ideas were awesome. And the season is still young, but I doubt I'll see any of them come to fruition. I also thought the other day about designing tennis dresses! It harkens back to the practical-meets-fashion requirements of designing a skating costume of one of the earlier seasons, but tennis wear is KNOWN to be super innovative and interesting and downright trendsetting. Having Anna K or Maria Sharapova or one of the Williams sisters in the house would make for an interesting judging panel.

Now to brainstorm a dozen other ideas for Degrassi to steal...use...in Season 11!

- Britt's On

Some musings on various television-watching excursions this summer:


1) I'm currently watching 'The Riches' with my boyfriend, after the owner of the company I work for lent it to me. We watched the premiere eons ago (okay, months) and are finally making our way through it. Such an interesting show because SO much happens in every freaking episode, and yet...it's only been a week or two at most in the character's lives. And we're on episode eight already. I can see why the show got cancelled ultimately - their skewering of us everyday 'buffers', aka the people who watch highbrow cable concept shows like The Riches, would definitely alienate the show's target audience. Plus I want more 'gypsies fitting in the 'burbs' hijinks and less 'gypsies are going to hunt you and kill you' nastiness. Generally though, I'm enjoying. Super bizarrely funny.


2) Just thinking about Pretty Little Liars. This season has definitely been slower-paced than the previous one, and the revelations not quite as revelatory...almost reminiscent of the final seasons of Lost. It's nice that the girls clued in on Garrett and Jenna, and the show clarified that Jarrett are NOT 'A' based on the fact they 'suspect' the girls know that Ian didn't kill Allison (when in fact, A has told them as much). A is also getting pretty damn crafty, sneaking into Emily's hospital room, medicine cabinet, and garbage.

One thing that has crossed my mind this season in particular is how refreshing it is to see Aria outside of her still-wrong-still-creepy relationship with Ezra. Season 1 was SO focused on them being together, and Season 2 they're in this weird in-between of allowed to be together (and Ezra's ex KNOWING they're a couple) but also it still being super weird and they're clearly trying to split them apart via Jason.

I bring up Aria because the way she was introduced - and really, the way she's focused on in a lot of the marketing of the show, at least initially - pointed to her as the slightly-more-important / relatable protagonist. But really, out of the three girls, she is the character I understand the least. I could easily classify the other girls' personalities:


Hanna - often there for insensitive, slightly dumb-blonde-esque comedy relief. Defensive but also fiercely loyal. Critical. Along for the ride compared to the others.


Spencer - the brainy, investigative one who is easily the most consumed by the Ally affair. She will be the last one to let it go, even when she says she is. Her type A, overachiever traits are well-suited to being the ringleader of the Ally-vestigations.


Emily - the most anxious and freaked out of the bunch, she's also the most introspective and independent - surprisingly really. Just the fact she has other activities and friends that are often the focus of her plots makes me think she's okay being a bit of a loner, apart from the liars.


Aria - is a big question mark. She never really initiates things in the group, especially when it comes to Ally. The other three girls all have three very distinct viewpoints on every decision they make - Hannah, hells no! Spencer, hells yes! Emily, let's think about it! Aria...I just never remember her contributions to things, and it seems like she's only randomly involved in anything the group does, like Spencer pulling her into last night's candy striper mission.

Anyway, still a fun and twisty and freaky show. I'm curious to see where they go with it, but concerned they blew their load in season 1 a bit.


3) Degrassi is back! Hallelujah! Overall enjoying the season so far. I think they've come a long way in the way they're blending characters together - last season struggled when you had episodes focused solely on the characters who had plot lines in that episode. This season they're giving many characters a few lines per episode, even when it's not their episode. It helps progress people's relationships in a much more organic way - see, Fiona and Eli's little bed bug exchange in the last episode, although their relationship is odd to me, or Bianca's excursions with Anya - and is a nice way to keep new characters top-of-mind. I'm kind of glad they haven't pitched this as something that will peak in the mid-season finale like last year's 'Boiling Point', which was ultimately a letdown. The teaser stuff with Drew and the gun has already rolled out and we're now enjoying the aftermath. Sigh. Sometimes I really wish this show had an hourly format to really stretch its legs, although they manage to do so much in a half-hour.

S'all.

- Britt's On