Defending Jacob discussion

Warner Brothers has purchased the rights to adapt Defending Jacob, and I invite you to take a crack at casting the movie. (I responded last summer to a Goodreads casting call post from Jennifer Heron for Gone Girl...we'll see if Fox takes any of my recommendations!) I'll get the ball rolling:

Andy: Richard Jenkins or Bryan Cranston (Michael Shannon seems to be the favorite in the movie blogs...he is an inspired choice.)

Laurie: Elizabeth Perkins (with darker, shorter, curly hair)

Father O’Leary: Mickey Rourke

Neal Loguidice: Patton Oswalt (yes, older than this character, but man, he would kill it!) or Ryan Gosling (with hair dyed dark and an unflattering receding hairline)

Bloody Billy: Robert Blake (inspired choice from a movie blog) or Ed O’Neill

Jacob: Zachary "Wimpy Kid" Gordon (hopefully he's tall enough) or Matthew Glen Johnson (who looks a bit like Michael Shannon)

Paul Duffy: Ken Howard (I know…a bit older than the character) or Daniel Craig

These names are all probably too big...

Andy Barber: Tim Robbins

Bloody Billy: Steve Buscemi - made to look older, obviously

Jonathan Klein: Dustin Hoffman

Judge French: Danny Glover

...

Laurie: Annette Bening. But there's someone better, I can't think of her name... middle aged actress, narrow face, long straight dark brown hair, thin build... Agh, Bening for now.

Jacob: I don't know many teen actors :(

Duffy: Lorenzo Lamas or John Leguizamo, haha

Father O’Leary: Mickey Rourke, a little too perfect

Tim Robbins and Annette Bening as Andy and Laurie Barber are fantastic choices!

While reading this great story....the prosecutor in my mind was always Kevin Spacey.....

Dustin Hoffman as Jonathan Klein - perfect!

Andy Barber: Christopher Meloni (I know he's an Italian but still..) or Michael Shannon

Laurie Barber: Robin Wright

Jacob: Zachary Gordon

Jonathan Klein: David Strathairn

I always had Kevin Spacey in my mind as Andy when I was reading the book. Helen Hunt as Laurie and Logan Lerman as Jacob.

Hmm...I have no idea! I never pictured actors when I was reading but will say that Helen Hunt as Laurie would be good. Or Laura Linney...

Laura Linney would be a very good Laurie too!

Sanilou wrote: "I always had Kevin Spacey in my mind as Andy when I was reading the book. Helen Hunt as Laurie and Logan Lerman as Jacob."

Good

Stacey wrote: "Hmm...I have no idea! I never pictured actors when I was reading but will say that Helen Hunt as Laurie would be good. Or Laura Linney..."

Good

Mona wrote: "Warner Brothers has purchased the rights to adapt Defending Jacob, and I invite you to take a crack at casting the movie. (I responded last summer to a Goodreads casting call post from Jennifer Her..."

I like Patton Oswalt for that

The Andy role is key. Sean Penn. Liev Shrieber.

The Andy role is key. Sean Penn. Liev Shrieber.

The Andy role is key. Sean Penn. Liev Shrieber.

Jonathan Banks - Father O'Leary

Miles Heizer - Jacob

Laura Linney or Helen Hunt - Laura

Kevin Spacey - Andy

Like all those

Most of the suggestions for the parents are too old. They would be in their 30s, not 40s or 50s.

OK - gave it some thought.
Jacob - Graham Phillips plays Zach on the Good Wife.
Dad - Skeet Ulrich, he has that nice, ernest quality
Mom - Emily Deschanel, not her sister
D.A. - Christopher Meloni who someone else suggested for the father.

Linda, no, they'd be in forties or fifties based upon the narrators time at DA's and his position there. Skeet Ulrich -- not liking that for every conceivable reason though he'd have been good for "Rectify" which for some reason he backed out of.

Jeff, there are no names too big here as Warner's is gonna want a viable star at least as father and a name at least for mother and most roles will be sprinkled with known actors

Christopher Meloni is not big enough for Andy and not awkward enough for the DA

You guys ... Other than the Patton Oswalt suggestion are way off on prosecutor. No way on Spacey. he's too big a star, too polished a person and too old to be an up and comer. David Schwimmer? He'll it could be lots of people in that age rage and a tad younger and you don't need a star. It's a good role for comic/actor trying to go serious.

Walt Goggins from The Shield and the last Tarantino movie.

Parents in their 30's? Nah. Their kid is 15!!

Diane Lane as Laurie...

I would always think Willem Dafoe as Neal. I know he's a little bit older

Gregory Scott Cummins as Billy Barber. It's almost the same character he has on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

Diane Lane is always good

Warner Brothers is going to want an A-List star as lead

Guy Pearce as Dad

good thing I'm not a casting director, this is a good question

Mark wrote: "Christopher Meloni is not big enough for Andy and not awkward enough for the DA"

Schwimmer could play that part so well.

I like Edward Norton for Andy Barber. He's got his murder gene simmer but under control, haha.

Zachary Gordon for Jacob - and makes a good match for Norton's looks.

David Schwimmer for Loguidice. Maybe Jason Scwartzman.

Meloni - if for anything, would be great for Duffy.

I like Ed Harris for Klein!

Edward Norton is a very strong choice

Andy Barber: Matt Damon
Billy Barber: Billy Bob Thornton or Matthew McConaughey
Mom: Mireille Enos
Longudice: Jonah Hill
Jacob: Liam James

Hai those are all great choices

Andy Barber: The author himself. Did anyone notice his photo on the back cover? One look and that was Andy Barber in my mind.

Mom: Diane Lane is perfect. Actually, her real life husband,Josh Brolin, would be perfect as Andy, too.

Jacob: A young Jake Gillenhaal lookalike

Billy Barber: Jon Voight. If you've seen "Ray Donovan" on Showtime, you KNOW he's the perfect convict dad.

Mariah,
OK off topic, but I've been dying to talk with someone about Voight in Ray Donovan. Never been a huge fan but he is turning in an emmy-winning performance as Mickey. Big time KUDOS for Voight. Can't take my eyes off him every scene he's in.

He's been great a long time. Check out his work from 70's and late 60's. Midnight Cowboy, Conrack, Deliverance, Coming Home, etc. He's far more than Angelina's Dad and was an A-lister before he got super religious for awhile

Andy: Greg Kinnear
Laurie: Keri Russell or Betsy Brandt
Father O'Leary: Jon Voight (agree he is killing it on Ray Donovan) or Jonathan Banks
Paul Duffy: Clive Owen
Loguidice: Paul Giamatti
Lynn (DA): Laura Linney
Bloody Billy Barber: Malcolm McDowell or Rutger Hauer

All good

If they keep the movie set in Boston (Newton) then I hope they pay attention to the accents. A bad accent by any of the leads would kill this for me.

Andy: Ed Burns
Laurie: Laura Linney
Billy Barber: Gary Oldman or Chris Cooper
Paul Duffy: Donnie Wahlberg
Loguidice: Paul Giamatti
Father O'Leary: John Slattery

Those are strong too

Bloody Billy:Michael Rooker (Merle from "Walking Dead")
Andy: Hugh Jackman
Laurie: Gwyneth Paltrow
Jacob: Logan Lerman

I can't remember if Andy and Laurie each were originally from the Boston area, which would definitely affect accents

I just finished this book tonight. I agree with most of these castings.

Patton Oswalt: Logiudice - Yes.
Ed O'Neill - Bloody Billy - Yes.
Jacob - what about Taylor Lautner? I read Nicholas Hoult in a blog which works but he's a little older, I think.
Laurie - maybe Julianne Moore?

Ah Logan Lerman would be great too! Agreed.

I recall Andy and Laurie being 52 in the book. So with that age in mind I am thinking...

Andy - Robert Downey Jr., Clive Owen, Kyle Chandler

Laurie - Mary Louise Parker, Sandra Bullock, Elisabeth Shue, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Helen Hunt, Maura Tierney.

Paul Duffy - Reed Diamond or Clive Owen or Kyle Chandler

Bloody Billy - Jonathan Banks, James Woods,

I think Warners is gonna want an A-list male lead. All the rest seem dead on