# Confederacy of Dunces **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 3, 2002, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179 "2002-06-03T16:15:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/1 "2002-06-03T16:15:05Z")
They are making a movie of the fabulous book “A Confederacy of Dunces.” If you haven’t every read this book, go read it! It is the only book that actually makes me laugh out loud. It was written in the 1960s by a young man who killed himself in dispair that his book would never be published. What a waste! He is obviously a brilliant author. Any other fans out there? Who should play Ignatius? Who should play the other main characters? ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/2 "2002-06-03T16:19:21Z")
Oh, a link [http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/06/03/film.dunces.reut/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/06/03/film.dunces.reut/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Gundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/3 "2002-06-03T16:42:12Z")
Oh. My. God. Who can possibly do Ignatius any justice? I’m totally at a loss. Jack Black, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/4 "2002-06-03T17:38:07Z")
John Goodman springs to mind, but probably a younger actor should do it. He’s got the right sense of the ridiculous, though. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/5 "2002-06-03T17:49:54Z")
I could’ve sworn there was a previous thread about casting our boy Ignatius, but I haven’t done the searching. Jack Black? Maybe - a film or two _after_ he successfully demonstrates that he can handle more than the comedic side My nomincation? Philip Seymour Hoffman - funny, big, capable of playing a whacko, acting creds out the kazoo - perfect. could be interesting… ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/6 "2002-06-03T18:12:18Z")
Bring Chris Farley back from the dead… I got the impression Ig could be anywhere from the mid 20s to 50, so that doesn’t rule out Goodman as a candidate. Jack Black inside the body of Kyle Gass would also work. ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/7 "2002-06-03T19:21:44Z")
MY first thought was “Brian Posehn.” ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/8 "2002-06-03T19:36:46Z")
I always thought that John Candy would make a good Iggy, except for the inconvenient fact that he is now dead. And the actress that played George Costanza’s mom as his mom. But knowing Hollywood, they’ll probably cast Tom Cruise, with Britny Spears as that musky mynx, Myrna Minkoff…Tim ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/9 "2002-06-03T19:47:36Z")
LOVED that book! I see Ignatius being played by Stephen Root _(Milton, Office Space)_ ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/10 "2002-06-03T20:17:26Z")
I think Wayne Knight would be good. The supercilious self-satisfaction with which he imbued his “Newman” character" would serve well. Only, he might not be ethnically correct: he hardly looks like a man of Irish extraction, and moreover, as someone here mentioned when I brought this up earlier, he might not be big enough physically. ---
**Author:** ![Gundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/11 "2002-06-03T20:24:05Z")
WordMan, I think Philip Seymour Hoffman is dead on perfect. He could absolutely carry off Ignatius’ haughty, yet gassy, indignation. Lovely. He’d have to put on some poundage, though. ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/12 "2002-06-03T20:32:58Z")
Anyone who’s seen Happiness _knows_ Philip Seymour Hoffman is the man for the job. ---
**Author:** ![ignatius\_reilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/db5fbb/32.png) [@ignatius\_reilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ignatius_reilly)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/13 "2002-06-03T20:57:51Z")
Shockingly, I feel the need to weigh in on this one. Javaman, you know, for some odd reason when I first read the book I visualilzed Wayne Knight in the role. Philip Seymour Hoffman would also work, but for some reason I’ve always thought that if he were MUCH heavier Kevin Spacey’s temperment would work well for the role. If we could fire up the “way back” machine, a young Orson Welles might not be a bad bet. Certainly Welles would have the ego to carry over to the role. Now that I think about it more, Hoffman makes good sense. Well done, WordMan. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/14 "2002-06-03T22:13:37Z")
How about Oliver Platt? He’s almost too good-looking though. Great read…I might bring my copy on vacation this year to help the long flight seem shorter. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/15 "2002-06-03T23:35:47Z")
Another vote for Hoffman. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/16 "2002-06-03T23:49:07Z")
Only people from Southeastern New England will be able to relate to this, but Rudy Cheeks would be perfect as Ignatius. ---
**Author:** ![Dumbguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dumbguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dumbguy)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/17 "2002-06-04T00:02:19Z")
He’s too old obviously, but I could see Brando really nailing this role. I have to agree that Hoffman is spot on. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/18 "2002-06-04T01:59:13Z")
Stephan Root is phenomenal (at least as Milton from Office Space)… Hollywood will screw up the casting…it’s inevitable. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/19 "2002-06-04T02:55:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shirley Ujest \* > \*\*Hollywood will screw up the casting…it’s inevitable. \*\* I would tend to agree with you, but with Steven Soderbergh in charge (along with Scott Kramer, who produced the vastly underrated _The Limey_ for Soderbergh), I think there’s a pretty good chance they might not. And I think Phillip Seymour Hoffman is the perfect choice for I.J.R. Some of the other suggestions, such as Jack Black, Wayne Knight, and the late Misters Candy and Farley, certainly had the funny, which I.J.R. would definitely require, but I’m not sure they’d have the neccessary subtleties. Those four are all terrific comedic actors, but I don’t know if they’ve proven they have what it takes beyond being funny, which the role would need. Oliver Platt is an interesting choice too, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Stinkum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Stinkum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stinkum)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179/20 "2002-06-04T05:07:58Z")
John Belushi would have been perfect for Ignatius, but he’s dead, so scratch that idea. I’d like to see Hoffman in the role. Good actor. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/confederacy-of-dunces/112179.md?page=2)