People seem to be quick to criticize actors who do accents poorly or not at all (looking at Sean Connery.) I can understand if the story is set in your hometown or a place you know very well, and to your ear, the accent is all kinds of wrong. But apart from that, how much of a difference does it make to you and to your enjoyment of the movie/program/play/whatever?
For me, normally, it’s not necessarily a big deal. I watch a show for the story and in general, I’m pretty forgiving. But someone whose accent comes and goes (like Costner’s Robin Hood) or a completely wrong accent (Jersey Shore in Camelot would qualify) can jar me out of the moment. If the story and acting is otherwise good, I can usually overlook it.
I was recently reading some comments in IMDB on The Shipping News, which mostly takes place in Newfoundland. Since I have no idea what people there sound like, accents didn’t even register for me, but lots of folks were very critical, even insulting. Each to his own, I suppose, but I don’t think accents were crucial to the story.
How about you - is an accurate accent critical to your enjoyment?
Not in the slightest. I even love Dick Van Dyke’s accent in Mary Poppins.
There are two types of negative reaction to such things: People who point out bad accents and move on, and people who complain about them. The latter are primarily interested in showing off their own superiority to the filmmakers’.
Case in point, Christopher Lambert’s awful mangling of English nearly ruined Highlander for me, while Sean Connery, who did not attempt a Spanish accent, did not.
What has been more jarring to me was to watch animated versions of my favorite childhood books or comic strips. Two that come to mind are Winnie the Pooh and Peanuts. None of the characters in either one sounded remotely like what I had imagined.
If I don’t like the accent, natural or faked, it bothers the hell out of me (the wicked witch on OUAT, for example). And if it’s grating enough, I won’t watch the show, like The Closer.
I’m not likely to even notice the accent as long as it seems natural. If it’s not natural that’s when I’ll have a problem with it. For example, I’m always hearing about Dick Van Dyke’s accent in Mary Poppins, but I couldn’t tell you what the problem is with it, seems fine to me. Fargo, both the movie and the TV show get criticized for being far to thick, again, I don’t notice it, and that accent does makes it’s way down to my part of Wisconsin, so it’s not an accent I’m unfamiliar with.
But if they’re hamming it up, or drifting in and out of the accent (or making it thicker and thinner) then it might bother me. The former more then the latter. The latter doesn’t bother me so much as remind me that their acting, but if they settle into something, I’ll forget about it.
I mentioned in one of the Walking Dead thread’s that Maggie’s accent drifts back and forth. Could be bad acting or bad directors or bad script supervisors (I’m not sure if that’s in their jurisdiction) or maybe they just don’t have vocal coaches, but she’s been on the show for long enough that she should have that accent nailed. Did you know Andrew Lincoln/Rick is actually English?
I don’t care, as long as it’s consistent. Even in the case of that ubiquitous British accent that signifies anything other than American, do it consistently and I won’t complain.
I need to be able to understand what the person is saying, if I’m going to enjoy the show. As long as I can do that, it’s typically ok.
I’ve been watching Doctor Who in the evenings while exercising. It’s gotten to the point that I forget that they are speaking with an English accent, to my American ear.