Which is how he justifies the geography fails discussed upthread…they’re accurate for the alternate universe that particular book takes place in.
I read the book in 1979 or whatever, so I had some definite ideas in mind about the characters. The casting mostly failed for me. Copying from wikipedia:
Gary Sinise as Stu Redman:OK
Molly Ringwald as Frannie Goldsmith: No
Jamey Sheridan as Randall Flagg: Absolutely No
Laura San Giacomo as Nadine Cross: Absolutely Yes
Ruby Dee as Mother Abagail Freemantle OK
Ossie Davis as Judge Richard Farris OK
Miguel Ferrer as Lloyd Henreid Absolutely yes
Corin Nemec as Harold Lauder: Absolutely no
Matt Frewer as Trashcan Man: Yes, very good
Adam Storke as Larry Underwood: OK
Ray Walston as Glen Bateman: OK
Rob Lowe as Nick Andros: Nah
Bill Fagerbakke as Tom Cullen: Yes
Twenty-four years on, all I remember of the casting choices are the ones that really worked - Bill Fagerbakke as Tom Cullen, Matt Frewer as Trashy, and Gary Sinise as Stu Redmond. That last surprised me; initially, I thought Sinese was too young for Stu, who I pictured as being in his mid-forties. But Sinise nailed the role.
I was wondering that myself. Even if it was in post production it may be seen to be in bad taste now.
Absolutely Yes: 2
Yes/Yes, very good: 2
Ok: 5
No/Nah: 2
Absolutely No: 2
9/13 rated okay or better is mostly failing for you?
Heck, leaving out the "Ok"s, you’re 50/50 on the casting.
[quote=“solost, post:12, topic:850717”]
Yep, that opening scene still holds up:
[/QUOTE] Most people that I've spoken with about the miniseries don't notice is that Charles Campion is played by future Oscar winner Ray McKinnon (he and his late wife Lisa Blount won for Best Short Film, or something similar). He was also Holly Hunter's suitor in *O, Brother, Where Art Thou?*, and had a role as a government agent in *Sons of Anarchy *.Something I always felt was interesting (and unfortunately I don’t remember where I saw this interview with him) was for King The Stand wasn’t a novel about a disease. He wanted to write a Lord of the Rings kind of adventure and wiping out humanity was just his way of turning our world into a world where he could set his adventure. Captain Trips was just a means to an end.
My version, the unabridged one, has him going to Orlando.
Cite: https://twitter.com/JohnT15/status/1236740671341502472?s=20
And, lest we forget [SPOILER ALERT ON VERY OLD BOOK], the plague is literally the Will of God and people who are immune are saved according to that will, so anything anyone might argue is unrealistic about it is moot.
I get the thinking that, even in a fictional world, things should be consistent and to some degree realistic. Well, in the world of the Stand, God is a literal presence in a very Old Testament “hands reaching down from Heaven” kind of way, so the superflu behaving in “unscientific” ways is in-universe consistent, same as parting the Red Sea.
They really dropped the ball with Flagg and Harold. They’re pivotal characters, sorry…the loveliness of Laura San Giacomo couldn’t even begin to make up for it. OK is just average, not inspired…maybe not their fault if the script didn’t allow them to shine.
Came across this rereading The Stand yesterday.
Oh, I made up the car. Just seemed to me that 1978-era Ed Norris would be tooling around in the most fashionable of station wagons. Ain’t no way Carella’s friend is driving a Corolla!
Christopher Walken as the Walk’n dude. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. But, hey, it would work anyway.)
May have to get a free trial of CBS all access
I’ve started a thread on the new miniseries: The Stand - 2020 miniseries (possible spoilers)