# Worst fake southern accent in cinematic history? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2000, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013 "2000-11-13T15:41:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ultress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7c8e57/32.png) [@ultress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultress)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/41 "2000-11-14T15:24:13Z")
I have to disagree that Vivian Leigh did such a terrible job with the accent. Her accent suits a different South than where we live today, and of course since that day and time our accents have changed. It would be hard to judge in this day and time. Forrest Grump, I think that it wasn’t so much that his accent was bad as the fact that the character he played was ‘mentally slow’ thus his speech was different from anyone’s. I will agree that Cage was pretty bad in Con Air. Julia Roberts, I must admit I didn’t pay that much attention to her accent even though I have the movie. I dislike the accents used in Designing Women. Every one of the girls had a different accent. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/42 "2000-11-14T15:32:32Z")
> [@](#): > > I dislike the accents used in Designing Women. Every one of the girls had a different accent. Well yeah, **ultress** , but they all sound authentic. And in fact, aren’t the cast members of DW all native Southerners? Besides, the show is set in Atlanta, and we do get all kinds of Southern accents congregating here. I can’t go along with you on Vivian Leigh. I’ve never heard an accent like hers in my life outside a movie theater. ---
**Author:** ![ultress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7c8e57/32.png) [@ultress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultress)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/43 "2000-11-14T16:38:50Z")
I think that Annie Potts was the worst one and I don’t think she was southern, then Jane Smart…if you’ve heard her IRL she’s lost her southern accent. On Vivian Leigh, the whole point in the movie was for her to exaggerate her accent. When comparing her to the other females in the movie, it was clear that she exaggerated her accent to impress her suitors. I guess it’s a matter of what you prefer as far as accents go. Being from the south, accents vary from county to county, not to mention from state to state. It would be hard to impress on someone that they have the wrong accent according to the county they are from. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/44 "2000-11-14T17:05:33Z")
Well now, **ultress** , far be it from me to come across as a smarty-pants know-it-all ('cause we know that _nobody_ on this board fits _that_ description ;)), but it looks like [Annie Potts](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Potts,+Annie) is a native southerner, hailing from Kentucky. Of course we can quibble about whether Kentuckians really get to call themselves southerners, being as how they got all weak-kneed when the bugles were blowing, but you have to admit that there are some pretty thick southern accents to be heard there. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2000, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/45 "2000-11-15T03:58:19Z")
I think many people outside the South simply have no idea what real Southern accents actually sound like, which is why there are such horrible fake accents in the movies. It’s partially so the huge portion of the audience that doesn’t know any better will understand that the character is supposed to be Southern, and partially because many actors don’t know any better themselves. I spent my entire childhood in the South, but my family moved to the Midwest before I started high school. My sisters and I do not have very strong accents, but they were enough to identify us as being from someplace other than the Midwest. People often tried to guess where we were from, but they never got the correct region and almost never even guessed the South. In fact, when we explained that we were Southern people would often protest that our accents didn’t sound Southern at all! The most common assumption seemed to be that we were British, or the children of British immigrants. My mother, who is from Texas, is frequently mistaken for an Australian. I am back in the South for college, and as I often tell people, “In the North they don’t know you’re Southern unless you sound like you’re from ‘Hee Haw’”. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2000, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/46 "2000-11-15T05:31:12Z")
I’ll tenth or fifteenth (or whatever its up to now) Nicholas Cage’s atrocious southern accent in Con Air. Although he didn’t use it for the entire movie, and may have been overdoing it on purpose since his character was undercover, John Travolta’s southern accent in the opening sequences of The General’s Daughter is pretty damn bad. Worst I’ve ever heard? Lindsay Wagner in The Bionic Woman playing a dual role as a southern look-alike for the Jamie Summers character. Beyond bad. Sir ---
**Author:** ![bwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@bwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bwk)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2000, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/47 "2000-11-15T06:09:40Z")
Um, everybody in the cast of ‘In the heat of the night’. I don’t know if it counts because it is television… And as for Keanu Reeves, he’s a doll, just gorgeous, but he can barely do emotions, much less an accent. As far as Nicolas Cage, I don’t know why he is ever in any movie. I guess he can act, but he is butt-ugly, and as has been seconded and thirded and fourteenthed here, he cannot do a Southern accent. Also, accents vary by region of the South, but there are also differences betweeen ‘southern’ and ‘country’ accents. Also, I believe it is ‘Vivien’ Leigh, not ‘Vivian’. ---
**Author:** ![Stimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@Stimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stimpy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2000, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/48 "2000-11-15T08:27:37Z")
sorry, haven’t got time to read the whole thread but i’m guessing nobody has mentioned john travolta in ‘the generals daughter’. he actually isn’t from the south in the film, he ‘puts the accent on’ to fool people, but i’ve a suspicion this was an excuse added by the director on hearing his vile attempt - and isn’t he from the south anyway? i’ve read that stephen king was planning to go and see this film the day he was knocked down and nearly killed. swings and roundabouts… ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2000, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/49 "2000-11-15T08:59:36Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by spoke- \* > \*\* > And about **Kim Basinger** : Her accent is as authentic as they come. She is from Athens, GA, and her accent comes through loud and clear in interviews._\* Yeah, but her accent in ‘Ready to Wear’ was nothing short of caricature. Grossly exaggerated, and difficult to withstand, as was the rest of the film. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/50 "2000-11-24T08:09:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rocking chair \* > \*\*puut the buuun-nee daown. (put the bunny down) \*\* All right. This has gotten under my nerves for the last time. Cage’s character did not say “Put the bunny **down**.”. He said, **“Put…the bunny…back…in…the box.”**. I’m not discussing **how** he said it. But he said, “Put the bunny **back in the box**.” ---
**Author:** ![Tzel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Tzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzel)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/51 "2000-11-24T22:45:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Torque \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Lord Davidson \* > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > \*Originally posted by kasuo \* > > > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > > > \*Originally posted by obfusciatrist \* > > > > \*\*Nicholas Cage, Con Air. > > > > > > I second this one. > > > > I third it. \*\* > > Consider it fourthed. Little Nicky Cage should be a hands-down winner for that feeble attempt at an accent. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Tzel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Tzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzel)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/52 "2000-11-24T22:46:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Torque \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Lord Davidson \* > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > \*Originally posted by kasuo \* > > > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > > > \*Originally posted by obfusciatrist \* > > > > \*\*Nicholas Cage, Con Air. > > > > > > I second this one. > > > > I third it. \*\* > > Consider it fourthed. Little Nicky Cage should be a hands-down winner for that feeble attempt at an accent. \*\* Odd, my text didn’t show up. Ah well, here goes again. When I saw the thread title, the first thing that popped into my mind was: “Con Air.” Glad to see I’m not alone. ---
**Author:** ![LabRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/898d66/32.png) [@LabRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LabRat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/53 "2000-11-25T00:08:22Z")
I can’t believe that nobody mentioned Adam Sandler’s “cajun” accent from The Waterboy. -LabRat ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/54 "2000-11-25T04:10:45Z")
A ringing endorsement for **kawliga’s** nominations of Michael Caine in _Hurry Sundown_ and Sir Larry in _Cat on a Hot Tin Roof_. Okay, maybe Sir Larry’s effort seemed lame in comparison to his usual excellence. And I really _like_ Michael Caine. He’s been in a lot of real gobblers, but he’s a very workmanlike actor. That’s a tactful way of saying he takes a lot of roles that seem strange. But the strangest had to be _Hurry Sundown_. It’s pretty obscure (deservedly) but basically it was a Southern Gothic potboiler @ early 70’s, I think. A swamp-and-magnolias drawl overlaid on a Cockney accent just didn’t work. IIRC, Jane Fonda was in it, too–and sucked. Actually the whole movie pretty much shed toxic waste over the screen. Veb ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/55 "2000-11-25T04:44:37Z")
One that bugged me was the way a Confederate soldier said “We’re fightin’ for our **rats** ” in _Gettysburg_." In the book, it was described that the Union soldier didn’t understand and that he eventually grasped that “rats” was “rights”. But in the movie it just didn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/56 "2000-11-25T05:45:57Z")
**Bob DeNiro** in **Cape Fear**. Liked the movie, love DeNiro, but the accent bit it. Maybe it was supposed to be a South _Jersey_ accent. Yeah, that’s it. Yew tawkin tuh me? I oun’t see nobuddy ailse round here. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2000, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/57 "2000-11-26T19:48:54Z")
TVeblen writes: \> It’s pretty obscure (deservedly) but basically it was a \> Southern Gothic potboiler @ early 70’s, I think. It came out in 1967 actually. ---
**Author:** ![Occam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Occam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Occam)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/58 "2000-11-27T04:10:57Z")
Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs…\ ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/59 "2000-11-27T17:29:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Occam \* > \*\*Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs…\ \*\* I thought Jodie Foster did an outstanding job with the accent. Sounded like near-perfect Southern/Appalachian to me. ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/60 "2000-11-27T18:02:01Z")
I was going to vote for Keanu Reeves in _Devil’s Advocate_ but I’ll hold out til I see _Con Air_ based on y’alls input. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013.md?page=4)