MovieChat Forums > The World of Henry Orient (1964) Discussion > Remake would be nice

Remake would be nice

posted 16 years ago by happy_gurl_2003
19 replies | jump to latest

I think this movie could do with a remake...I mean, let's face it, its been a long time since the original came out. They could modernize it and add cell phones, computers and digital cameras to it. I think the story should be about two girls who are obsessed with a guy (like the original) but the guy is not a world famous pianist in this movie, he is a rock singer.

In this one, the two girls are doing a school project on him and they google him on the computer and start chasing him around the city trying to take pictures of him for their project. The girls communicate with cell phones back and forth as they chase him. They know from watching him he is with a women, the question is, which one?

It could have a more satisfying ending too, such as they chase him through the entire movie and never seem to catch him, and finally at the end they get to meet him and he invites them out for lunch or something like that.

I was thinking for the cast, they could use:

Dakota Fanning- Marian (Gil) Campbell
Annasophia Robb- Valerie Boyd
Jude Law- Henry Orient
Heather Graham- Isabel Boyd
Eliza Dushku- Stella Dunnsworth
Johnathon Schaech- Frank Boyd
Dina Meyer- Anna Gilbert
Angela Landsbury- Erica 'Boothy' Booth

[–] nocomputer1962 16 years ago

Not a bad cast. How about Heather Graham (who plays comedy better than Eliza Dushku) as Stella, and Helen Hunt (who seems rather chilly and unlikeable since her Oscar win) as Isabel Boyd?

[–] happy_gurl_2003 16 years ago

Yeah that works for me! :)

[–] R-W-Watkins 16 years ago

I could go into a lot of detail as to why this is a bad idea, but let me just point out one truly out-of-character suggestion: these girls would definitely not, NOT be pursuing a rock star--especially the brainless commercial dweebs who dominate the pop world today. These girls, remember, were primarily artsy/bohemian types--particularly Val.

[–] dotsetloops 16 years ago

"Henry Orient" is a wonderful movie, you couldn't make this movie today. For starters, New York City is very different now than it was in the 1960s, even different than it was 10-15 years ago.

But more so--to quote Andy Warhol, 1964 (the year "Henry Orient" was released) was the year "everybody went young". If the IMDb is correct (and often it isn't), this movie came out a month and a half after The Beatles' debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show". For better or worse, The Beatles' emergence brought about a sea change which to this time hasn't been reversed, making Youth Culture dominant.

I agree with R.W. Watkins--to change Henry Orient into a Rock Star (unless it was the Thurston Moore-Stephen Malkmus-Bill Callahan type, maybe) would be missing the point. This isn't just a movie about two girls chasing a guy around--this about two girls aspiring to be grown-up and wanting to escape from the stuffy UES that they live in.

[–] R-W-Watkins 16 years ago

Wow, Dotsetloops, you finished my thought for me! I meant to make my last comment a bit longer, but I was in a bit of a rush. I intended to say that the only rock stars that the Orient girls might take an interest in would be people like Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth, Merzbow, Robert Poss from Band Of Susans, or John Cale or Ray Manzarek when they were somewhat younger. You obviously understand this film in the same manner in which I do. You might want to check out my post on its significance to beat culture.

[–] solex10 16 years ago

I intended to say that the only rock stars that the Orient girls might take an interest in would be people like Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth, Merzbow, Robert Poss from Band Of Susans, or John Cale or Ray Manzarek when they were somewhat younger.

You just made the OP's point for them, in a way. I'd make Helen Hunt one of the girl's mothers as well.

[–] Ddey65 16 years ago

You're right, and I'll tell you something else; Lindsay Lohan and Alison Pill(who sort of reminded me of Tippy Walker in that movie) did the same thing in "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen." Ironically, Lohan became more of an addict than the rock star her character had previously idolized.

[–] Tchoutoye 16 years ago

In some ways Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures was a remake but with a different ending.

[–] phrumpster 15 years ago

Remake by Sion Sono. Girls chase after Merzbow (Masami Akita)or other Japanese No Wave performer.

Poets are made by fools like me, but only God can make STD.

[–] douglashicton 15 years ago

Unless you can improve on an original movie, there's no point in a remake. And these don't sound like improvements.

The World of Henry Orient is fine just as it is, and it's an absolute gem of a movie. But then so were the original Bedazzled, Psycho, Manchurian Candidate, and Ladykillers, and pointless remakes were inflicted upon those films as well.

Can't people come up with something original for a change?

[–] EllisFowler 13 years ago

THANK YOU!!! It's a pleasure to encounter the voice of reason, even if it's, in fact, in print.

[–] reyntiens_danny 15 years ago

Jude Law ? no way!Colin Firth perhaps ! but no one can play a character like sellers could.H.Orient. should stay an andre rieu character. At the end of the day the children are lonely/ outcasts and keep themselves happy by imagination ...

To have loved is to have lived (from Passion)

[–] DavidZellaby 13 years ago

There's nothing worse than remakes. Hollywood seems to have finally run out of ideas, and is cranking out remakes in record numbers. Movies that stand on their own don't need to be remade. Unfortunately, some people can't appreciate a great or classic film- because they can't understand why there is a typewriter on the desk, or why the star has to stop at a pay phone. Updating films just to throw in modern technology is a ridiculous reason to do so. (Frankly, my Dear, I don't give a damn!, Rhett typed into his iPhone).

[–] megArnold 12 years ago

It could have a more satisfying ending too, such as they chase him through the entire movie and never seem to catch him, and finally at the end they get to meet him and he invites them out for lunch or something like that.

Brilliant concept, Mary Sue.

--
Grammar:
The difference between knowing your sh**
and knowing you're sh**.

[–] Tashtago 10 years ago

how about you write it?

[–] lnoft97-412-316846 9 years ago

The charm of the movie is the setting and the TIME. Remaking it, with cell phones and all that carp would totally change the movie, and updating a pianist to a rock star is a hideous idea. I suppose it COULD be updated and remade, but they would have to call it something completely different. Maybe in the credits 'based on The World of Henry Orient'.

[–] dannieboy20906 9 years ago

A remake with anything approaching realism would be impossible. In New York City of the 21st century Henry Orient would report the kids and they would be arrested for stalking within the first thirty minutes of the movie. Then the plot would collapse.

The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank.