MovieChat Forums > Nuts (1987) Discussion > Bad Casting!

Bad Casting!

posted 22 years ago by crazyhellboy
39 replies | jump to latest

This movie was recomended to me by an ex-girlfreind, but I think it was to punish me. The movie itself is intense and not too bad but the casting. Come on! Barbara Striesand as a high class call-girl? She doesn't exude the charm or sexuality that men would pay $300 to get. Not to mention that one of her customers was played by Leslie Neilsen (of the Naked Gun series) must have been some cruel joke by casting. Really, if people that looked like Babs made $300 from oral sex, prostitution would be the most overcrowded occupation in the country.

[–] matttedford2000 20 years ago

i think she plays a great role, by the ways its b a r b r a, and i found the performance really moving, and dont forget the fact the fact that some men may find her different kind of beauty attractive!

[–] Treg1980 20 years ago

I totally agree with you Matttedford2000; Barbra's performance WAS moving. This movie deserved so much to be a huge smash.
Okay, it wasn't. But hey, at leaat there are people like you and me who appriciate this movie!
Barbra should have made so much more movies, she's really ood in movies. And she is in my opinion a beautiful woman. Not in the way Nicole Kidmann, or Julia Roberts are, but in a different way. Maybe even more classy way!

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] ijonesiii 19 years ago

I must concur that Barbra gives an amazing performance in this film and I must also concur with the statement that one woman's ugly most definitely could be another man's sexy.

[–] Isaac5855 18 years ago

I agree...beauty is in the eye of the beholder and just because Barbra is ot attractive to you, it doesn't mean that she's not attractive to someone. I think Streisand was very believable in this role.

[–] nitratestock35 19 years ago

Yes there is a point that Babs might not have the kind of sexy aura sought after by well paying customers, but she has an inner beauty and depth which makes the role as a whole very, very convincing. Men in her live abused her simply because they felt attracted and inferior (I'm no Freud nor Jung but that's easy to understand). No matter how hard I try, I couldn't imagine any better choice for the role at the time. Glenn Close? Yeah, perhaps. Suzan Sarandon? Yeah maybe.... And then again: Nah (sorry, no offense to these wonderful actresses).

I guess now (not back in 1987 of course) Charlize Theron could pull it off because she is highly talented, absolutely not an airhead, and definitely a babe - but that would be a totally different movie with a totally diffent tone.

As for Leslie Nielsen: he still wasn't known for his straight faced parodies back in 1987 - he actually was a suave leading man. O.K. he had mde 'Airplane!' back in 1980 but he was also the lead in Forbidden Planet and the Captain in 'Poseidon Adventure (1972)'. Not such a bad choice back then.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] nitratestock35 19 years ago

Agreed 100%.

Please let me add my thoughts:
1) Barbra has "the" voice (I am unable to write that without getting the goosebumps) not only when she sings, but also when she talks. Imagine that silky/honey-sweet voice telling you everything you want to hear. Yep, worth a million bucks. She actually does that to the D.A. and it works.
2) Barbra is anything but ugly. I respect her too much as a human being to see her/question her as a sex symbol but why shouldn't I get into details? O.K. here I go: Her hair, her skin, her graceful movements, etc. etc. - just beautiful. When she walks into that hotel bar (lounge, whatever) accompanied by sweet piano music, to meet her 'trick'(L. Nielsen): man does she have class!

So Babs fulfills the requirements for the 'call girl' part of the role. Of course she fulfills the requirements for the role in its entire context 100%.

No further questions, your honor.

O.K. just my 2C.... :-)

[–] Treg1980 19 years ago

Amen to that nitratestock35!!!

[–] the_princess_of_tides 18 years ago

Barbra has erotisism - and there's not many actresses you can say that about. I totally believed her in this movie. Maureen Stapleton and Karl Malden were also very well cast. NUTS is a great movie, and it deserves more appreciation.

[–] sign543 18 years ago

Nail. Head. Bang. Great post!

[–] Isaac5855 18 years ago

Excellent post and I agree with every word.

[–] Isaac5855 18 years ago

Maureen Stapleton and Richard Dreyfuss were outstanding.

Yes, they were, but I've always been of the belief that Stapleton was incapable of giving a bad performance. I miss her so much.

[–] Isaac5855 18 years ago

Thank you for defending Streisand's work in this film. It is the best performance of her career, case closed.

[–] sign543 18 years ago

Oh, I disagree. While Barbra may not have conventional beauty as most understand it, she does exude a lot of sensuality and sexuality in her expressions, words, body movements...and she does dress up very well. I thought she was exceedingly believable in this role.

Leslie Nielson also did a tremendous job here. I saw this before I knew of him as a comedian and he played the murderous, raging "John" very well, IMHO.

I think it's hard sometimes for Streisand to blend into a role because it's her...she's almost too big for her own roles. But, I think she pulled it off well here. Her acting was phenomenal.

[–] Isaac5855 18 years ago

While Barbra may not have conventional beauty as most understand it, she does exude a lot of sensuality and sexuality in her expressions, words, body movements...and she does dress up very well. I thought she was exceedingly believable in this role.

Thank you so much for sharing this...I get so sick of posts about Barbra's physical appearance and how ugly she is and how she's not a traditional beauty. Barbra has all the money in the world and if she had wanted to get her nose fixed, she could have done it but she didn't because it gives her face a uniqueness that no other female in Hollywood can match. And yes, she does clean up beautifully when she wants to...I think she looked absolutely stunning in WHAT'S UP, DOC?, THE WAY WE WERE, ON A CLEAR DAY, and in this film too. I don't think Barbra ever infused a movie character with more sexuality than she did with Claudia Draper in NUTS.

[–] tinoynk 16 years ago

Barbara Streisand is one of the most entirely unappealing women in show business. Good move casting Karl Malden as her father, since that giant schnozz seems to run in the family. In fact, I think Karl Malden's nose is actually more attractive than Babs', if you can believe that. And whoever said she has a good voice must be deaf. I'd only pay $300 for her to blow me if the other option was to hear her sing, just so I wouldn't have to hear that god awful voice.

Terrible film.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] markfilipak 15 years ago

tinoynk,

Did you actually see this film? Arthur Kirk (Karl Malden) was Claudia's stepfather.

Regarding the rest of your vitriol, go away you pathetic troll.

Interested in collaborative work on a new type of film rating system? Contact me

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Isaac5855 18 years ago

I have to admit I could have gone through the rest of my life without seeing Leslie Nielsen in his underwear.

[–] narrnia-1 17 years ago

i think that barbra s perfomance was moving and that she was believeble in the role..but if someone sees only the looks barbra was 45 whae she performed the role of the call girl..

[–] Draac 15 years ago

Leslie Nilsen was perfect in the roll. A milky, white, sleezy pervert, that Barbabra could only stand if he paid here for sex. Much like her father in her earlier years.

Draac
On The Beach in Revere, Ma

[–] hingleyc 17 years ago

People would pay $300 just to hear sing 1 song.

[–] diddymuck 17 years ago

Streisand has charm, poise, presentation, wit and a great body. Those more than compensate her somewhat exaggerated features. $300 bucks is about right.

Leslie Nielson was brilliant in this role! His tough guy demeanor so often seen in the 60's was paid a surprising visit; this combined with his perchant for comedy made his performance even more terrifying! An actor today associated with comedy becomes a violent maniac at the press of the wrong button...

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] bitherwack 15 years ago

You forget that tons of people are willing to just hear someone 'who looks like that' sing for more like $500.

It has made her a very rich woman.

To each his own.

[–] stuffic 15 years ago

I wonder how old the OP is. I bet he is relatively young.

They were not 20-somethings. As you get older, 'conventional good looks' get lower on your list of requirements. Manner, style, sexual confidence, conversation, etc. are attractive to older people. And you can imagine a call girl would have those traits in abundance.

On paper, I didn't think that Babs could pull this role off, but she did really well. She played those scenes perfectly.

"We don't use the word 'insane'. We prefer the term 'mentally hilarious'".

[–] 15 years ago

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