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.

[–] diddymuck 14 years ago

If you've ever seen any actual prostitutes (haven't? check out a porn flick or two) you'll notice they aren't particularly ravishing either. In fact most of their charm comes from a makeup kit; the high priced ones may have a sort-of design style and poise about them, but wash off the paint and there's an inbred Tennessee hillbilly starin' ri-eat at cha. Streisand fit the part near ideally.

Neilsen was incredible as the gets-what-he-wants lunatic businessman. Seeing Mr. N in a non-comedic role was nostalgic; seeing the usually disarming nice guy go from distanced client into uncontrolled sadist before our eyes was almost too much to watch. Evidence of how underrated this wonderful, multifaceted actor was all through his life. RIP.

[–] denis-38 13 years ago

This is the best dramatic performance of Streisand's career. Still not perfect--she is not totally convincing when she cries, or attempts too much vulnerability. But she is excellent, and probably will never be better in a dramatic role.

However. It's not her looks that are the "problem." She looks attractive enough, has a good figure, and we can assume she (Claudia) is good in bed. The issue that critics and audiences could not get around was her age. 45! She didn't look 45. But everybody knew she was. And it seemed like extreme hubris to accept the role. It might have helped had there been a line or two thrown in that she wasn't a spring chicken, or perhaps if the writers had lowered her price a bit, and not offered her as this deluxe package? But it plays out as if Claudia is no older than 30, tops.

I saw "Nuts" when it was released, and as much as I admired her performance, I, too, kept thinking--"Come on, how old is she supposed to be?!" (And I admit cringing a bit when Dreyfuss comes across the "racy" pics of Claudia. Taken, I believe, years before, for one of Streisand's album covers.)

With the passage of time, with Barbra now coming up on 70, the movie looks much better, and deserves re-evaluation.

In any case, it is head and shoulders above "The Mirror Has Two Faces" which is a total embarrassment, save for Miss Bacall.

[–] stuffic 13 years ago

Not sure what age the writer intended her to be, but I totally bought that she was in her late 30s, maybe 40. Isn't there a "market" for sophisticated women? As for her going rate, all she needed was a reputation for being good at her job. I would imagine some middle-aged men might even request someone closer to their age.

I'd rather have a free bottle in front of me than a pre-frontal lobotomy.

[–] SataiDelen 12 years ago

Yeah, I saw this a long time ago, and again recently (several times), and I also thought she was only in her late thirties.

I think she's a wonderful actress. I don't care what others think about her. I also love her voice.

I've seen The Mirror Has Two Faces, and I liked this movie too (not her co-star, so much, but I liked everyone else that was in it).

In regard to someone's comment in this thread regarding "traditional beauty," I'd like to know just what that's supposed to mean, since technically there is no such thing. "Ideal Beauty" changes throughout time, depeding upon what SOCIETY considers beauty to be.

I remember while growing up, learning about Cleopatra. How she was supposed to be so beautiful, and how men fell at her feet. I've seen pictures of the real Cleopatra (drawings from Ancient Roman times), and she was not at all what would be considered beautiful by today's standards. However, at the time, what men found beautiful about her, was her poise, grace, confidence, and charm. She was ruler of Egypt at a time when Rome was ruled by men, and women were considered objects. She fascinated Caesar, and Antony, and many others because she was different from women they knew.

So, as others have said, beauty definitely is in the eye of the beholder.

Oh, and on a separate note, as a poster early on said, I too, could have EASILY done without seeing Nielson in his underwear. This was the first movie I'd seen him in that wasn't a comedy. It was very hard for me at first to accept him in this movie. Further, the first time I saw this movie, when I saw him, I kept trying to figure out whether this movie was supposed to be a comedy or not.

[–] freerun250 12 years ago

What makes you think call girls all look like Angelina Jolie or something?

[–] hodie 12 years ago

Ann Twomey was much better in the Broadway version. Streisand really suffers by comparison.
I have seen Neilsen play "heavies" in older films, but it always looks wrong to me after seeing The Baked Gun.

"Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?"

[–] filompra 11 years ago

Yeah, I agree. She was cast for the leading role 'cause she's the movie producer.

[–] andromache3 11 years ago

How old was her character supposed to be? Everyone keeps referring to her as a "girl" and she looks far too old to be called a girl.

Don't let anyone ever make you feel like you don't deserve what you want.

[–] Prismark10 11 years ago

I did think Miss Streisand was not right for the role and Leslie Nielsen made this before the Naked Gun films, it might had been his last dramatic role because it was always comedy roles from him after this.

Its that man again!!

[–] rc-108 9 years ago

this was my favorite Streisand role...
I thought she may have been a bit old for it...
but her acting was the best I have seen from her.