MovieChat Forums > The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) Discussion > Bonfire of the Vanities--audition for Ma...

Bonfire of the Vanities--audition for Maria

posted 18 years ago by I_have_a_brain_cloud
11 replies | jump to latest

In Devil's Candy (really a great book if you're interested in movies), there is a quite detailed description of the auditions for the role of Maria. For those many people who can't stand Melanie Griffith in this movie (including moi), it's interesting to know that Uma Thurman and Lena Olin were both rejected. Tom Hanks was the one who particularly wanted Melanie. Too bad, I think Lena Olin would have been amazing, might have notched the quality of the movie up quite a bit.

away from the things of man, away from the things of man

[–] bradelli 18 years ago

Melanie Griffith has great tits!

[–] www.wedd 18 years ago

She had a tit job halfway through filming, messing up De Palma's continuity. She turned up and supposedly rubbed them in his face, and asked how he liked them.

Charm: "The power or quality of pleasing or delighting"

[–] tj_lopez 18 years ago

I really enjoyed Melanie as a hottie bitch woman, I think she always plays good this role.

Uma Thurman was too young then, and for me, this woman IS NOT atractive!! with this froggy eyes.. noo.

And Lena Olin could be Ok, but Malanie was a bigger name; the year before she had been nomitated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe; and she had allready worked 6 years before with De Palma in the irregulary 'Body Double' with excelent critics for her (not for the movie) and another Golden Globe nomination, so I guess De Palma trusted in her too, not just Hanks.

[–] MoreBS 18 years ago

I think Olin would've seemed to intelligent for the role.

"VIVA TRANSSEXUAL, ANIMAL, DIGI-ANIMATION!"

[–] bokibongbing 15 years ago

"I think Olin would've seemed to intelligent for the role. "

NOT ATALL. A huge problem with the movie is that Maria is played so dumb. In the novel she's intelligent, and that makes sense of the story.

WHY would Sherman, a succesful and intelligent man, bother having an affair with this idiotic irritating girl?

Also, his wife Judy is supposed to be a skeletal society bitch and Maria is supposed to be an awesomely sexy younger woman - but in the movie Kim Cattrall is every bit as beautiful and sexy as Melanie Griffith, so that doesn't make sense either.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ThingyBlahBlah3 14 years ago

I second braincloud's recommendation; "The Devil's Candy" is a terrific book. Read it and you'll learn a lot about how movies are put together, and how something as sure-fire as "The Bonfire of the Vanities" can turn out to be such a train wreck.

I think either Michelle Pfeiffer or Annette Bening would have been perfect for Maria. I understand that Pfeiffer was offered the role but turned it down. I would have bought Uma Thurman, although I wonder if she wasn't too young back in 1990.

I finally watched the movie this week, and while it was a mess, it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, probably because I've been building its presumed awfulness to epic proportions in my mind for so many years. And Melanie Griffith was way hotter than I expected her to be.

_______________________
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'If it ain't, it'll do till the mess gets here.'

[–] worldofbong 13 years ago

Annette Bening is probably the only choice in this thread I have to say would've been better than Griffith (she played a pretty convincing sexpot in the Grifters around the same time)

Melanie Griffith just so epitomizes that type of girl, she IS that type of girl.

I've just never found Sela Ward or Uma Thurman "sexy" first of all, and they just don't seem like the types (even on screen) that would go along with being a mistress, maybe not submissive enough of a personality or something, and not good at portraying it because that sensibility is so alien to them.

Also I think Griffith was a bit type cast as the sexy bimbo at this point, so she was practically just walking into the role. The only thing was she didn't really need to act, she should've just played herself and brought it down a bit.

..or at least I think so lol http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-JphygYybU

[–] cookiela2001 12 years ago

Melanie Griffith is okay in this, and Yes, Hanks and Willis are MISERABLY miscast. It should have been William Hurt (though he was too old) (?) and practically anyone else for the role of the author.

Lolita Davidovich was also considered for the role of Maria. I don't know who should have played it. Maybe Demi Moore (who's actually been quite good in a FEW things, like Mortal Thoughts...but isn't usually terribly good.) (Also, not famous for having a sense of humor.)

The movie's sense of "humor" is pretty lame on it's own, though...so maybe they shouldn't have even tried to insert one. I don't remember the book as being particularly funny. It was kind of more...tense.
.

[–] kay_cee_d 10 years ago

I think Demi Moore or Michele Pfeiffer would've been perfect for Maria

[–] SnoozeAlarm 12 years ago

De Palma had used Melanie before and he has a major tendency to use the same actors over again, so that may have been a strong factor.

I cried because I had no shoes üntil I met a man with no sole. ~ Ancient Disco Proverb