MovieChat Forums > The Watcher (2000) Discussion > Keanu not wanting to make this movie

Keanu not wanting to make this movie

posted 21 years ago by janinew
16 replies | jump to latest

I also thought this was a good movie...just happened upon it one day as I was channel-surfing.
Later, I read somewhere that Keanu did not want to do this movie, but that his roommate had signed the contract fraudulently and he couldn't back out.
I have no idea if this is true, but I just hate it when stars say awful things about a movie they've made if it gets bad reviews or the audience draw is poor.
I think he should be proud of this movie...he has certainly been in worse ones...and I think he was a better actor in this role than in others.
Anyone agree?

[–] lanna 21 years ago

This is the only film that I've ever thought Keanu was any good in. He actually acted in this.

(I include the Matrix in above comment, that was more special effects)

[–] neil_mc 21 years ago

Well it is rather babyish of Reeves to act in such a manner towards a film. He threw his rattle out of his pram so far that he had to "abstain from bad-mouthing the film in interviews". Oh, shut up crying Reeves you idiot.

[–] bir_sey 21 years ago

What I've heard (second-hand) is that the director was a friend of Keanu's, and that was why he had agreed to play a small part in it. His character was supposed to be a flash-back and he was to appear in only a few scenes. But once the shooting was over, the director re-wrote the script, stabbing Keanu on his back, and ruining the whole movie.

[–] nicola109 21 years ago

i think that he agreed on a small fee for small bits, but when he found out james and marisa's fee, he tried to back out, coz sam had written morre scenes, for same amount of money, so he did it, but didnt like it, he didnt even show up to the premiere

... Passion rules us all. And we obey.........

[–] morbidangel897 20 years ago

Well, maybe he shouldn't 'cry' about it (where the hell did you hear he was complaining about it, anyway?) , but I mean, if you were an actor, and you
had to do a movie that thought would put a bad turn on your career (when your
career didn't start off as well as his), and, a role like this was a risky move (starting out or continuing your career), wouldn't you be mad?

I think all that is one sentence... hmm... I'll have to work on that.

I mean, come one, it's different when you're an actor and you have to do work you don't wanna do.

[–] Kazorek 20 years ago

you should watch permanant damage, its one of his first staring roles and he does a great job of acting in it. its a drama too, so no special effects.

[–] anjean31 16 years ago

The movie is called "Permanent Record" (1988)

[–] hxrd-1337 15 years ago

He didn't act. He doesn't know what that term even means. He's always the same.

[–] arctic_tardis 13 years ago

WATCH THE MOVIE BEOFRE YOU SPURT OFF THE TIRED ONE LINER. keanu can act, he isnt the best actor in world but he is definitely able to make most people suspend belief while he's on screen. This whole bad acting thing goes back to the character he played in Bill and Ted, he will never be able to shake that image of a stupid, talent-less hack, but that was only a character, that he played too well maybe.

[–] wrathofyeti-1 21 years ago

Third-billed Keanu Reeves gave his verbal agreement to director Joe Charbanic several years before production started, after reading his original script. With his involvement, the filmakers were later able to attract a bigger cast and budget than originally envisioned, and Reeves' part (originally meant as little more than a cameo) was substantially rewritten to feature him more prominently. Reportedly Keanu Reeves, who would be paid scale while his costars James Spader and Marisa Tomei would get $1,000,000 paychecks tried to drop out of the film but eventually changed his mind (apparently influenced by the legal precedent of the Kim Basinger /Boxing Helena (1993) debacle). He eventually agreed to do the picture and abstain from bad mouthing it in interviews on the condition that his involvment in the film be downplayed in all promotional material for the film, including trailers.

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] 21 years ago

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[–] napalm_squirrel 19 years ago

I'm sure that all the money he has from before prob helped him get over this situation.

BTW, aint i strange that 2 people be looking at such a minor thread at the same time?

[–] funspbycynthia-1 16 years ago

The situation was a little unfair to Keanu. I could see his point. I'm glad he did it though.

~Lou Costello's last words- That was the best ice cream soda I ever tasted~

[–] MWallace77 16 years ago

I'm glad he did it, it was a good film. Keanu acted like a big baby about it and he probably threw his weight around and ended Joe's career.

[–] Capnamerica07 16 years ago

i dont' see how complaining when you get screwed over is acting like a big baby, and i really doubt he ended Joe's career, i'm sure when word got out that he screwed over Keanu like that nobody wanted to work with him.

You will all taste oblivion... Which tastes like Red Bull.... Which is disgusting!