MovieChat Forums > Strangerland (2015) Discussion > Only one American in the cast!

Only one American in the cast!

posted 9 years ago by TxMike
8 replies | jump to latest

They are not playing fair. Look at all the Australian actors playing Americans in movie roles. It needs to be reciprocal. Why won't they hire more Americans for films like this which features Australian characters? I am evaluating what action I should take.

However I am amused by this critic who writes, " It has an admirable cast and enough of a hook to be semi-interesting, at least initially. But that’s where much of the appeal ends. The characters become more weird and annoying than relatable, and it’s difficult to muster sufficient empathy to actually care what happens to any of them. The story has much build up with very little reward and often drags.

On the other hand, if you’ve ever wondered what Nicole Kidman would look like wandering through the Australian outback buck naked, here’s your opportunity. "

And that review was written by a woman! 

..*.. TxMike ..*..
Make a choice, to take a chance, to make a difference.

[–] djk-389-240480 9 years ago

I wasn't aware that casting should conform to affirmative action.

[–] dianem1999 9 years ago

Who was the American? I saw all Australian actors except for Joseph Fiennes.

[–] TxMike 9 years ago

Nicole Kidman was born in the USA.

..*.. TxMike ..*..
Take a risk, Take a chance, Make a change. Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway

[–] greum-mac-uilleam 9 years ago

However, while she may have been born in Honolulu, her parents were both Australian visiting the USA on Education Visas. She grew up and was educated in Australia.

[–] ztheday-923-721356 9 years ago

Why would an Australian production for a film set in Australia cast American actors? This is an Australian film. You're either a troll or incredibly dense.

[–] elapid-24335 9 years ago

Because most other countries actors can act better than most American actors. House...English. Three of the main characters out of the Wire...English. I could go on. America has plenty of Hollywood glitzy celebs like the awful Tom Cruze and that annoying woman out of Fiends but very few accomplished actors. Plus other countries can do American accents no sweat. Americans can do Dick van Dyke. Owight Mawy Poppppins.

[–] TxMike 9 years ago

That's probably the most accurate answer. Foreign actors have to learn an American accent otherwise they wouldn't get many well-paying jobs. The reciprocal isn't true. And believe me, many of the "American accents" done by foreign actors are NOT very authentic, but they try! 

..*.. TxMike ..*..
Take a risk, Take a chance, Make a change. Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway

[–] fluffchop 9 years ago

When I hear Australian's doing American accents, and I mean the big names like Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman it's always slightly cringe-worthy. I'm Australian but as well as English and Australian programs we grew up with a hell of a lot of American TV and especially movies. I have a flare for accents and have a good ear for listening to how people speak.

Anyway, the real reason the better of the Australian actors end up in Hollywood is because they make a film which gets international recognition. And that opens a door for them to get work in American productions. Nicole, Mel and Russell got breaks with Dead Calm, The Road Warrior (in Australia it was called Mad Max) and Romper Stomper.

Even now days the state of Australian TV and cinema production is one of a very small industry. Basically America does TV and cinema better than anyone due to more experience doing it. The production values are higher, the talent pool is much larger, the budgets are higher. Australian movies always come off as a bit of an amateur hour affair by comparison.

Also the Australian accent is really quite broad, and not one that Americans or in fact most of the world hears constantly on the TV. Neighbours has a huge UK following so that is one exception, but that's just one half hour show five times a week.

So it's very much more natural for an Australian to mimic other accents as we all grew up hearing them, rather than the other way around.

Just my thoughts, not only to TxMike's comment but in general to this thread.

This movie felt very comfortable for me, in terms of, it wasn't an embarrassment to watch. But consider the two leads, they've each spent enough time around Hollywood to get their acting chops down and know what a proper production is all about.

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Scientologists love Narnia, there's plenty of closet space.