No way that fat kid grew up to be that guy, theres just no way. In the old mini series the fat kid growing up to be John Ritter was believable cause John was kinda chunky in it and didn't look like a freaking model.
But just looking at kid Ben's face and seeing adult Ben its like 2 different people, completely different features and acted very different.
You're the first one to say ANY of the casting is off. Besides, Ritter was poorly casted, as was everyone in the miniseries. I think the book's description of adult Ben was matched in this movie.
You live in a bubble don't you? I mean we've all probably know people that grew up and looked completely different from when they were 12.
Easy example? Jerry O'Connell. Fat kid growing up, chiseled handsome fellow later in life. Jeff Cohen from Goonies, Ethan Hawk from The Gate. Look at them when they were in their 20's-30's.
Jerry O'Connell lol i knew someone was gonna bring him up, yeah he lost weight and became a handsome dude, BUT i can still see he's the kid from Stand By Me when i really look at him, same for the other examples you listed. I don't see even a hint of Ben in the adult actors face, nothing looks even remotely close to the kids facial features, not the eyes, not the nose, not the mouth, nothing..
I mean just look at the adult actor they got to play Eddie, the similarities was unreal, he had the same eyes, same eyebrows, same narrow stare, same thin mouth, he legit looked like a grown up version of Eddie. Other than Beverly and Eddie everyone else didn't look at all like their younger characters.
So the casting wasn't 100% perfect! Unlike Richie, Eddie, Stan, Bev and Mike, I don't think for one moment that Bill looks anything like his younger self, he looks like James McAvoy!
I think the problem you have with Ben is that the child Ben tended to squint, and adult Ben doesn't. Am I right?
Look at the kids who came out in The Shining or the protagonist in the Chocolate Factory film from the 70s, they are unrecognizable from what they used to look like.
Yeah, I think OP is just overreacting cause it's an ugly duckling-swan story, but if they saw an age-up casting like this in other movie, they'd just dismiss it.
Yeah, I tend to agree. I think it is mainly the two different noses. The kid has a wider more upturned nose than the adult actor. Also, the kid seemed to have a very pasty-white complexion compared to his adult counterpart.
Yeah, and people also get plastic surgery. I'm surprised you haven't mentioned that one.
I won't say it isn't possible for a transformation like that, but it is definitely a stretch. Of course it is easy to point things out when you already know for a fact that they are two different people, so arguing that they are the same person is kind of pointless.
It happens. The ugly duckling becomes a swan. Also I think they were referencing Stand By Me and Verne. At 11 he was a chunky kid w/c he lost around 12 when he started puberty and grew up 6'2" model-ish looking. He ended up married with 2 kids to Rebecca Romijn (Mystique in Xmen) who loved Stand By Me as a kid and had a huge crush on River Phoenix.