Tiptoes : Why didn't they…

Why didn't they…

I wonder why they didn't use a real dwarf instead of Gary Oldman? I mean, he does a fine enough job, but I don't think it's particularly a role that needed someone of that caliber. More importantly though, is that it just looks odd. His body is much too long for that of a dwarf, and I was too distracted with paying attention to how they were hiding his non-dwarfness behind things and with special effects (In one shot you can clearly see he's walking on his knees, his lower legs and feet dragging behind him supposedly covered by a coffee table). It just seemed very gimmick driven.

I didn't know that was Gary Oldman

I watched the movie (and am a fan of Gary Oldman) and no time during it did I know that was either Gary Oldman or not a real dwarf. Did you know before seeing it? because maybe if the whole time you're looking for how they hid his not-being-a-dwarfness, you were distracted by it. It is weird that they didn't use a real dwarf. Maybe they couldn't find a dwarf who was a good enough actor. I'm not trying to diss dwarves, I'm not saying they can't act in principal, but there are not that many of them so maybe the ones who auditioned just couldn't get the part right. Gary Oldman is a really good actor for a reason.

Re: I didn't know that was Gary Oldman

I rented it because I read that Gary Oldman was playing a dwarf and I said "What?? Need to see that..." So yeah, I knew about it before watching the movie.. I suppose if you don't know about it, it might not be so distracting, but going into the movie knowing that it was definetly a huge distraction. When I went to see Kung-pow the first time in theatres I missed the first 5 minutes and my friend and I didn't know that it was an old chinese movie with an actor pasted into the scenes. Watching it after knowing that you can definetly tell, but the first time through I thought it was just intentionally goofy (as it mostly was).
Peter Dinklage is a pretty good dwarf actor (he was the french guy in this movie, and was the main character in The Station Agent) and I think he could probably have played the part. It just seemed like such a huge gimmick, having Gary Oldman play the dwarf.

Re: I didn't know that was Gary Oldman

I agree Peter Dinklage is an awesome actor and really good in the movie, but I don't know if he could play the Gary Oldman part. Gary Oldman's character was (I don't want to sound pretentious) subtle sympathetic and super realistic. Gary Oldman is in my opinion one of the best actors and I doubt that Peter Dinklage at this point in his career would have done as good as a job. I don't think it was a gimmick having Gary Oldman play the dwarf, just a matter of the right actor for the roll. Or maybe I'm wrong.

Re: I didn't know that was Gary Oldman

Peter Dinklage certainly could have played that part (have you actually seen the Station Agent?) but he was sooo brilliant as Maurice (as Peter is in everything!). Thanks to all of you non-believers in cinematique today...did you buy John Leguiziamo as Toulouse-Lautrec in Moulin Rouge? Oldman was convincing enough that I thought it was a dwarf actor with the same name (questioning the SAG name laws)...they are ACTORS ACTING...what a challenge for Gary. Yes it could've been played by a dwarf actor but if you get the whole point of the movie, DOES IT REALLY MATTER???

Post deleted

This message has been deleted.

Post deleted

This message has been deleted.

Re: Why didn't they…

I don't think the waist shots and all that sh!t were repeditive, if you didn't know he wasn't a dwarf you never would have focused on it. The person I watched it with didn't know that was Gary Oldman either and we didn't get distracted by that sh!t. Maybe all the dwarfs who auditioned sucked.

Re: Why didn't they…

I didn't know Gary Oldman but it bugged me the whole way through that he didn't have characteristics of dwarfism AT ALL. So I got online after the DVD ended and learned that he's Gary Oldman and that he's NOT (duh) a dwarf. How ridiculous for him to be in that role. I imagine that if I were a dwarf (and especially if I was an actor) that I would be miffed to say the least. And I do think that Peter Dinklage could have done that role. He was great in the role he played but since I saw him in STation Agent I think he's fabulous and I hope there will be more great opps for him in the film industry.

Re: Why didn't they…

It didn't bother me at all that he was playing a dwarf although so few films are made about dwarves it would have been generous to give the part to a little person for authenticity sake. However the only thing that struck me was if he was the McCanaugheys' twin woudn't it have been wiser to have dyed their hair the same colour or made them look just a little more alike ? Speaking of McCanaughey his diction was so poor I had to pause the DVD several times to understand what he said.

Re: Why didn't they…

Don't blame Matt, blame the sound crew/editing.
There were several times in the film where the sound was just bad...

Post deleted

This message has been deleted.

Re: Why didn't they…

Yes, And the Moveie the Red Balloon would have won an Oscar!!! Jerry Lewis Rules!!!!

Re: Why didn't they…

Gary Oldman WAS really good in this movie. I can't say that I thought the movie was spectacular but it was half-decent to say the least. It didn't really bother me that I knew Oldman wasn't a dwarf cuz Hollywood pulls that stuff all the time (i.e. Lord of the Rings). Oldman is a good enough actor to pull it off and i only really noticed things because i was subconsciously looking for them. Dinklage is a great actor (loved the station agent) and could've proabably played Olman's part if he wanted to, but i think he would've brought something different to the part that may not have been right for it. But if he was really adament about the whole dwarf thing, he probably would've said something...doesn't bother him, doesn't bother me

if i ever leave this world alive, i'll thank you for the things you did in my life

Re: Why didn't they…

I only saw the last 20 minutes and couldn't get past the stiff plastic baby that suddenly became a live baby that turned back into a stiff plastic baby again. Poorly done.

Re: Why didn't they…

The way movie financing works is that investors usually give the filmmakers money to make a movie based on the likelihood of the movie being a financial success. One of the main ways investors and film companies use to attempt to predict if a movie will be successful or not is the track record and popularity of the cast. It may very well have been the case that the movie would not have been made without Oldman's name "attached" to it.

That said, they shouldn't have made it anyway!
Top