MovieChat Forums > The Godfather Part III (1990) Discussion > I can't believe the sheeple who join the...

I can't believe the sheeple who join the absurd over-criticism of Sofia Coppola's performance

posted 7 years ago by Wuchak (8852)
47 replies | jump to latest

It wasn't a huge part and she did a fine job in the role. Does anyone seriously think Winona Ryder (who was too sick to perform) would have taken that peripheral part and done it any better?

I heard all the ridiculous criticism before viewing the film for the first time today and therefore kept waiting for a serious train wreck, but it never happened. Like I said, she did a fine job for a side character who's an unseasoned, slightly self-conscious, flirty teen.

To those who continue to rag on her performance: Get real.

[–] TMC-4 (20487) 2 years ago

The REEL Reason Sofia Coppola's Acting in the Godfather Part 3 is So Bad!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV7iElxJp58

[–] Wuchak (8852) 2 years ago

That's amusing.

But what's up with pronouncing Sofia so-FIH-ah? It's so-FEE-ah.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

I think this movie doesn't deserve all the negativity it gets.

SC's performance though, really wasn't that good.

[–] Boromir (10130) 2 years ago

The movie is great, not agree with the criticism.
Sofia didn't ruin the movie, but she's a less than average actress, almost without any emotions and facial expressions, and as some said before, she had zero chemistry with the other actors. Even if she was a side character, still her character was important to the storyline. Anyway, I blame the one who cast her. It's not her fault.

[–] Wuchak (8852) 2 years ago

Thanks for not jumping on the sheeple feeding frenzy. Sofia simply wasn't that bad in the role. She came across as exactly what her character is -- an unseasoned, slightly self-conscious, flirty teen with upfront vulnerability, simplicity and freshness.

I blame the one who cast her.

It was a tough situation for Francis on location in Italy. Winona Ryder physically collapsed a few weeks into shooting. Who was best to replace her on such short notice? Since Sofia was available and had a history with the Godfather saga -- playing an infant in "The Godfather" and an immigrant child in "The Godfather II" (just bit parts, of course) -- it made sense to cast her, especially since Francis knew her and knew he could work closely with her. In other words, he didn't have to waste energy adapting to a new personality on set. Does anyone seriously think that the other considerations for the part -- Madonna, Annabella Sciorra, or Laura San Giacomo -- would've fared much better? As far as Ryder goes, I'd take Sofia over her any day.

The critical feeding frenzy regarding Sofia's part is similar to the absurdly overkill criticisms of Cimino's "Heaven's Gate" a decade earlier. Little of the carping turned out to be true; it's actually a really good Western. The issue was behind-the-scenes politics, not the film itself.

Whether Sofia's performance was good enough is a matter of opinion. Ebert had professionally reviewed thousands of flicks by that time and didn't have a problem with Sofia in the role (see his defense of her performance at the 4:55 mark of this video with Gene Siskel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh7O4FKATWk, which features a clip of her supposedly atrocious performance so readers can see for themselves). One thing's for sure, Sofia was effective in the scene of Mary (Sofia) on the steps of the Palermo Opera House. Her stunned look as she asks, "Dad?" stays in the memory.

[–] Gd5150 (11965) 2 years ago

Perhaps people had their expectations too high after the first two.

I think it’s an enjoyable movie. Maybe not quite the classics the first two were.

Coppola’s performance is laughably bad. To a point it ruining the movie for some is understandable. It’s quite a distraction.

[–] Wuchak (8852) 2 years ago

I prefer it to Part II. Michael Corleone (Pacino) is too one-dimensional in Part II and is a more interesting character in Part III.

Meanwhile Sofia fit the part IMHO. I didn't see this supposedly atrocious performance; Roger Ebert felt the same way. I can't imagine the other contenders for the role -- Winona Ryder, Madonna, Annabella Sciorra and Laura San Giacomo -- faring much better.

[–] Melton (5560) 6 months ago

I can’t believe they seriously considered Madonna for the role, she radiates about as much purity and innocence as an overused dildo.

Sophia was well cast and did a fine job, the attacks on her are mindless, trendy bandwagon-jumping. Godfather III’s ending is a gut-wrenching finale to the whole saga and it works in part due to Sophia’s casting and performance.

[–] Wuchak (8852) 6 months ago

Yeah, Madonna would have to do some serious acting to pull it off.

[–] Tam87 (1596) 6 months ago

I can’t believe they seriously considered Madonna for the role, she radiates about as much purity and innocence as an overused dildo.

hahaha lol.

[–] VonFisch (354) 2 years ago

When this was released, my boyfriend at the time and I were huge fans of the Godfather I and II. We were very excited this was coming out. We were both disappointed how it was just not as good as the first two and I remember Sofia being a part of that disappointment. Very flat and blank expressions. When she dies in the end, her acting played a part in how big of a loss it was because we didn't like her character. I don't think we knew at first she was Coppola's daughter.

I'm glad it wasn't Winona Ryder, though. She would have played her usual character it seems she does in all her films. I enjoy her in those movies but it just doesn't fit in The Godfather. I don't think she fit well in Age of Innocence either, Coppola must like her.
Perhaps San Giacomo or Sciorra would have been better.
Madonna, no.

[–] Tam87 (1596) 6 months ago

She wasn't bad, she was just a scapegoat for the third movie paling in comparison to the legendary first two Godfathers.

The third movie suffered from many things, none bigger than the absence of Robert Duvall. It probably shouldn't have been made.

[–] Wuchak (8852) 6 months ago

It works for what it is, an epilogue to the saga.

[–] Tam87 (1596) 6 months ago

It's not a bad film.

Sofia also recovered ok after it to become a director. All's well.

[–] Aylmer (625) 4 months ago

I have a feeling that, like how THE THING went from critical and box office bomb to well-beloved classic of horror cinema, Sofia Coppola's performance in GFIII will go on to be re-evaluated and praised over time. I remember first seeing this film as a 20-something after years of hearing how awful she was and it just wasn't there. There were a few scenes where she came off as awkward and a little dull/flat perhaps, but that's exactly how you'd expect an average 19 year old to behave in a lot of those situations. I've tried my share of acting and worked on many B-movies with terrible actors and non-actors attempting to act, and it's a difficult job to get right. More often than not, bad actors will go way overboard and deliver lines in some kind of sing-song manner, fidget around unnaturally, or try too hard to be dramatic and then their performance looks embarrassing and 'false' on the screen. She went the other way and underplayed things more than overplayed, which was a smart choice.

While I'm no fan of nepotism at all, I do think it's sad how much criticism she's received over the years for her performance as it could very well have manifested into a lot of crippling psychological problems if she was any less resilient. I think a lot of the backlash against her was a lot of public frustration of how nepotistic Hollywood is, but let's not kid ourselves in a day when it seems like about 80% of Hollywood's stars are the child of someone else in the business.

[–] Tam87 (1596) 4 months ago

Agreed, I never saw anything that stood out majorly about her performance. I think she was a better choice than Winona Ryder, who would've played Winona Ryder instead of Michael's daughter.

George Hamilton gave a worse performance than Sofia. That guy is absolute cheese. Did not belong in a godfather movie. I can't believe they replaced Duval with him. He sucked.

[–] Foster1486 (633) 4 months ago

I think she played --- a spoiled brat --- very well

[–] Wuchak (8852) 4 months ago

That's a good way to put it.

[–] Foster1486 (633) 4 months ago

And she no doubt was at home BUT that is also how I saw her character

Others may have done better BUT she did well enough

Acting may have not been her forte but she wasn't as bad as everyone here thinks

[–] Wuchak (8852) 4 months ago

Exactly.