When under hypnosis, Prot says that it's 1985 and Robert Porter (aka Pete) is 17. That means that in 1996 he is 28. And in the film he currently would be 33. That is an OLD looking 33. Kevin Spacey at the time of filming was 42.
Did the filmmakers overlook this? Or did they say "F it. We got Kevin Spacey and we're not changing the age of the character"?
"How am I not myself?" Brad, I Heart Huckabees
The newspaper article claims that Porter was 29 at the time of his death, so you are off by a year. Still, the character does look older as Spacey was older as you pointed out.
I guess it can be explained if you wanted that he made a living as a butcher (of sorts), a both physical and emotional draining job plus the fact that he went thru that horrific trauma with the murder & rape of his wife and child. Stuff like that does leave a physical mark, has had a hard life and lived in New Mexico a dry and hot place that doesn't do wonders to your skin.
Okay I'd take that. But then why did he look exactly the same in the flashback? Make Spacey lose a few pounds, give him a shave and put a toupee on the guy to try and make him at least appear younger.
If anonymity's a drug, who's the pusher?
Yeah, that's a harder one to explain.
The only semi-plausable explanation I can give is that it's not really a flashback but a re-enactment of the crime from the imagination and perspective of Doctor Powell. If I'm not mistaken the flashback scenes take place as the doctor enters the house where the crime was committed with the Sheriff telling him the story. The flashback scenes could be taking place in the mind of Powell.
If that's the case I don't find it far fetched that the Doctor would imagine Porter looking more or less the same in his imagination.
Maybe I'm grasping for straws, I don't know. I'm not really an apologist for this movie, I found it really good and entertaining but not perfect, so if it's just lazy special effects or easily avoided plot holes in flashback scenes, I'm fine with that explanation too. Still always fun to speculate :)
The only semi-plausable explanation I can give is that it's not really a flashback but a re-enactment of the crime from the imagination and perspective of Doctor Powell. If I'm not mistaken the flashback scenes take place as the doctor enters the house where the crime was committed with the Sheriff telling him the story. The flashback scenes could be taking place in the mind of Powell.
The original plan was that Will Smith was to play Prot and Kevin Spacey Dr. Mark Powell. When Smith pulled out of the role, Spacey decided to play Prot.
Will Smith is 9 years younger than Kevin Spacey, so you're spot on.
Just imagine Will Smith as Prot, after having seen what Kevin Spacey in the part. Ouch.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0272152/trivia?ref_=tt_ql_2
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