Since casting Scarjo at 17 was controversial should have used actresses like Ricci, Biel, Hatheway, Birch, Swain, Portman, Cuthbert, Alba ETC
Just to be clear if the context makes sense I don't mind actresses or the characters being young, but do think Coppola could have avoid all this if she cast somebody 19 or older?
Scar Jo had a nice ass in the opening of this movie, so I would've cast her too
shareIt wasn’t controversial until 20 years later. No one talked about her being 17. I didn’t even know this until your post. This is one of the most perfect movies. Sofia said 20 years later that she honestly didn’t think of the age gap at the time she made the movie. Her response - the movie’s already made. Plus, she thought Bill was lovable and only wanted him.
shareFirst i'm hearing of it too. And this has been one of my fave movies since it came out.
shareYou don't think it would have been better to make the character/actress 19-21 so people today wouldn't be just in complaining?
shareI don’t. And people were not complaining. I consider this to be one of the most perfect little movies ever. Don’t ever touch it. Don’t ever be sorry for it. We very seldom get such a movie. Certainly not today. And what’s your motive with this post.
shareThe only thing I can think of that could be controversial is the opening transparent knicker scene, which was copying a photograph (though these things invariably get taken out of context). I think Sofia pressured Scarjo into doing it, which is even worse when you consider her age.
Regarding the rest of the movie, she's never dressed overly sexy, kisses Bill exactly once (and nothing more), and doesn't look too young to play the character, who even has a mature attitude for 21. There's valid criticisms to be made about the movie (such as the "black toe" scene) but ultimately Scarjo's part is just a dramatic role and nothing scandalous. I'd say the scene where is upskirted in The Perfect Score (a year later) or gives oral sex to 46 year old Billy Bob Thornton (2 years earlier) are much worse.
Like the others have said, I don't remember this being an issue at the time the film was released as the age gap is one of the selling points of the movie.
"The only thing I can think of that could be controversial is the opening transparent knicker scene, which was copying a photograph (though these things invariably get taken out of context). I think Sofia pressured Scarjo into doing it, which is even worse when you consider her age."
"or gives oral sex to 46 year old Billy Bob Thornton (2 years earlier) are much worse."
Thats why I think it is best to go with actresses and that are 19-21 as well making the characters that age too in these kinds of roles unless you are trying to use somebody younger to show the horrors that teenage girls may face
I don’t think the knicker scene should have be used because of her age and her being uncomfortable with it. It’s a nice idea but wasn’t appropriate for the project. I think the rest of the movie is ok, no? It’s not a full on romance and the age is not done in a daddy kink way but more like two people feeling lost at different ages. It’s quite clear at the ending that they are not going to take things further.
In contrast, I don’t think they would be able to do the Billy Bob Thornton scene these days, even if you don’t see anything, the set-up is ick. I can’t believe Scarjo’s parents let her do that or the upskirting scene which might have been filmed when she was under 18. These definitely should have been played by adults.
If she was 18 would it be ok?
shareWhich one? The knicker one, no as she she didn't really want to do it but might be ok for someone else; the Billy Bob Thornton one, no as it's a minor lusting after an old man no matter how old the actress; the upskirting one, no to that too as she's playing a high school student. I suppose if she was 18 and playing an 18 year old character in the latter two then it would be ok.
shareI think she said the most perverse (to her) scene she ever did was in HER and this was audio. When you look at her career and just her as an actress, she seems very grounded and very smart and she doesn’t appear to be damaged in any way. It’s apparent that she comes from a good family environment. She trusted her directors. She’s made and continues to make great films and she takes risks. She did say she was sexualized early on because people didn’t know how young she actually was. But she continues to be sexualized even now. I did see the Coen movie with Billy Bob but can’t recall it. She went on to make Birdy with the Coens the next year and Travolta asked her a lot of personal questions. She was 2 weeks short of being 18 when Lost in Translation wrapped. The underwear (we don’t say knickers here) scene was Coppola’s vision that derived from a Jutta photograph by Kacere that Sofia wanted to include. I consider that movie a pure masterpiece. And don’t you dare touch it.
Movies were better then than they are now. Not only that, I think there are so many restrictions including financial ones that nobody can get a movie made. I think the two movies you mentioned wouldn’t have been any different if they had waited two months until she was 18. One of my favorite film of hers and one which happens to be disturbing is In Her Skin. I don’t even know how she found this movie to make. Bt she just makes more intelligent and controversial movies, as well as commercial ones, but to her credit she does take risks that other actresses don’t. (Except maybe for Poor Things.) Josh Hartnett said she’s a one off and she is. I don’t think she was or can ever be pushed into anything.
This is me, learning right now that Johansson was only 17 when she made this. Holy cow, is she a great actor. The character seems more like 20-22, and I figured Johansson was close (19 at least). The fact that she holds her own here makes me admire the performance even more.
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