MovieChat Forums > A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006) Discussion > Eric Roberts - Miscast???

Eric Roberts - Miscast???

posted 17 years ago by jesselodge
10 replies | jump to latest

Ok, so if this movie is supposed to take place in 1986 I found it hard to believe that 20 years later Antonio could be played by Eric Roberts. Isn't he like 50 years old? So that would mean he would have been in his 30s when this movie was taking place.

I like the guy but when they showed him as Antonio in the present time I couldn't get beyond that. They should have used a different actor to play the adult Antonio.

But I liked the movie because I thought it was a good coming of age film. At least that is my take.

[–] iamsam103 17 years ago

yea...i could understand that Antonio was older than the other kids, but that would mean he'd have to be 32is when the others were coming up to 20.

I like the guy, as you said, but it was a tad ridiculous seeing him as that character

[–] justinemac 17 years ago

he was old for the part, I agree. I don't know Eric Roberts' exact age but I think he *looks* forties and could convincingly play anyone who was in their 40s. But no, he does not look 32-33. (It was supposed to be 15 years that had passed, right? And Dito was about 16, so I'm assuming Antonio was the same, although for all I know he could have been a few years older. But even if Antonio was 20 at the start of the film - that would make him 35 in the later scene...but yeah...Eric looked too old...)

Although I kind of chalked it up to the fact that maybe prison had aged him and made him look rough beyond his years. And I *did* think that there was somewhat of a physical resemblance between Channing and Eric, enough so that I could believe Eric as an older Antonio.

[–] serrabaixa 17 years ago

Yeah, you are right. He is old for the role, and he doesn´t look like Channing

[–] justinemac 17 years ago

No, actually I thought Eric and Channing did look somewhat alike. I don't know if it's a real resemblance or just a similar intensity in their faces. But for that reason, he was believable to me as the older Antonio.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Screenwriter_Brandi 16 years ago

prison life aged him

exactly. that's what they were going for.

I'm not prejudiced. I hate all stupid people.

[–] phillycaesar 16 years ago

"Prison life aged him"

This is what I was going to say. Antonio spent some 15+ years in prison; having Eric Roberts portray him in the present gives the impression he did some hard time.

[–] yavanian 16 years ago

I thought Downey was too old to be honest. I'm thinking he was 18-ish when he left. That would make him 33 in the adult scenes. He's a great actor, but can't hide the fact that he about 8 years too old when the film was shot. So even though they say it's been 15 years it feels like 25. And I think it really hurts the scenes with the parents. They seemed to be aging too slow in comparison.

That said, I think Roberts still looked too old. It's too bad. I love to see him working. And if the film were made 10-15 years earlier he would be PERFECT for the older Antonio. I really think there is a sort of likeness. I'm not buying the whole "prison aged him" argument, although that was probably the way they rationalized the choice.

[–] trouts 16 years ago

Antonio seemed to be the oldest of the group.
As said in the movie 15 years passed.
They were about 20 years old (I suppose)
Robert Downey Jr. was around 40 at the time.
So he's, in fact, a lot older too.
In Eric Robert's case it was very noticeable,
but it wasn't terrible.
I loved the film.

=============
"Now you got some real tears going.
That's the stuff accolades are made of."

[–] ruff_ryder164 16 years ago

I think Eric Robert's at the end looked a lot like Antonio's father.