Date Posted:09:13:40 04/10/05 Sun Author:Judith Johnson Subject: I play Casting Director
Would really love to see Katherine made into a movie. I have loved this book since I was a girl and read it dozens of times. First of all, this would probably need to be produced by the BBC in order to get a movie that is true to the book.
Actually, it is almost exactly a Prince Charles and Camilla Parker type story except that they have children together. Funny how history can come full circle! The book begins when Katherine is 16 and John of Gaunt is 26 so remember the actors have to age 35 years or so to reach the resolution of their love story.
Katherine is astonishingly beautiful by 14th century standards, very slender with a heart shaped face, wide brow, pale skin and auburn hair but unconscious of the effect of her beauty (Ha). Actually both Nicole Kidman and Catherine Zeta-Jones physically resemble her but they are rather too old. Between Kiera Knightly and Natalie Portman, who are more age appropriate and astonishingly similar in features, I think I would choose Natalie Portman even though she is not English. The petite Portman is a simply wonderful actress and could certainly master the French and middle English accents. Maybe Zeta-Jones could stand in for her at the end.
Hawsie the maid is very important and I think the amazing Toni Colette would be so wonderful in that role or maybe Rene Zellweger.
My beloved John of Gaunt is tall, slender but muscular, blue eyes and golden blond hair, noble but quick tempered and quite a man with the ladies. Ewan McGregor fills the bill quite nicely plus he has that wonderful accent. Maybe Terrance Stamp could stand in at the end. That being said, I would think that Jonathan Rhys-Myer who was so wonderful in "Gormenghast" but is wasted in so many other roles could be a great choice also.
The lovely, virginal, blonde, gracious and noble Lady Blanche could be portrayed by Drew Barrymore or maybe Nicole. The skinny Spanish second wife could be played by Penelope Cruz or Selena Hayek but they would have to tone down the glamor.
Sir Hugh is an important but thankless role. Hugh is an insensitive, brutal and physically strong man, not very attractive man but he loves Katherine madly. Actually it is his love/lust that elevates her to the social standing of Lady, then he gets cuckolded, dysentary and murdered for his efforts. How about Russell Crowe (my favorite ugly guy)? Clive Owen would be great but he is probably too attractive although he glowers so nicely.
The director is very crucial. It is a romance yet there is a lot of improtant military and English history going on here. It needs to be someone who handles period pieces and human emotions very well. Religion is also plays an important motivator to the some of the characters. I'm sorry, not Mel Gibson who has gone totally off the deep end. David Mamet did a wonderful job on the "Winslow Boy" another period piece and I think he could capture the 14th century sensibilities very well. Chris and Paul Weitz who directed "About A Boy" are very good as are the Belgian brothers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenee (La Promesse). My choice might be Andy Wilson who directed "Gormenghast".
