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Who could have starred in Postcards From The Edge?

What if Meryl hadn't been available? Who could have played Suzanne Vale, the Carrie Fisher stand-in, and held her own opposite Shirley MacLaine in the film version of Fisher's novel?

by Anonymousreply 89March 8, 2022 3:19 AM

This is the only role that ever made me think, “Jamie Lee Curtis would be good in this.”

I imagined her when I was reading the book.

by Anonymousreply 1October 15, 2021 6:51 PM

DL Nemesis Deb Winger was born to play this role!

by Anonymousreply 2October 15, 2021 7:10 PM

Miss Sally Field would’ve been great but not with MacLaine as her mother. Too bad Roz Russell had died. Great pairing!

by Anonymousreply 3October 15, 2021 7:46 PM

Sigourney Weaver, with Bea Arthur as the mom.

by Anonymousreply 4October 15, 2021 7:47 PM

If the story had been transported to France, Isabelle Adjani would have slayed.

by Anonymousreply 5October 16, 2021 1:37 AM

Janet Leigh wanted to do this movie with her daughter Jamie Lee, but I don't think she was ever in the running.

by Anonymousreply 6October 16, 2021 3:47 AM

Melanie would have been good. She'd just worked with Nichols on Working Girl and she would have a lot of personal experience to draw from.

by Anonymousreply 7October 16, 2021 3:57 AM

Love this movie, seen it at least 100 times. Just perfection. Jessica would have been too old, Meryl already was, really. Michelle was much too beautiful, Suzanne Vale had an insecurity problem because she was the frumpy daughter living in the shadows of her larger-than-life mother. Maybe Grey could've tapped into that insecurity considering she was kind of a dog face before her nose job.

by Anonymousreply 8October 16, 2021 4:14 AM

I saw it once and hated it (except for that moment when the camera was looking up Dennis Quaid's underpants.

I don't think drug addiction is funny and worthy of being celebrated as a source of humour.

All the characters (except Gene Hackman and the doctors) were sloppy, decadent and unprofessional. Miss Meryl was annoyingly tick...tick .. tick and was supposedly falling apart yet still spent half the movie in a skintight black police uniform.

by Anonymousreply 9February 25, 2022 10:26 PM

I never believed Streep as an LA chick. I think Geena Davis could have been good.

by Anonymousreply 10February 25, 2022 10:29 PM

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

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by Anonymousreply 11February 25, 2022 10:30 PM

Yes, R10 Geena Davis had the sensuousness to play a drug addict, but everything about Streep/Gummer is hard, technical, and calculating ulterior motives.

by Anonymousreply 12February 25, 2022 10:33 PM

Madonna is the only one listed who is not an actress.

by Anonymousreply 13February 25, 2022 10:35 PM

Vivian Vance

by Anonymousreply 14February 25, 2022 10:36 PM

Catherine O’Hara

Only two years older than Carrie Fisher.

Beetlejuice came out in 1988; Home Alone and Postcards both came out in 1990, so audiences were primed to see more Catherine on the big screen.

Has red hair and blue, squinty eyes like Shirl.

Meryl’s good friend in real life, so she would have approved.

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by Anonymousreply 15February 26, 2022 2:29 AM

Debra Winger would be the perfect choice. Lose MacLaine, replace her with Ann Bancroft, that's perfection.

by Anonymousreply 16February 27, 2022 4:32 PM

Who gives a fuck what Meryl would have approved of.

by Anonymousreply 17February 27, 2022 4:37 PM

Why would Madonna be on a list of actresses?

by Anonymousreply 18February 27, 2022 4:40 PM

Another vote for Debra Winger, I always imagined her in the role.

by Anonymousreply 19February 27, 2022 4:49 PM

[quote] I don't think drug addiction is funny and worthy of being celebrated as a source of humour.

Even drug addicts can joke about some of the shit they've been through. I had a 6-month run on something illegal and I can joke about it now. The 6-month run was a subset of a longer, more sporadic run.

Anyway, Michelle Pfeiffer. Believable sniffing cocaine off a perfectly-manicured fingernail. But, IMO, not right for the role. I voted for Melanie Griffith.

Speaking of nails, I saw Michelle Pfeiffer in a Starbucks (ball cap, athleisure outfit). For some reason, I looked down at her feet. Nicely pedicured feet! Some type of sheer pink polish, really clean looking. No, I don't have a foot fetish.

by Anonymousreply 20February 27, 2022 5:25 PM

Meryl and Meg Ryan were Carrie's besties so the natural choice would be Meg.

by Anonymousreply 21February 27, 2022 5:27 PM

This would've been perfection with Lange and Gena Rowlands as daughter and mother. But then it probably would've changed the whole vibe of the movie.

by Anonymousreply 22February 27, 2022 5:59 PM

Debbie Winger was the 1st choice for the role, but she wouldn't work with Shirl again. It's a shame, because she would have been the perfect choice at that time.

by Anonymousreply 23February 28, 2022 6:41 PM

Debra Winger and Anne Bancroft could have been incredible.

by Anonymousreply 24February 28, 2022 9:31 PM

R22, R24 those performers specialise in OTT melodrama.

Whereas I feel this odd failure of a movie was intended as a comedy (at best) or a morality (at worst).

by Anonymousreply 25February 28, 2022 9:35 PM

Debra would have been amazing this. Such a missed opportunity

by Anonymousreply 26February 28, 2022 9:45 PM

Sissy Spacek. She looks like Shirley Maclaine, she can sing (unlike M.) and she can do comedy but people never look at Spacek in a comic sense.

by Anonymousreply 27March 1, 2022 7:58 AM

Sissy did comedy in Crimes of the Heart. Mike Nichols always wanted Meryl because she was his doppelganger. It's said that he even wanted to marry her before he chose Diane Sawyer to be his beard.

by Anonymousreply 28March 1, 2022 8:13 AM

Chynna Phillips and Michelle Phillips!

by Anonymousreply 29March 1, 2022 8:19 AM

R28, Nichols was also a star fucker which is why he miscast Streep in not one but three of his films-Postcards from the Edge, Silkwood and Heartburn.

by Anonymousreply 30March 1, 2022 8:04 PM

[quote] Mike Nichols always wanted Meryl because she was his doppelganger.

Yes, they both had twisted long noses.

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by Anonymousreply 31March 1, 2022 9:11 PM

Streep eventually won me over but she was too old for the role

by Anonymousreply 32March 1, 2022 9:44 PM

Streep was 40 and the clothes looked all wrong on her. Too bad Winger didn't want to reteam with MacLaine they would have been great together. Bancroft would have been miscast as Debbie Reynolds.

by Anonymousreply 33March 1, 2022 10:00 PM

I'm surprised that the brassy Debbie Reynolds didn't insist she play herself. It might have addd some verisimilitude to this tiresome little movie.

by Anonymousreply 34March 1, 2022 10:03 PM

Streep was too old and also always presents as too 'together' to believably play a woman who just OD'd. Though the film is a comedy, you never for once believe Streep's Suzanne was capable of harming herself. I have always thought this would have been a great role for Griffith and I am not a big fan of hers, but between her age at the time, her upbringing and real life experience she would have been great. She DOES present as someone who could/would make bad choices that could harm her.

I hadn't thought of Winger before, but she would also been terrific, to my mind, she is the anti-Meryl in the 'real' 'authentic' qualities she brings to her performances. She isn't as good a comedic actor as Streep, but she is certainly more convincing at conveying vulnerability.

by Anonymousreply 35March 1, 2022 10:04 PM

Winger was rumored to be the star when it first was announced.

I think that may have been before Nichols signed on and wanted Streep.

Winger would have had experience with cocaine too allegedly. Streep had to be coached on it supposedly.

by Anonymousreply 36March 2, 2022 1:12 AM

Kitten Natividad

by Anonymousreply 37March 2, 2022 3:41 AM

Streep is sort of miscast but her expert comic line readings works so well for a script that gets so much humor from its words.

"these are the options?"

"its a comedy rule?"

"I'm so glad I got sober so I could be hyper conscious for these series of humiliations."

"relax, they're blanks"

"the behavior may be but I am not" (suicidal when asked by the doctor.)

by Anonymousreply 38March 2, 2022 5:49 AM

R30 - and Mother Courage on stage and Angels in America on TV.

by Anonymousreply 39March 2, 2022 5:56 AM

Debbie did want to star!

by Anonymousreply 40March 2, 2022 5:57 AM

It really did twirl up.

Todd Fisher's book says that incident really happened. Yuck. I always thought it had to be made up.

by Anonymousreply 41March 2, 2022 5:59 AM

Unfortunately Lucille Ball died the year before the film came out, or she would have been a wonderful Doris Mann. Except of course for the part where she sings "I'm Still Here". But would even she have been as annoying as Shirley Maclaine slapping the top of the piano?

by Anonymousreply 42March 2, 2022 6:00 AM

Another vote for Melanie Griffith and Debra Winger. They're two of my favourite actresses, and they were still at their peak in the late '80s/early '90s even if Winger's career had cooled.

It's too bad Winger didn't want to work with Shirley again because the tension would definitely have worked for the benefit of the film and I think the two of them could have made it distinguishable from Terms.

Griffith would have worked too because she definitely could have captured the messiness of the character. I can totally see Gene Hackman tearing a strip off her for being high. I think Meryl is fine but I agree that you just don't buy that her character is a mess.

by Anonymousreply 43March 2, 2022 6:09 AM

Griffith was actually high during most of Working Girl, enough so that it panicked the studio. Nichols was said to have salvaged the performance in the editing room. No way he'd hire her again.

by Anonymousreply 44March 2, 2022 6:13 AM

How about Jodie Foster? (she was hot off The Accused) Again not as funny as Streep but she might have worked.

by Anonymousreply 45March 2, 2022 6:18 AM

It's interesting how Debbie Reynolds was a bigger star than Shirley but how time changed the situation.

by Anonymousreply 46March 2, 2022 6:23 AM

It would be better with Shelley Hack!

by Anonymousreply 47March 2, 2022 1:35 PM

Or Tanya Roberts!

by Anonymousreply 48March 2, 2022 1:51 PM

Farrah actually would have been good in the part.

by Anonymousreply 49March 2, 2022 9:00 PM

R46 Because Shirley made some great choices with The Turning Point and Being There and Terms.

by Anonymousreply 50March 3, 2022 1:42 AM

Melanie Griffith just was not intelligent enough to play the part. Suzanne Vale is really smart, just like Carrie Fisher herself.

I'm a fan of Debra Winger as a performer (though not as a human being), and I bet she would have been great. She probably could have even made us believe she was Doris Mann's biggest fan as well as her biggest critic, which is crucial to the role.

by Anonymousreply 51March 3, 2022 2:02 AM

Debra always gives likes when I post comments on her instagram, so she can't be such a terrible human being R51

by Anonymousreply 52March 3, 2022 2:13 AM

She's a narcissist, r52.

That proves nothing.

by Anonymousreply 53March 3, 2022 2:15 AM

R53:

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by Anonymousreply 54March 3, 2022 2:26 AM

This thread had only 8 posts when it died back in October.

I posted in this dead thread 5 days ago and it has exploded back into life.

by Anonymousreply 55March 3, 2022 2:31 AM

There is someone in the supporting cast who is not a star but would have been a good Carrie/Suzanne - Robin Bartlett.

by Anonymousreply 56March 3, 2022 3:01 AM

this has one of the best trailers ever. I remember huge laughs when she is dangling from the building and then lets go in frustration. The trailer set it up so well that she was really dangling (at least in movie terms.)

by Anonymousreply 57March 3, 2022 3:51 AM

Did Meryl get her tatties out in this one?

by Anonymousreply 58March 3, 2022 2:26 PM

Winger and Mclaine had already been paired, why try to do the same hate-chemistry again?

I like Streep in this, but there are times she is not believable (her scenes with Quaid). Her delivery is great and she worked very well with Mclaine.

I voted for Geena Davis. Also, Debbie Reynolds would not be good in this. She was not good enough an actress to play herself.

by Anonymousreply 59March 3, 2022 3:26 PM

MacLaine

by Anonymousreply 60March 4, 2022 12:23 AM

Pfeiffer had perfectly manicured feet in What Lies Beneath. I remember them well.

*Foot Fetish

by Anonymousreply 61March 4, 2022 12:33 AM

R58 No.

by Anonymousreply 62March 4, 2022 1:35 AM

I agree it was hard to buy Streep as “troubled,” or even LA centric, but she had the needed smarts and comedic timing and that might have been more important ultimately. None of these other choices could really bring that - certainly not Griffith - so I’m at a loss as for who (popular actresses at the time, that is) could have been better - probably not anyone.

by Anonymousreply 63March 4, 2022 2:49 AM

Quaid's role should have been played by someone older. It would have made Meryl look younger. (Plus Quaid must have been coked out of his mind in real life.) He's so hammy and over the top.

by Anonymousreply 64March 4, 2022 3:19 AM

Julia Roberts?

by Anonymousreply 65March 4, 2022 7:33 AM

This was one of Streeps many terrible performances. She was completely miscast and out of her depth.

by Anonymousreply 66March 6, 2022 5:35 AM

Is there some reason Debbie snd Carey could not have starred?

by Anonymousreply 67March 6, 2022 5:38 AM

S/b Carrie

by Anonymousreply 68March 6, 2022 5:40 AM

Did I miss a post or did no one write “or Kate Jackson!” after Hack/Roberts.

Seems appropriate considering her fan here and how she was supposed to play Joanna Kramer.

by Anonymousreply 69March 6, 2022 6:35 AM

I never bought Shirley Maclaine as an old school glamorous movie star modeled on someone like Debbie Reynolds. I wonder how bad DL icon Lauren "Miss Bacall to you and only my friends call me Betty" would have been in the role.

Bacall always had more presence and glamor than Maclaine but Shirley was a much better actress. I might have liked to see Bacall and Winger play Debbie and Carrie. Or Bacall and Jodie Foster.

Meryl is funny as Suzanne but I agree that she always seems too controlled and disciplined to be the drugged out mess she is supposed to be playing.

by Anonymousreply 70March 6, 2022 8:30 AM

Jodie Foster can’t do comedy.

Unless you count Nell.

by Anonymousreply 71March 6, 2022 10:09 AM

R71, that is NOT funny!

by Anonymousreply 72March 6, 2022 10:38 AM

R72 It's true.

Foster was the weakest thing about Maverick because she simply can't do comedy. The evidence is on the screen.

by Anonymousreply 73March 6, 2022 10:52 AM

Annette Bennington should have played Suzanne.

by Anonymousreply 74March 6, 2022 11:33 AM

Bening

by Anonymousreply 75March 6, 2022 11:34 AM

Bening was too unknown for the lead (that's why she had the small part she did.) She'd only break thru a few months later with The Grifters.

by Anonymousreply 76March 7, 2022 1:11 AM

Shit I totally had forgotten about this story until you brought up Annette Bening - but I was going down about 1000 rabbit holes during the height of quarantine but among these many random moments I listened to a podcast interview with Beverly D’Angelo, of all people. She claimed that whole Annette Bening - Meryl Streep scenario (sleeping with the same guy the same day, and then meeting right after) was based on something that happened to her and Carrie Fisher (who was supposedly her best friend).

I don’t really remember thee specifics and I have no idea if any of it was true, she seemed to be taking a lot out of her ass - but there you go. I can’t remember for the life of me the name of the podcast either, I was listening to millions of them back then

by Anonymousreply 77March 7, 2022 1:51 AM

I wish Carrie and Debbie had played the roles. I know Debbie was in consideration for a while but I don't know who vetoed that idea.

by Anonymousreply 78March 7, 2022 2:00 AM

Farrah Fawcett in the Meryl role.

by Anonymousreply 79March 7, 2022 2:03 AM

Pamela Adlon/Joan Collins for an updated version.

by Anonymousreply 80March 7, 2022 2:33 AM

Meryl was too old for that part.

by Anonymousreply 81March 7, 2022 2:39 AM

And tall and skinny.

by Anonymousreply 82March 7, 2022 2:44 AM

They should remake it with Meryl as the self-absorbed mother and one of her talentless daughters as Suzanne. M could be very Method playing a vain, over-the-hill pain in the ass.

by Anonymousreply 83March 7, 2022 8:10 AM

R83 And one of the daughters could play her daughters. Make M. do a Sophie's Choice in real life.

by Anonymousreply 84March 7, 2022 11:56 AM

Odd that Jodie Foster lost her comic edge.

She's quite funny in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore back when she was a kid.

by Anonymousreply 85March 7, 2022 10:52 PM

People say Meryl wasn't messed up enough to play an addict but Fisher was never a Courtney Love type mess that was obviously on drugs.

One of her worst time periods was when she was making Hannah and Her Sisters. She's quite pretty and together seeming in the film (but rumor was the part was initially bigger but they stopped filming scenes with her because she was so erratic.)

by Anonymousreply 86March 7, 2022 10:54 PM

Mindy Cohen and Charlotte Rae. What a combo that would have been. This would have given Mindy the film career she deserved. Maybe even have given her a sex scene with Dennis Quaid.

What could have been.

by Anonymousreply 87March 7, 2022 11:39 PM

Modern day: Miley Cyrus and Reba or Delta Burke. Haley Cuoco and Cybil Shepard or Jean Smart.

by Anonymousreply 88March 7, 2022 11:57 PM

R86 interesting I didn’t know that. I assumed that was one of her “recovery periods”.

She should have played Holly!

by Anonymousreply 89March 8, 2022 3:19 AM
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