Emma Thompson slams film icon Audrey Hepburn

[McCoy]

Um..no.

 

[Sakrysta]

Rex Harrison has his place in the right roles, but he doesn't really act. He just recites lines dramatically as himself. He's one of those performers who always portrays the same character. As that character, he's fine. But as far as I'm concerned, Hugh Jackman is light years ahead of Harrison as a performer, singer, and actor.

 

[Orac Zen]

Having actually read the article, I can't see where Thompson "slams" Hepburn. At all. Maybe I'm reading it wrong or something.

Your problem is that you actually read the article before posting.

That was silly of me, wasn't it?

 

[Gov Kodos]

Wendy Hiller did a great Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion (1938) along with Leslie Howard as Henry Higgans. It too uses the watered down Eliza returns ending, but Wendy's performance is a lot stronger than Hepburn's.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4l3idZqpbI&feature=related

 

[barnaclelapse]

Ah, sensationalistic reporting.

Yes, Thompson is critical of Audrey Hepburn, but she's talking about the role and how Hepburn approached it. "It's high time that the extraordinary role of Eliza was reinterpreted, because it's a very fantastic part for a woman." She's glad to be writing a new version of My Fair Lady because she found Hepburn to be unfunny in the role. And I'm not sure I'd disagree; I get bored with the film anytime Hepburn is on screen. Others agree; "Hepburn is an intriguing figure, but I think Emma Thompson is entitled, more than entitled, to poke this sacred cow."

Some of the reports are losing the context. It's not a full-on slam of Hepburn as a person -- Thompson even says "I'm sure she was a delightful woman - and perhaps if I had known her I would have enjoyed her acting more, but I don't and I didn't" -- just a criticism of Hepburn's portrayal of a role.

It's an opinion, one I don't especially agree with, but at least she's being honest.

I like Audrey Hepburn, but I will say that I hate the ever-loving shit out of My Fair Lady, and the performances are definitely a part of that.

 

[Thestral]

Hepburn or no... how are they possibly going to find someone to fill Rex Harrison's shoes?

Hugh Jackman can fill Harrison's shoes adequately.

^Hugh Jackman would fill Harrison's shoes - every single pair, not to mention his blasted slippers!!!

Hugh Laurie would be better as the smarmy, self-serving Higgins.

 

[McCoy]

Rex Harrison has his place in the right roles, but he doesn't really act. He just recites lines dramatically as himself. He's one of those performers who always portrays the same character. As that character, he's fine. But as far as I'm concerned, Hugh Jackman is light years ahead of Harrison as a performer, singer, and actor.

He was a very different type in Doctor Dolittle.

 

[Sakrysta]

You see, I really can't agree there. Both movies are ones that I love very well, but in both, Rex Harrison is just simply Rex Harrison. And in both, I wished the leading lady could find someone who had an ounce of chemistry with her.

 

[McCoy]

No the personalities were quite different. By the way, ever seen Staircase with Harrison and Richard Burton?

 

[James Wright]

Just wait long enough and you'll see somebody come along and make another remake of Emma Thompson's remake for the exact same reasons Emma gave!

 

[exodus]

Who's Emma Thompson again?

The woman complaining about Audrey Hepburn's acting in the classic "My Fair Lady" when her latest acting endevoir is "Nanny McPhee".

Which she wrote and I believed produced. Emma Thompson is also an Academy, Golden Globe and BAFTA award winning actress and writer. (And has been nominated a few times). I believe the "Nanny McPhee" films are a pet project of hers and the part looks to be a real "actors" role involving make up and inventing/playing a character very different than her actual self.

What point we're you trying to make?

That your only as good as your current movie and folks in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
Halle Berry has won all those awards too, so awards don't really mean shit.
Doesn't matter all she's done in the past or what she's won, she going to be judged by the public by her current work and if she's so acclaimed she should be making better films than "Nanny McPhee" if she wants to talk down about others publically.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The woman complaining about Audrey Hepburn's acting in the classic "My Fair Lady" when her latest acting endevoir is "Nanny McPhee".

Which she wrote and I believed produced. Emma Thompson is also an Academy, Golden Globe and BAFTA award winning actress and writer. (And has been nominated a few times). I believe the "Nanny McPhee" films are a pet project of hers and the part looks to be a real "actors" role involving make up and inventing/playing a character very different than her actual self.

What point we're you trying to make?

That your only as good as your current movie and folks in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
Halle Berry has won all those awards too, so awards don't really mean shit.
Doesn't matter all she's done in the past or what she's won, she going to be judged by the public by her current work and if she's so acclaimed she should be making better films than "Nanny McPhee" if she wants to talk down about others publically.

You saw Nanny McPhee Returns? I haven't, so I cant compare Thompson's performance in it to Hepburn's in My Fair Lady or the quality of the film as a whole. Thompson's rep with the public seems pretty solid. The first McPhee film didn't sink her career or tarnish her image, so I think she's safe for now. Nor was Hepburn's rep tarnished by the lesser films she did after My Fair Lady. The McPhee films are films Thompson wants to make. Thats why she wrote the films and produced them.

And I wasnt aware Halle Berry or Audrey Hepburn won any writing awards. How many of their own films did they write or produce?

 

[exodus]

Which she wrote and I believed produced. Emma Thompson is also an Academy, Golden Globe and BAFTA award winning actress and writer. (And has been nominated a few times). I believe the "Nanny McPhee" films are a pet project of hers and the part looks to be a real "actors" role involving make up and inventing/playing a character very different than her actual self.

What point we're you trying to make?

That your only as good as your current movie and folks in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
Halle Berry has won all those awards too, so awards don't really mean shit.
Doesn't matter all she's done in the past or what she's won, she going to be judged by the public by her current work and if she's so acclaimed she should be making better films than "Nanny McPhee" if she wants to talk down about others publically.

You saw Nanny McPhee Returns? I haven't, so I cant compare Thompson's performance in it to Hepburn's in My Fair Lady or the quality of the film as a whole. Thompson's rep with the public seems pretty solid. The first McPhee film didn't sink her career or tarnish her image, so I think she's safe for now. Nor was Hepburn's rep tarnished by the lesser films she did after My Fair Lady. The McPhee films are films Thompson wants to make. Thats why she wrote the films and produced them.

Nobody saw it, it openned at #7 to bad reviews and tanked.
If that's the types of films she wants to make, then good for her.

 

[Nerys Myk]

That your only as good as your current movie and folks in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
Halle Berry has won all those awards too, so awards don't really mean shit.
Doesn't matter all she's done in the past or what she's won, she going to be judged by the public by her current work and if she's so acclaimed she should be making better films than "Nanny McPhee" if she wants to talk down about others publically.

You saw Nanny McPhee Returns? I haven't, so I cant compare Thompson's performance in it to Hepburn's in My Fair Lady or the quality of the film as a whole. Thompson's rep with the public seems pretty solid. The first McPhee film didn't sink her career or tarnish her image, so I think she's safe for now. Nor was Hepburn's rep tarnished by the lesser films she did after My Fair Lady. The McPhee films are films Thompson wants to make. Thats why she wrote the films and produced them.

Nobody saw it, it openned at #7 to bad reviews and tanked.
If that's the types of films she wants to make, then good for her.

No one wants to make a badly reviewed film that tanks. Thats not what I mean by its a film she wants to make.

You wanted to compare what Thompson has done to what Hepburn has. Both are award winning for acting, but Thompson has won writing awards and is a producer. As careers go, I think Thompson has more to fall back on. You also seem insistant on comparing a film Hepburn made at the pinnicle of her career with Thompson's latest. How many people think of Bloodline or They All Laughed when talking about Hepburn?


The wiki run down of Nanny McPhee Returns doens't seem as bleak as you painted. ( at least in the UK)

Crititcal response for the film was positive with most reviews giving 4 out of 5 stars. The News of the World gave it 4/5 stars stating the film was "smart, witty and beautifully crafted - exactly what you want from a family film" and excited about the next film said "Roll on Nanny McThree".[4] The Independent gave a very favourable review stating "film is an ingenious entertainment machine fuelled by a profound understanding of what children enjoy, whether it's cowpats, talking welly boots or piglets doing synchronised swimming. Thompson has written a properly funny script, which is performed superbly by Ifans, Maggie Smith, Bill Bailey, Ralph Fiennes and some estimable child actors".[5]

[edit] Box office
In the UK, the film opened at number one, with £2,586,760 ($3,854,967), outperforming fellow new release The Blind Side, and grossed £15,906,088 in its first 5 weeks of release, with a total of $54,212,087 in the foreign markets. In the United States, it debuted in seventh position with a $8.31 million take.

Maybe its a British thing.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

You saw Nanny McPhee Returns? I haven't, so I cant compare Thompson's performance in it to Hepburn's in My Fair Lady or the quality of the film as a whole. Thompson's rep with the public seems pretty solid. The first McPhee film didn't sink her career or tarnish her image, so I think she's safe for now. Nor was Hepburn's rep tarnished by the lesser films she did after My Fair Lady. The McPhee films are films Thompson wants to make. Thats why she wrote the films and produced them.

Nobody saw it, it openned at #7 to bad reviews and tanked.
If that's the types of films she wants to make, then good for her.

No one wants to make a badly reviewed film that tanks. Thats not what I mean by its a film she wants to make.

You wanted to compare what Thompson has done to what Hepburn has. Both are award winning for acting, but Thompson has won writing awards and is a producer. As careers go, I think Thompson has more to fall back on. You also seem insistant on comparing a film Hepburn made at the pinnicle of her career with Thompson's latest. How many people think of Bloodline or They All Laughed when talking about Hepburn?


The wiki run down of Nanny McPhee Returns doens't seem as bleak as you painted. ( at least in the UK)

Crititcal response for the film was positive with most reviews giving 4 out of 5 stars. The News of the World gave it 4/5 stars stating the film was "smart, witty and beautifully crafted - exactly what you want from a family film" and excited about the next film said "Roll on Nanny McThree".[4] The Independent gave a very favourable review stating "film is an ingenious entertainment machine fuelled by a profound understanding of what children enjoy, whether it's cowpats, talking welly boots or piglets doing synchronised swimming. Thompson has written a properly funny script, which is performed superbly by Ifans, Maggie Smith, Bill Bailey, Ralph Fiennes and some estimable child actors".[5]

[edit] Box office
In the UK, the film opened at number one, with £2,586,760 ($3,854,967), outperforming fellow new release The Blind Side, and grossed £15,906,088 in its first 5 weeks of release, with a total of $54,212,087 in the foreign markets. In the United States, it debuted in seventh position with a $8.31 million take.

Maybe its a British thing.

How many British films make a splash in the US at all anyway?

 

[exodus]

You saw Nanny McPhee Returns? I haven't, so I cant compare Thompson's performance in it to Hepburn's in My Fair Lady or the quality of the film as a whole. Thompson's rep with the public seems pretty solid. The first McPhee film didn't sink her career or tarnish her image, so I think she's safe for now. Nor was Hepburn's rep tarnished by the lesser films she did after My Fair Lady. The McPhee films are films Thompson wants to make. Thats why she wrote the films and produced them.

Nobody saw it, it openned at #7 to bad reviews and tanked.
If that's the types of films she wants to make, then good for her.

No one wants to make a badly reviewed film that tanks. Thats not what I mean by its a film she wants to make.

You wanted to compare what Thompson has done to what Hepburn has. Both are award winning for acting, but Thompson has won writing awards and is a producer. As careers go, I think Thompson has more to fall back on. You also seem insistant on comparing a film Hepburn made at the pinnicle of her career with Thompson's latest.

Yep, because the topic is Thompson making a comment about one film Hepburn has done, not the entire history of eithers acomplishments nor did I ask to compare their careers. I did make a comment compares Thompson's latest film to Hepburn's "My Fair Lady" because it falls under "those in glass houses.." comment I made before. So is Nanny McPhee being a flop tragic irony or poetic justice because too me, that's karma.

 

[DevilEyes]

I'm not sure what the fate of Emma Thompson's last film has to do with her opinion on Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of Eliza Doolittle.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Nobody saw it, it openned at #7 to bad reviews and tanked.
If that's the types of films she wants to make, then good for her.

No one wants to make a badly reviewed film that tanks. Thats not what I mean by its a film she wants to make.

You wanted to compare what Thompson has done to what Hepburn has. Both are award winning for acting, but Thompson has won writing awards and is a producer. As careers go, I think Thompson has more to fall back on. You also seem insistant on comparing a film Hepburn made at the pinnicle of her career with Thompson's latest.

Yep, because the topic is Thompson making a comment about one film Hepburn has done, not the entire history of eithers acomplishments nor did I ask to compare their careers. I did make a comment compares Thompson's latest film to Hepburn's "My Fair Lady" because it falls under "those in glass houses.." comment I made before. So is Nanny McPhee being a flop tragic irony or poetic justice because too me, that's karma.

As mentioned, it was successfull in Britan. ( Thompson's home country) Also as Devil Eyes said, what does one have to do with the other? I dont think McPhee had been released when you first decided to make the comparison way back on Aug 13

Who's Emma Thompson again?

The woman complaining about Audrey Hepburn's acting in the classic "My Fair Lady" when her latest acting endevoir is "Nanny McPhee".

So what your point again? Because you keep moving the goal posts.

Lets just keep it at acting (Since you were focused on that in your 08/13 post):

IMO even on her worst day in her worst film, Thompson can out act Hepburn on her best day in her best film.

 

[exodus]

I don't feel it's correct to bad mouth ones peers just because you're career has been more successful, especilly since it was actresses like Hepburn to openned doors for those like Thompson. I find that to be a snob.

 

[Deckerd]

I'm not sure what the fate of Emma Thompson's last film has to do with her opinion on Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of Eliza Doolittle.

Nothing, basically.