by anesamiller_wuhi6k | Apr 27, 2015 | Blog, Foster Care, National Foster Care Month, OMG—It's CELEBRITIES!
Can you ever have too much star power?
Readers of Our Orbit know that the topic of foster care plays a major role in the plot and the lives of all the characters. To honor everyone who helped me learn and write about this system of neighborly care, I will be posting on this topic for the next several weeks.
We start on a light note, with this addition to the series OMG – It’s CELEBRITIES! Rick and Deanne Fletcher, the young couple who become foster mom and dad to 9-year-old Miriam Winslow after her father’s arrest —
Rick & Deanne: “Ideal foster parents”
Not the meatiest roles?
As you may know, Our Orbit features a number of meaty roles that actors are sure to enjoy: an alcoholic 14-year-old, closeted aunts and uncles, men whose masculinity is dangerously entangled with religious devotion and resistance to authority. So at first glance, the parts of Rick and Deanne Fletcher may not seem like the best in the book.
Born and raised in small-town Ohio, Rick and Deanne meet at the local liberal arts college. They get married as soon as he graduates and finds work teaching chemistry at a rural high school. Deanne teaches kindergarten, then works as a substitute when the babies begin to arrive. Rick’s family boasts a small claim to urban sophistication, coming from the regional hub of Cincinnati, while Deanne grew up on a farm that her family has proudly held for over a century.
A kindly face of authority
By their mid-20s, the couple has a mortgage and two children. Already eager for a third baby, they decide to look into foster care as a way to grow their family while limiting the financial strain. (Maybe not the best reason to do a good thing? You be the judge.) In short, Rick and Deanne are both traditionalists with slightly left-of-center political views. Oh—! and Rick has now been promoted to Assistant Principal of the high school, so he is an official member of the local establishment.
Not necessarily the sexiest roles, these are, nonetheless, central characters that in movie parlance (Watch me pretend I speak it!) must be considered the male and female leads. I need consummate talent to render their authenticity without letting too many hints of stuffiness, much less irony, slip in.
My first thought was the brilliant German-Irish actor Michael Fassbender as Rick, and undisputed genius Jessica Chastain as Deanne. Both come laden with enough awards and nominations to daunt a stout mule.
Since his bone-chilling portrayals of a diehard Confederate racist in Twelve Years a Slave and an amoral lawyer casually consorting with drug kingpins in The Counselor, no one could doubt that Fassbender has talent to burn. His action and fantasy experience attest to range, while Shakespearean roles demonstrate the respect he has earned.
Quite aside from her austere, award-winning role in Zero Dark Thirty, Chastain has shown that she can breathe convincing nuance into maternal roles in Tree of Life and The Color of Time. Even her portrayal of the ditsy Celia Foote in The Help redounds to Deanne’s credit—both are country girls who confront the often constricting demands of rural society. (As a recovering Russian Studies instructor, I’m especially thrilled that Chastain appeared in a festival production of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard—more small-town chops.)
Any idea how I can get these folks to show up for a casting call?
Actually, although Fassbender and Chastain are clearly big-screen magic, maybe I don’t need quite so much star power. Actors a bit less blinding with renown could find a way to shine in these modest-seeming roles.
So then, like a real-life Casting Director, I browsed some headshots and experienced an epiphany when I saw Matthew Morrison posing by an institutional-looking brick wall! Who knows more about playing a high school teacher confronted with mega-challenges than the star of the hit TV show Glee?
Homeboy!
True, Mr. Schuester slips in and out of conventional character with ease amid Glee’s meta commentaries and fantastical elements. Not much of that in OO, I’m afraid. But with several awards to his credit, there’s no question that Morrison possesses the skill to head up a dramatic cast, hands tied behind his back. (Which we might need to do: Sorry, Matt—no singing or dancing.)
And as Deanne? How about the irresistible Michelle Williams?
Sweetheart Next-Door
She did motherhood in her multiple award-winning role in Blue Valentine (though, admittedly, that is a tortured and hence perhaps less challenging take on maternity than the unruffled Deanne Fletcher). And as Norma Jean turned Marilyn Monroe, Michelle embodies the sweetheart next-door with endearing ease.
So hey, kids— It’s a definite maybe! I’ll call you as soon as the funding comes together. And even though we now take a pause on the CELEBRITY trail, a few biggies remain to come, later this summer: patriarch Levi Winslow, his wife Emaline, and sister-in-law Aunt Melanie.
Thanks for joining my fantasy. I’ve had good fun. And I think it’s proof that I can dream—can’t I?
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Kudos for visiting my blog today! Check out the website and let me know if you like what you see, or if you have suggestions. You can reach me by leaving a comment in the box below or by clicking the Contact link at upper right (or just click here). Please consider subscribing to my blog or newsletter. And stop by again soon!
by anesamiller_wuhi6k | Apr 20, 2015 | Blog, OMG—It's CELEBRITIES!
This post is part of an ongoing series, OMG—It’s CELEBRITIES!, presenting well-known actors to play parts in (a fantasy) movie version of the novel Our Orbit. Click here for other items in the series.
Feisty?
Maybe I have mentioned that Our Orbit has a good-sized cast. In fact, I’ve been accused of featuring an ensemble at the expense of any one main character. That may be a discussion for a highbrow coffee klatch, but frankly, I fail to see the problem. There is no dead wood among the dramatis personae, by which I mean there are no characters who stand about like posts for the plot to race past, no so-called supporting figures who merely play straight man to the stars.
At least, that’s what I was aiming for. As to the outcome, you be the judge—please!
More to the point, the character I’d like to introduce today is one who plays a crucial role in several key scenes of the novel. She reveals a major secret, struggles to protect her loved ones, and stays true to herself as a nonconformist amid the staunch traditions of small-town Ohio. Her name is Claire Winslow, the only living first cousin of lead characters Miriam and Rachelle.
Cover design by Renee Garcia
Our Orbit has a new cover, fully re-designed for the Booktrope edition!
My difficulty in casting the part of Claire for the imaginary film of Our Orbit lies in a notorious Hollywood tendency that one of our commenters noted a couple of weeks ago: Women are expected to please the eye and avoid expressing too much personality. This doesn’t suit Claire one bit! She tends to flaunt her inability to quite fit into social expectations: a fashion maven who wears a little too much gold jewelry but doesn’t boast a pretty face or sexy figure in the customary sense.
In short, women who might be a shoe-in for the part have largely been kept out of the American film industry, or have at least been kept off-screen! Even so, I considered the “available” talent, and here’s what I came up with—
Star of Orlando, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Grand Budapest Hotel, the amazing Tilda Swinton has an unconventional face, angular form, and spiritual quality that would fit Cousin Claire to a T. Ms Swinton (pictured above) manages to convey inner strength even in scenes of remarkable vulnerability. I would LOVE to see her bring Claire Winslow to life…except for the inconvenient fact that she is simply too gorgeous! And maybe not feisty enough.
No doubt a more obvious choice would be Taryn Manning who portrays the colorful meth addict Pennsatucky in Netflix’ hit series Orange is the New Black—
A definite maybe
Taryn’s got the Appalachian chops, no question, and she has done dramatic work in Hustle & Flow and other films. I’m just not sure those big plusses are enough to outweigh the fact that, while she can certainly do feisty, she’s quite a tiny woman. Claire needs to be an imperious figure, certainly taller that her 14-year-old cousin Rachelle. So the creator of my favorite ONB player might not fit in the movie, after all.
Which brings me to that 2nd-youngest-ever Oscar winner (for The Piano, 1994), as well as most intrepid X-Woman and vampire, Anna Paquin. Talk about range of acting ability! I think Ms Paquin has surprised us all by her skill in appearing lovely and graceful while sporting such unconventional features (in Hollywood, at any rate) as gap teeth. These are promising qualities for the woman to portray Claire. Definitely my best candidate!
Chills!
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I must add a brief tribute to one of the world’s most beautiful actresses, who hid her own dazzling eye-candy for the sake of a challenging role. Kudos to Charlize Theron for revealing the frightening humanity of Aileen Wuornos in the film Monster. I’m sure it was a tough job, but she had the courage to do it. (Sorry, I can’t seem to find a “non-proprietary” photo of the actress as herself. Better google it!)
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What do you think? Share your thoughts, impressions, complaints, and candidates for these movie roles in the Comments section below. Thanks for visiting my blog today! Feel free to nose about the website and let me know if you like what you see, or if you have suggestions. You can reach me by clicking the Contact link at upper right (or just click here). And please consider subscribing to my blog or newsletter. Stop by again soon!
by anesamiller_wuhi6k | Apr 13, 2015 | Blog, Issues in Our Orbit -- Substance Abuse & Recovery, OMG—It's CELEBRITIES!
This post is part of an ongoing series, OMG—It’s CELEBRITIES!, presenting well-known actors to play parts in (a fantasy) movie version of the novel Our Orbit. Click here to see other items in the series.
But does he give a damn?
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As mentioned last week, yours truly has fallen “book,” line & sinker (ha-ha), for the People Magazine approach to literary fiction. Indeed, my collection of celebrity photos of talent I’d like to see portray characters from Our Orbit has become a local obsession. Local at my house, that is. I especially enjoy the alternative candidates that readers have suggested and whole-heartedly encourage everyone to share those in the Comments section below.
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Today we turn to the vital supporting role of Pete Deluca, beloved teacher at North Milton High School. In my novel, Pete is a dedicated, mid-career instructor of biology & health as well as assistant basketball coach. As our story begins, Pete is divorced and single, but a new romance lies in his future!
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Who better to portray Pete in the movie version of Our Orbit than the dashing Chris Messina? He’s the star of popular TV comedy The Mindy Project, the foodie movie 
Julie and Julia (a big fave of mine), and Oscar-winner Argo. For the cultural snobs among us )))) he is also active nationwide in live theater, including Broadway and Tribeca.
Chris is especially noted as a terrific ensemble actor, as attested by numerous awards and nominations. Thus it comes as no surprise that his acting style conveys an appealing amiability and easy-going manner. What more could I ask from the man to bring Pete Deluca to life on the screen? After all, Our Orbit has a large cast with no dead wood whatsoever. I call that an ensemble!
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Check out my imagined interview with the character Pete Deluca to see what other important qualities Mr. Messina can bring to the role—
Character Interview with Pete Deluca
AM: Hi, Pete! Thanks for being with us on the blog today. I have to tell you, since my work falls mainly in the realist tradition, I feel strange about what we’re doing here. That’s why I chose you for my first-ever imaginary interview—you’re such a likable guy (if I do say so myself as your creator).
Pete: Glad to help out!
AM: Our Orbit takes place in what I call “the Appalachian corner” of southern Ohio, where you were born and raised. Your heritage is especially interesting. Could you tell us about that?
Pete: Sure. I’m from Youngstown, Ohio. It’s a place with quite a checkered reputation. Way back when, tons of Italian immigrants came to Youngstown for jobs in the steel mills. Not so many years later, the mills started shutting down. That depressed the economy, which has a lot to do with how we got associated with the Mafia and organized crime. Bad stuff does happen when your local employer goes down the tubes.
AM: Are you Italian-American yourself?
Pete: Oh, yeah! We get a bad rap, but that’s not fair for most of us. When my grandparents came over from Genoa, they did farm labor in eastern Ohio and struggled to buy their own land. They got here at a young enough age to make that happen—older folks mostly sacrificed for their children, did manual labor their whole lives.
One hat-tip to Youngstown that I really love comes from The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. He always tells a great story!
AM: But don’t you also identify with your Appalachian heritage?
Pete: Definitely. I grew up in the foothills of the mountains, went hunting with my grandpa—all that backwoods stuff. He was never a moonshiner, by the way, but like a true Italian, he always made his own wine. That was part of the gig! And legal, too, even back in Prohibition days. So long as you made it strictly for home consumption, you were within the law. That was important to Grandpa.
AM: Speaking of alcohol and Prohibition, I know that one of the issues you’re involved in as a teacher is substance abuse among your highschool students. Could you tell us a little about that?
Pete: Well, as basketball coach, I see kids on an extracurricular basis at practice, night games, and parties I chaperone—all that. So I’m on the front line with stuff that goes on. Underage consumption is rampant out there. Unfortunately, a lot of parents and even school officials fool themselves about what a serious a problem it is.
For information on this serious problem, visit the Harvard Help Guide at http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/the-dangers-of-teenage-drinking.htm
AM: In the book, Our Orbit, you’re able to help a young couple deal with the discovery that one of their foster daughters has developed a drinking problem. I’d like to share a brief clip from that scene—
Cover design by Renee Garcia
The new calendar year was barely two months old, but the planning season was already in full swing for end-of-term festivities at the high school: the all-choir concert, prom, after-prom, and various awards ceremonies. That Thursday evening, Deanne was about to get ready for bed, when she heard a pair of bantering voices approach the front door. Rick and Pete came in, blowing off steam after the Sports Recognition Committee meeting.
“Bo-ring!” Pete declared. “Thank God there are no more faculty meetings for at least two weeks.”
“This calls for a drink,” Rick said.
“Rum and Coke,” Pete ordered.
Rick found beers in the back of the fridge for himself and Deanne and a can of Coke in the pantry. He pulled the bottle of rum from the bottom cabinet by Deanne’s desk.
“What’s this I hear about a romance in your future?” Deanne asked. “Who’s the lucky lady?”
Pete laughed… [Spoiler alert! More on this another time.]
… Just then Rick turned away from the counter, his face perplexed. He handed Pete a shot glass half-full of amber liquid. “Smell this,” he said.
“What’s wrong with it?” Pete sniffed the glass. He took a tiny sip and smacked his lips. “Apple juice. None too fresh.”
“What?” Deanne said.
Rick shrugged. “The rum bottle’s full of juice.”
Deanne’s mouth dropped open.
“Oldest trick in the book,” Pete said. “I remember one year before you came on board—” He nodded at Rick. “We caught the whole team with vodka in their water bottles. In the locker room—school premises!” He laughed. “Kids get brazen.”
“Which kids?” Deanne said. She shot Rick an anxious look.
“Half the school has done this kind of thing,” Pete assured her. “Athletes, honors students, debate stars…”
“School premises are one thing. This is our house. My kitchen.” Deanne gave a visible shudder.
Rick returned to the cupboard and pulled out the vodka bottle, still three-quarters full. He opened it and sniffed, handed it to his wife.
Deanne tipped the bottle for a sip. “Water!” she said.
“It’s a phase for most kids,” Pete said. “They have to try it because adults make it seem so special. They usually wind up okay in the end.”
“You figure this is Rachelle’s doing?” Rick asked Deanne.
“Who else?”
They thought back over the previous months and recalled a couple of weekends when they’d found less beer in the fridge than there should have been. Times when Rachelle had lumbered off to bed early or they discovered her drifting around the kitchen for no apparent reason.
“Rachelle has more issues than we thought.” Deanne’s voice rang with dismay.
“We need a plan here,” Rick said.
He and Deanne both looked to Pete.
Pete raised a finger. “Intervention. And I know a very smart lady who can tell you how to do it.”
AM: That was a scene from Part Three of Our Orbit featuring today’s character, Pete Deluca. Thanks again, Pete, for lending us your voice and for helping us understand some of the problems parents and teachers face these days.
Pete: It’s my pleasure. See you at the movies!
Many thanks for visiting my blog today! Please feel free to nose about the website and let me know if you like what you see or if you have suggestions. You can reach me by leaving a comment in the box below or by clicking the Contact link at upper right (or just click here). I hope you’ll stop by again soon. And please consider subscribing to my blog or newsletter!
by anesamiller_wuhi6k | Apr 6, 2015 | Blog, OMG—It's CELEBRITIES!
I have to kick this off with a big disclaimer:
I am something of a cultural snob. For many years I read nothing but classics (comes with the Ph.D. territory), and did not own a TV throughout my 12-yr. grad school career. So please understand that I’m bringing a dose of embarrassment to this project—a blog page devoted to celebrities!
Wild dreams….
True confession: I have created a Pinterest board on the CELEBRITY actors I would most like to see in the movie version of my novel, Our Orbit.
Why be embarrassed? You may well ask. After all, even snobs love and respect talented actors. Lots of them do Shakespeare! Yes, I know, but it’s awkward to admit how much I have fantasized about seeing my novel made into a film. Not exactly an uncommon dream among writers, but we all know it’s just that: a dream unlikely to survive in waking life.
But so what? Make like a fantasy writer and live a little! Indulging dreams costs nothing. And “casting” these roles turned out to be the most fun I’ve had on a computer since…well, since I finished writing Our Orbit! Here are a few samples of the terrific talent I’d love to see bringing my story to life —
Yikes—this side of Jeff Bridges conveys the deadly serious aspect of his oh-so expressive facial assets! But the creator of cult hero “The Dude” (in THE BIG LEBOWSKI) has a humane and hilarious side as well. That’s why I need him to play the part of Uncle Dan, who claims to be sole survivor of an alien abduction. Jeff, I see another Oscar in your future!
Who is Uncle Dan? A decorated Korean War veteran and brother to the Winslow family patriarch, Levi (more on him later). Dan is uncle to Levi’s four children, all of whom are key characters in Our Orbit. Starting with the youngest, there’s Miriam—
Forever 9!
If only we could go back in time to the era of LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006), there’s no question that Abigail Breslin would bring the perfect blend of sweet sadness to the character of Miriam, who enters foster care at the age of 9 years. Regrettably, as we’ve all had occasion to realize, time waits for no one! Abigail has gone through many changes, like we all do, growing up. (Hey, that’s a big theme in the book, too.) So how about casting Miss Breslin—still-adorable at 18—as Miriam’s sister Rachelle—
Great country-girl look in a gingham shirt! But can Abigail bring the sullen, a crucial quality for the part of angst-ridden teenage Rachelle? After all, the back cover of Our Orbit reveals that, “Rachelle harbors many painful secrets.” So how about Morgan Saylor who amply demonstrates her skill as a tormented young woman on the hit series HOMELAND…?
Looks like a shoe-in to me!
What do you think? Share your thoughts, impressions, complaints, and candidates for these meaty movie roles in the Comments section below. Many thanks for visiting my blog today! Feel free to nose about the website and let me know if you like what you see or if you have suggestions. You can reach me by clicking the Contact link at upper right (or just click here). And please consider subscribing to my blog or newsletter. Stop by again soon!
Quite aside from her austere, award-winning role in Zero Dark Thirty, Chastain has shown that she can breathe convincing nuance into maternal roles in Tree of Life and The Color of Time. Even her portrayal of the ditsy Celia Foote in The Help redounds to Deanne’s credit—both are country girls who confront the often constricting demands of rural society. (As a recovering Russian Studies instructor, I’m especially thrilled that Chastain appeared in a festival production of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard—more small-town chops.)
