Heath Heath Heath

[Brown Eyes]

That's an interesting comment about the casting of Heath.  Wasn't the casting process for BBM a long and drawn out saga?  I feel like I remember discussions about the filmmakers going through lots of options and possibilities for both the Jack and Ennis characters.

[MaineWriter]

I always heard that Larry McMurtry saw Heath in Monster's Ball and said, "That's Ennis!" and from then it was a done deal. I never heard about them ever considering another actor for the role.

And I also think the "we waited until Heath Ledger got big enough so we could cast him," is a bit of hyperbole. Big enough how? Big enough star? Big enough in height? Everything I have read seemed to indicate that it took years for all the pieces for the movie to finally come together. Supposedly, he and Ossana optioned the movie very soon after she read it in the New Yorker (which was soon after it came out, 1997). They also wrote the first draft of the screenplay very quickly. But it took took 7 long years of this, that, and the other thing before they finally got to the point of filming and actually having a movie.

My 2 cents.

L

[Ellemeno]

I always heard that Larry McMurtry saw Heath in Monster's Ball and said, "That's Ennis!" and from then it was a done deal. I never heard about them ever considering another actor for the role.

And I also think the "we waited until Heath Ledger got big enough so we could cast him," is a bit of hyperbole. Big enough how? Big enough star? Big enough in height? Everything I have read seemed to indicate that it took years for all the pieces for the movie to finally come together. Supposedly, he and Ossana optioned the movie very soon after she read it in the New Yorker (which was soon after it came out, 1997). They also wrote the first draft of the screenplay very quickly. But it took took 7 long years of this, that, and the other thing before they finally got to the point of filming and actually having a movie.

My 2 cents.

L

The part of this that I remember hearing (and I think it was Diana Ossana herself who said it at the Aero) is that she was staying at Larry's house, went to bed that evening with the current (October 1997) issue of the New Yorker, and was waiting for him when he woke up to make him read the BBM short story.  He didn't want to read it at first, because he doesn't read much short fiction, but she insisted, so he did, and right then and there, they called Annie Proulx on the phone and asked her for the film rights.

That's how I remember hearing it.  If that's true, Heath was 18 1/2 at the time, and had only played the part of Snowy Bowles in "Sweat," which I think only showed on Australian TV.  It wasn't til March 1999 that Ten Things I Hate About You came out and Diana and Larry could have conceivably heard of him (and probably wouldn't have wanted him yet, based on the part in the film).

Monster's Ball came out in February 2002, when Heath was almost 23.  So my guess is that Diana and Larry had the movie for at least 4 1/2 years before they knew Heath was the one for them.  But at that point I would believe he was the One and Only.

(All dates courtesy IMDb)

[Gabreya]

That's really something, Elle. And I do agree that Heath was/is the ONE and ONLY for Ennis.

[Penthesilea]

Good morning Heathens

*groans a little* school holidays are over, now it's back to getting up early . This first day I really need some Heathy goodness

lookin' gorgeous and cooool




this makes me smile even at this ungodly hour

[carolina]

WOW indeed, I have never read before that they waited for Heath.It is as always bitersweet.So many projects which will now never see the light of day.
 How can so many less than/evil people still be alive and kicking and killing, yet we lose someone like Heath. I know I run the risk of being shot down in flames, but it is one reason I have rejected formal religion.It makes no sense to me.

My thoughts exactly.  That was my first reaction when I heard about Heath, out of all the people in Hollywood, he just seemed like the most gentle, caring soul, and he's the one that we had to lose.  Regarding the previous post about caring so much about someone you didn't even know, I think that's okay.  I didn't share my spiel here yet, but I did on imdb a while ago when people were complaining about the outpouring of emotion over someone who was essentially unknown to us.  Basically I don't agree with that sentiment.  Why are we bound to only care about those we "know" and what does that even mean.  Do I "know" my distant relatives living states away just because they're technically my family?  I know their names, and little else, but would it be more socially acceptable for me to mourn their deaths simply because of the genetic relation...  Sorry if this will offend people, but I don't think it should work that way.  I think we did "know" Heath more than we know a lot of people who may be geographically or genetically closer to us.  Was there a ton about him that we'll never know?  Sure, but that can be said of most people in our lives.  I'm preaching to the choir, here, I know, but I think it's important to know that it's okay to feel the way we do.

[cmr107]

Interesting choice of footwear here

[belbbmfan]

Good morning Heathens

*groans a little* school holidays are over, now it's back to getting up early . This first day I really need some Heathy goodness

Really? Already? We have another month to go here. School doesn't start until September 1st.

Thanks for the nice pictures. 

[MaineWriter]

The part of this that I remember hearing (and I think it was Diana Ossana herself who said it at the Aero) is that she was staying at Larry's house, went to bed that evening with the current (October 1997) issue of the New Yorker, and was waiting for him when he woke up to make him read the BBM short story.  He didn't want to read it at first, because he doesn't read much short fiction, but she insisted, so he did, and right then and there, they called Annie Proulx on the phone and asked her for the film rights.

That's how I remember hearing it.  If that's true, Heath was 18 1/2 at the time, and had only played the part of Snowy Bowles in "Sweat," which I think only showed on Australian TV.  It wasn't til March 1999 that Ten Things I Hate About You came out and Diana and Larry could have conceivably heard of him (and probably wouldn't have wanted him yet, based on the part in the film).

Monster's Ball came out in February 2002, when Heath was almost 23.  So my guess is that Diana and Larry had the movie for at least 4 1/2 years before they knew Heath was the one for them.  But at that point I would believe he was the One and Only.

(All dates courtesy IMDb)

I don't thing we're disagreeing, Elle. This is also the story that Ossana tells in the screenplay book of Brokeback with the extra essays--although I remember it as she couldn't sleep, got up to use the bathroom and started reading the story there (the magazine was next to the toilet).

Also, as I recall from those essays (all three people wrote one: Annie, Larry, and Diana), it took years to just get the details of financing and so on together. So they might not have even been thinking about people to play in the roles for a long time, which is why I buy the "That's Ennis!" story of seeing Heath in Monster's Ball.

L

[Ellemeno]

I don't thing we're disagreeing, Elle.

Oh sorry, I meant to say I was agreeing with you, Leslie, and was adding the stuff I knew!    And I'd forgotten about the essays in STS.  Of course that's where some of that info in my head is from.  I ought to reread that, it was really good.  I wonder who was responsible for that book being put together and published?