After watching Hook a few weeks ago, I thought to myself, "What if Tom Hanks had played Peter Pan?" I mean, I have nothi
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Darwinskid — 12 years ago(January 09, 2014 06:46 PM)
I think Williams was a good fit for the role because it kind of makes sense, Peter Pan is the last character you'd expect to grow up, and Robin Williams, despite having had his share of dramatic roles prior to making this, was hard to picture for a lot of people in a mature role because of his comedy.
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joomington — 11 years ago(April 04, 2014 03:30 AM)
I can totally see it. I still think the character is not that well written and a bit too unlikeable for far too much of the film, but I can definitely see Hanks pulling off the likeable unlikeable character a bit better than Williams. That said I can't see Hanks crowing (literally and figuratively) quite as well as Williams.
It feels to me upon re-watch that Williams is slightly out of his element in the mean grown up role, whereas Hanks I think wouldn't have been as much in his element in the full-fledged Peter Pan role. It's almost as if you want Hanks to play Peter Panning for the first half and Williams to play Peter Pan at the end. -
clark_gillies — 11 years ago(April 30, 2014 07:53 AM)
I can actually see that working, but saying that, 1991 I think was just a year or two to late for getting him on such a project.
If this had been made in 1988/89-ish when he was making similar feel good movies like Big and Turner & Hooch, he probably would have been well up for it, but by 1990-ish he had turned a corner and was gearing up for movies like Forest Gump and Philadelphia.
If he had been in Hook, I think it would have set him back a long way. Hoffman arguably never really recovered after this, and though Williams had a couple of sleeper hits after this, he never got back to the levels he was at in the 1980's for a while, so I think Hanks would have missed out on a number of roles that are now firmly associated with him. -
baileythedog — 10 years ago(July 28, 2015 05:25 AM)
If he had been in Hook, I think it would have set him back a long way. Hoffman arguably never really recovered after this, and though Williams had a couple of sleeper hits after this, he never got back to the levels he was at in the 1980's for a while, so I think Hanks would have missed out on a number of roles that are now firmly associated with him.
A little late to the party on this but I'm thinking this is such a weird analysis. For Williams after "Hook" came "Aladdin", "Mrs. Doubtfire", "Jumanji" "The Birdcage", "Good Will Hunting" "Patch Adams" all monster box office hits, nowhere near "sleepers." . In addition more acclaimed roles in "One Hour Photo", "Insomnia", etc.
The idea that "Hook" ended anything for him is pretty strange. -
clark_gillies — 10 years ago(August 03, 2015 02:10 AM)
Mrs Doubtfire and Good Will Hunting yes. but the rest (bar Aladdin, as its a voice credit) are nothing on Good Morning Vietnam, The Fisher King, Dead Poets Society.. these are big hits (I am not a huge fan of his goody-goody family orientated movies of the 90's. by which times movies like Insomnia and OHP came along, voice at the back of my head was screaming "that's Mrs Doubtfire!")
Bar the three I mentioned that you brought up, would hardly say that they have stood the test of time some of his big hit movies have had. -
baileythedog — 10 years ago(August 04, 2015 06:00 AM)
Mrs Doubtfire and Good Will Hunting yes. but the rest (bar Aladdin, as its a voice credit) are nothing on Good Morning Vietnam, The Fisher King, Dead Poets Society.. these are big hits (I am not a huge fan of his goody-goody family orientated movies of the 90's. by which times movies like Insomnia and OHP came along, voice at the back of my head was screaming "that's Mrs Doubtfire!")
Okay, I don't think the statement was, "which movie do I like better." Your comment was specifically about "sleeper hits" which made no sense and clearly isn't something you're even defending now.
Of course you are free to like whatever movie you like, but your use of the word "sleeper hits" or the implication that "Hook" somehow damaged his career is completely off base.
For the record, since "Aladdin" featured over 50 "characters" and completely changed the way voice talent is used in animated films, I'd say it was more than just a "voice credit." And it seems pretty obvious to me that you've never seen "The Birdcage" otherwise I'm not sure you could dismiss it as some goody-family oriented film. I'm also not sure how one could ever get even a hint of "Mrs. Doubtfire" in "One Hour Photo" or "Insomnia" but that's clearly on you.
Bar the three I mentioned that you brought up, would hardly say that they have stood the test of time some of his big hit movies have had.
I think you're very much incorrect, they just don't happen to appeal to you personally. -
MydnightRose — 10 years ago(August 04, 2015 04:39 PM)
Williams career was on course before Hook and was still on course after it. Saying his career suffered is pushing it to the limit. Some if his characters and performances defined 90s culture.
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LorcaGonzalez — 11 years ago(September 05, 2014 01:11 PM)
Tom Hanks would have been great, no doubt, but I like Robin Williams in this role. I think he looked more like the grown up version of the Peter from the Disney movie.
Kevin Kline was originally cast, which would also have been interesting.http://Lorcagonzalez.blogspot.com
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alliemack30 — 11 years ago(October 04, 2014 07:20 PM)
Tom Hanks would have been fine, but I think Robin Williams was such a youthful soul that transitioning to Neverland Peter Pan was natural for him. Those scenes are some of my favorites and it is difficult to imagine anyone bringing that much spirit to that part of the role. Anyone could have played the grown up, repressed, stick in the mud Peter, but the Neverland Peter/post-adventure Peter needed that youthful and energetic spirit that Robin was known for.
is anyone else getting really sad about the fact that we are talking about him in past tense? -
liquidchaoss — 10 years ago(October 07, 2015 12:32 PM)
I couldnt pick a better adult actor to play a immature man child then Robin Williams. I truly believe there is no Hook movie without Robin, no one else could of done it better. The only problem was the serious parts, its hard to take Robin in his adult serious role in this movie though. Its like the perfect blend with Tom Hanks in the serious role and Robin Williams as the immature man child Peter Pan.
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Kachito82 — 10 years ago(November 19, 2015 07:53 AM)
Hanks was great in BIG, so I think he would have made an excellent job as Peter. It's possible that he would have given us a more believable transition from Peter Banning to Peter Pan and back to Peter Banning again in the end. Williams was good, but his Peter Pan performance, especially when flying through the sky, with his overweight and so, makes me think that Hanks would have been fitter for the role (Hanks is kind of fat now, back then he was slim).
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jajceboy — 10 years ago(January 07, 2016 07:47 AM)
Not necessarily. Like someone said Tom Hanks was and still at certain point are, youthful. But I don't think it would be a good idea to have a youthful Pan.
The idea behind this is that Pan is all grown up, it has to be someone who looks all grown up.
Besides, one of the thing I love about it is the casting and how the major roles are all against type casting. Just the absurd idea of peter Pan grown up and played by Robin Williams who was a very unlikely candidate actually works. Same with Dustin Hoffman. -
Housefan2 — 10 years ago(March 14, 2016 12:44 PM)
Looking through the list of actors considered for the roles, I was shocked to see how many I think would actually have been great in the roles they were considered for.
I think Tom Hanks and Kevin Kline would have made great Peter Bannings/Pans. I also think David Bowie would have made a great Hook.
When I say this, I don't mean to say that I don't love Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams. I do. They're brilliant. Hoffman is my favourite Hook to date actually. I just think the others would have been great as well.
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justanicknamed — 10 years ago(March 17, 2016 12:12 PM)
I think thew would have made more serious Banning/Pans. Williams always had the "little kid wonderment" about him which is why I felt he was right for this part. You could see the playfulness in his eyes when he was "imagine" playing with the Lost Boys.
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ComicNerd — 9 years ago(July 13, 2016 08:08 AM)
I think some of the casting suggestions in this thread are good, I think ultimately the real problem with the movie is the script. Once Peter gets to Neverland the movie seems to lose it's way, instead of treating Neverland as wonderous place of adventure it appears to be a tree house and a town square where not much happens for the majority of the movie.
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lavignebiz1 — 9 years ago(December 12, 2016 10:21 AM)
I haven't seen this since I saw it in the theater. I don't really care for it, but I'm watching it again because it was mentioned in Penny Marshall's book. Kevin Kline could have brought some fun to the role of Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman, your Actor's Studio/Method acting, is showing too much!). I think Hoffman is awful, and why Julia Roberts? How much fun would, say, Julie Hagerty be in this? It's a stiff!!!