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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Frances O'Connor
jaredirish — 22 years ago(January 15, 2004 11:23 AM)
I just wanted to comment on her acting in Timeline.
it was BAD!
she fit right in with Paul Walker.
BAD!
without them, the movie might have had a chance!! -
harposboy — 22 years ago(February 01, 2004 11:42 PM)
She's absolutely amazing as David's mother in A.I., which is why I was so disappointed with how well she fit in with the wretchedness of Timeline. But I really don't think that anybody could have came out of that movie looking good. Not anybody.
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Pangborne — 21 years ago(May 24, 2004 02:26 AM)
Child - when you find yourself writing a line like "made me want to vomit in rage" then it's time to take a time out. I hate to be the one perhaps to make you upchuck in anger, but A.I. is probable masterpiece. It's weird, and kinda goofy, and a little patchy, but it is brilliant and moving and engrossing, and there are moments that are nearly sublime - one of which is Frances O'Connor's moment with Haley Joel Osment in the woods. I would like to suggest that if you like the writing of Michael Crichton - acknowledged by every major critic of fiction to be basically a hack, if a fun hack - then perhaps the strangeness of A.I. and it's unexpected blending of divergent tones went a bit over your head. Watch it again, and maybe things will be apparent to you the second time around. If not, try to keep your lunch down and read some more trash fiction. As for your attitude to toward Frances O'Connor, let me give you a little piece of film school of your own - no actress can single-handedly destroy an action movie, especially not a competent actress in a poorly written part in a trashy adaptation of a trashy thriller. Simply put, it seems like what you didn't like about Frances O'Connor was that she was BETTER than the material. Or maybe - I'm guessing from your name - you don't like her politics. If I'm right in assuming you enjoy blasting Jane Fonda for her politics, then then I understand where your rage comes from - the built up frustration of thirty-five years of being wrong about everything.
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rogansleftpeg — 21 years ago(June 05, 2004 06:13 AM)
Fondablaster you have impressed me immensely with your knowledge of pulp fiction and trivia, about Michael Crichton and films which you have seen. Congrats, please let me know if you get your own website. You know very little about the process of making a film though. You are entirely entitled to loathe and hate whoever you want. You are unable to articulate why certain people are bad or why their performance was awful. I'd be interested to hear precisely why, in an objective unemotional fashion. If you had a clue about film acting you would know that in a film like Timeline where the acting was all completely over the top, that the biggest failure was the direction. Obviously this cast were encouraged to be larger than life, and there is very little you can do once these scenes are in the can, there is very little you can do to save the film via the editing suite. Actors have very little control about what finally ends up on screen, especially if they are being poorly directed. The reason why I know this so, is because this actress is question has been wonderful in other films, not all films.One doesn't just became bad, they have off days, or perhaps there are projects where they are not just on the same wavelength as there script or the same page as the director. To want to vomit in rage over something trashy like Timeline suggests to me that you have some sort of self loathing going on, or maybe a bit of petty jealousy. And all this conjecture on what Kubrick would have done etc calm down you have never met the man, save it for your fantasy website.
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Camargue — 13 years ago(April 14, 2012 01:13 AM)
Wow, pangborne:
You have the NERVE to accuse someone of being wrong about everything (for 35 years).
And YOU have the nerve to call Michael Crichton "a hack."
And YOU have the nerve to tell others to "take a time out.&b68quot;
And YOU have the nerve to claim that ". . . divergent tones went a bit over your head."
You have problems with ego and with civility; too much of the former and not a jot of the latter.
Nor was it necessary to drag politics into the mix; there was not a doubt in anyone's mind that you were not firmly mired in the Left!
Clearly you are not a student of Rousseau, who said, "There is no greater wisdom than kindness." -
Jazzie-too — 11 years ago(February 15, 2015 10:45 AM)
She's annoying the heck out of me too! That's why I visited this site. I'm watching the series, Mr. Selfridge, but she, in the part of Rose Selfridge, his wife, is aggravating me. Just doesn't fit the era. I hate her looks, her sound, her voice, her speech. She often has this emptiness look. I want to smack her!
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rogansleftpeg — 21 years ago(June 06, 2004 05:54 PM)
"The reason why I know this so, is because this actress is question has been wonderful in other films, not all films"
Name one.
I'll name 5: Iron Jawed Angels, Kiss or Kill, Thank God he met Lizzie, About Adam, Madame Bovary oof the top of my head.
You spend all this time and energy telling me why I'm wrong about "Timeline"
No I didn't.
and how speculation on Kubrick's written and recorded visions for "A.I." (see his last Entertainment Weekly profile and this website "http://www.djfilms.com/AI.html" for a lesson in speculation vs. reality) is meant for a "fantasy website", yet you don't offer instances or examples that back up your statement that Frances O'Connor "has been wonderful in other films".
You speculate about an imagined scenario cos you din't like AI and ventured an improbable scene where the dead Kubrick would confront Spielberg!
Yes I didn't think I had to about Frances O'Connor's other films, but I note even in this retort post you still haven't suggested why she was bad, you are still on rant mode.
Then you pretend to be a psychologist,
How do you know I'm not?
believing you can deduce a sense of self-loathing after reading one of my commentaries on a movie website.
I do find it curious that on a Frances O'Connor message board you pluck out your loathing of Charlize Theron, and have the name you have, Jane perhaps? Do you hate women?
The world would think you were a genius if you could generate a psychological profile based on one encounter. Unfortunately, you aren't and you can't.
How do you know I can't? Speculation again?
What's up? I have to hate myself in order to despise Frances O'Connor's acting ability (or lack thereof)?
Show me the alternative reason? I stress again unemotion al and based on insight.
You see, rogansleftpeg, there is something very wrong with people like you: You don't know what you're arguing for; you just like to argue.
Your right my post was a direct response to yours, I do just like to argue, now explain to me, what was your post for, that was different?
You have no real point.
Whereas yours do.
There is no fact to back up your opinion because you don't site examples.
Which opinion in particular? Cinema isn't a rational art form it is based on subjective opinion, so I don't see where I could state a fact!
Throughout you piece you used the words and phrases "trashy", "poorly directed" and "failure" describing "Timeline".
I'd say Timeline was a failure, and I think you agree, no? I didn't use the word trashy. Poorly directed, do you disagree? IDo you think it was well directed?
Well, yeah, financially it was a failure; but poorly directed? I think I'd agree more with Ed Park from the Village Voice who said "Timeline is crudely written, haphazardly acted, and improbably fun."
I could scour the web for quote238s too, but I am offering MY opinion. What do YOU say?
Although, I'm not sure about the "fun" part, no matter how improbable it may have been. There is a featurette on the "Timeline" DVD that shows many behind the scenes moments (i.e. set decoration, costume design, lengthy conversation between Richard Donnor and his script supervisor) all of which do little to support your theory of poor direction.
All of the acting was over the top, if a director can't see that, then he is not doing his job properly. Had the film been well 5b4directed, maybe some of the performances would have been better.
You try to put down what I know of filmmaking and then suggest that the final edit is entirely the director's responsibility?
No I didn't say that I said a director can do little in the editing suite with performances once it is in the can, he does have the power thought to influence the performances when they are filming scenes.
Yeah you're right: The guy that did "The Omen", "Superman", "The Goonies", "Scrooged", "Radio Flyer" and the "Lethal Weapon" series probably doesn't know what he's doing.
I didn't say that either, for the record though, I think he has made some good films, but I don't think he did a good job here. If you read my other post I do say that is possible that actors and in this case a director can have an off day, or misfire.
But a no-talent hack actress who's been one good movie in the past ten years ("The Importance Of Being Earnest") can be misguided not only by Donnor and Spielberg, but by Harold Ramis and John Woo as well.
Frankly you are just showing your ignorance now. "no talent hack"- when you use phrases like this, that self loathing just pops up again, and you undermine other intelligent opinions you might have offered. You lose credibility.
I don't think so. I'm sure (what with5b4 your firm grasp on the behind-the-scenes chain of events that leads to opening night) that you realize a film starts with a script. If that's bad, the movie's bad (i.e. "Timeline" and "A.I."). After that the next big (some might say the biggest) responsibility belongs to the casting director. It the right people aren't chosen, the director will have little to work wit -
styleequeen — 21 years ago(July 02, 2004 02:34 AM)
Have to agree with the original poster. As a 'serious' actress (as opposed to teeny-bopper starlet), O'Conner has yet to impress me. She always slightly overacts and thus fails to ring true. I saw her in a live performance of 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof', and she was forever arching her body just a bit too much, turning with too much emphasis, being too 'extra-daily'in all her movements. It looked like a drama school production (it's hard to describe in words). It didn't help that her co-stars which included Gemma Jones and Brendan Fraser (yes, that's right, the 'Bedazzled' co-star - I was surprised too) bowled me over with their acting. Fraser in particular as he shared so many scenes with her. He managed to give off tremendous presence and intensity without going over the top like his leading lady did.
Proud member of T.R.O.L.L. -
Nolf_ — 21 years ago(July 05, 2004 08:40 PM)
Holy sh ite.wow let's all start writing essays about O'Connor's talent, good or bad.
I think that she truely is a great actress. She WAS David's mother (her name was Monica right?), she WAS Fanny in Mansfield Park (one of my favorite's and I think her best performance that I've seen). If you look at her filmography in the mid nineties to late nineties you'll notice that she doesn't have too many blockbuster films or at least "above the radar" ones. To get recognition for your talent, sometimes you have to star in some pretty crappy films. After Timeline came out, you'll see that Frances O'Connor has signed on to do quite a few films.
That said, I think that Frances O'Connor is great and with a script like Timeline not even could Meryl Streep make a decent performance. -
bubblingbrook — 20 years ago(February 19, 2006 08:07 AM)
Nonsense - Meryl Streep would have given her usual exquisite performance in an otherwise lousy movie. I can't defend FC's performance in Timeline - it was awful. Some of the other actors in Timeline gave good performances in spite of the bad material.
