Who will be John Galt?

My favourite book is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, so I am naturally excited about the prospect of a movie based on the book.

There is quite a frenzy out there about the imminent (with some question marks) production of Atlas Shrugged (just do a search for “Atlas Shrugged casting”).
I’ve long thought about who could possibly play the heroes of the book.
(For the uninitiated: the book is a manifesto of “Objectivism”, Ayn Rand’s life philosophy of  reason & individualism – to find out more about Objectivism, Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged, see www.aynrand.org)
But apart from the philosophy, the book is a superb drama – even has suspense.
The characters are heroic, intriguing, inspiring – great stuff for a movie and a real challenge for actors (not to mention the screenwriter, who has to condense this enormous epic novel  into a script for a 3-hour movie).

What would be then the ideal Atlas Shrugged cast?

Here are my picks…
Dagny Taggart
Angelina Jolie  has acquired the rights to the movie, and she intends to play Dagny.
However, she would not have been my first choice. I feel a bit “overexposed” to her, seen her too many times in too many roles recently (I felt that way about Meryl Steep some time ago – I cannot see the role anymore, I just see the actress).

My fist choice is….(drum roll….) Famke Janssen.
She has the right look and if she did her best, I think she could pull it off.

Another great actress who I believe would be right is Cate Blanchett (with brunette hair). I can see her in it…
If Angelina does it, I hope she really gives her very best, because it would be a great shame.

John Galt
Daniel Day Lewis – I see no better for the man whose faces showed “no fear and no guilt”.
Second choice: Ralph Fiennes

Hank Rearden
Who better than Russell Crow?
He IS Hank Rearden.
I was glad to hear the producers suggested the role to him. I hope he decides to take it.
Alternatives: Ed Harris, Nicolas Cage

James Taggart
A villain, and an especially difficult & key role (his “melt-down” at the end would be a feat of acting).
I can see Tom Hanks doing it brilliantly.
Alternatives: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, John Travolta, Kevin Spacey

Ragnar Danneskold
Brad Pitt could be right for the role.
My alternatives: Jude Law, Johnny Depp

Francesco D’ Anconia
A very key role…I had difficulty assigning it. I think Josh Hartnett would be right for it.
My alternatives: Edward Norton, Johnny Depp

“Wet nurse”
Leonardo di Caprio, Tobby McGuire, Edward Furlong, Giovanni Ribisi

Hugh Akston
The good professor…Gene Hackman would be great.

Dr. Robert Stadler
The bad professor…Anthony Hopkins
Alternatives: Gene Hackman, Robin Williams, Martin Sean

Lilian Rearden
Laura Linney, Annette Benning, Cate Blanchett
Sharon Stone, Christine Scott-Thomas, Julian Moore, Helen Hunt

Cherryl
Kirsten Dunst, Drew Barrymore, Scarlett Johansson

Eddie Willers
Paul Raffalo

Ellis Wyatt
Nicolas Cage

Weasley Mouch
Michael Douglas, Jon Voit, Jeremy Irons, Andy Garcia, Tommy Lee Jones, Gabriel Burn, Dustin Hoffman

Director:
I can only think of two great directors that might do justice to the book & philosophy behind it, who know about heroes, about their pains and triumphs:
Ridley Scott (“Gladiator”, “Thelma & Louise”) and Clint Eastwood (“Million Dollar Baby”, “Unforgiven”).

See also:

• Latest news on Altas Srugged – the movie
• Atlas Shrugged Tops Amazon’s Bestseller List

One of my paintings. You should buy it! Why, because it is a no side-effects balm, medicine, sedative, soother, energizer, envigorator and cure for just about anything…and more.
Why?

Bright colors create energy, positive thoughts pleasure and good humour.
There’s good reason for fairgrounds, festivals using bright colours – reds, yellows, oranges, bright blues and vibrant green hues. Grey is somber (smart looking because we’ve been conditioned to think so) and drains energy from the surrounding area it absorbs light from. Black is a good contrast to – well…colour!

Try wearing a brightly coloured shirt or blouse, try to forget what you are wearing and see how your day goes, how you enjoy it, how fired up your imagination is, how people respond to you – note it all down. Then try a day wearing nothing but dull colours, muddy earth tones, grizzly grey, deep dark black…make notes, compare.

Got an office or a den and nothing in bright colours on view? Not even an ornament, picture or painting? Well try this. Put something really powerfully bright a brilliant primary colour or mix of colours…glance at it occasionally while you are working, look at it as you enter the room – how’s that feel?

See also:

• My brilliantly colourful paintings
  

With a wonderful picture from England…

At West Dean there is a horticultural college, lots of sheep on the hills, and of course a wonderful tearoom. Now, these tearooms are a fountain of sage wisdom, old gardeners’ tricks, elder gossip (all England’s country houses and gardens are popular with retired folk) and pleasant smiles and the sort of strangers passing… well in a country garden tea-house pleasantness that defines a portion of the civilized ways of English people.

Organized rows, wild areas and vast grassy hilly expanses displaying parkland extending visually to the South Downs. Walled kitchen gardens and an arboretum add to the picture.

I checked the quality of tea, sandwiches and cakes while Lina took the cushy job of wandering the sometimes muddy and occasionally at that moment rainy, gardens.

Getting a prime parking space – well you want to walk the gardens not the approach – was one triumph on arrival (little things sometimes give a boyish thrill of success – come on admit it, unless you always arrive on a bicycle, getting pole position in the motorized stables is a great feeling!). But if you don’t find that a little amusing, worthy of a tiny fleeting smile…you really are taking things too seriously and need to see another few of these great English gardens and listen to the chatter, taste the egg and cress sandwiches and search the gift shop for that fascinating something-for-almost-nothing memento!

See also:

• West Dean Gardens & College website