Movie Adaptation of Infinite Jest

ChristianJ · **Joined:** Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:56 pm **Posts:** 5

I think an HBO series could be incredible. Their shows have a history of selecting less well-known actors and I think that would serve the material well. Some little know actor as Hal would make him really be "Hal" and not infused with other parts we have all seen him play. That said, I can totally see Paul Giamatti in a cameo as Kevin Bain, crying and crawling across the floor with his teddy bear at the NA meeting.

doubtful geste · **Joined:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 1:11 pm **Posts:** 91

Giamatti as Tavis would be even more fun...just imagine the scene with Tina Echt!

BenjaminBirdie · **Joined:** Mon Jul 06, 2009 5:10 pm **Posts:** 5

I've thought about this alot lately, actually, reading the book.

Avril is so blatantly Cate Blanchette in my head but as far as casting anyone else, I'm sort of up in the air, except maybe John Goodman as Helen Steeply.

As far as directors, it'd have to be Paul Thomas Anderson. Wes isn't bad but for all the quirk in the book's characters, it is in no way framed as tightly as the way he frames his movies. For all the emotional reality in the book, PTA is a must. (And oh, man, the Jon Brion score, stand back folks...)

Also, I don't think it needs to be a series. For as long as the book is, so much of that is in the enormous amount of visual and emotional description. I mean, you could convey the enormity of the Drills or Ennet House Complex layouts in about four minutes of screen time. It's almost as if the book is describing every detail of every shot of a three hour movie.

It's tough because there are very few young actors that are totally great these days, but as mentioned, Friday Night Lights is a great place to start. God knows who Seracen could play (he's way off visually for Hal) but it'd have to be someone.

Actually, the main thing I was excited about was a fully CGI Mario Incandenza.

doubtful geste · **Joined:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 1:11 pm **Posts:** 91

Sutpen · **Joined:** Tue Jun 30, 2009 1:52 pm **Posts:** 41

You know who I think would be a perfect choice for Hal? Joseph Gordon Levitt. He can still pull off a high school kid, he's got the right look, and his recent work has been really impressive (don't have much interest in 500 Days of Summer, but the more indie stuff he's done in the past few years has been incredible).

semarleau · **Joined:** Fri Jun 26, 2009 1:35 pm **Posts:** 25

Robbie Coltrane = Don Gately

josh71 · **Joined:** Fri Jun 26, 2009 11:16 am **Posts:** 21

I recently saw this indie film "Good Dick," and this guy was kind of a standout. He really had a Gately-like quality in one particular scene when he shouts at Jason Ritter's character.

Eric Edelstein
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1468061/

He might not really be overpoweringly huge enough, but it would be great to see what could be done with some creative camera work, forced perspective a la LOTR's hobbits, etc. Also, his ethnicity may not really be right, but who cares?

BenjaminBirdie · **Joined:** Mon Jul 06, 2009 5:10 pm **Posts:** 5

I saw Adventureland this weekend. Jessie Eisenberg IS Hal Incandenza.

jonliebo · **Joined:** Wed Aug 05, 2009 5:26 am **Posts:** 1

Uma = JvD

Infinite Summer

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