An excerpt from my script review for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent which will be available 04/26/22:
3.) Quality of Characters
This is where I think we should focus most of our time.
If you’re going to pitch a role to a specific actor, asking him to star as himself, you need to make the character not a douchebag.
And the version of Nic in this script? A self-indulged, major douchebag.
Yes, you need to give the character flaws that conflict with other characters giving you drama and tension.
But this version of Nicolas Cage?
I mean he constantly turns conversations or situations back to focusing solely on him. It was annoying, even if you’re going for the “Hollywood Star Stereotype”.
Check out some of the recent promo things he’s done:
He doesn’t present himself that way at all.
The script version just came across as so sad and lonely.
Sure we get interesting little bits with his inner conflict via Young Nic.
Yes there’s the typical “fun and games” interactions with a doting Javi.
But then it always goes back to an unlikeable Nic.
Nic as a messiah figure in the script they’re writing together. Nic as the hero. Nic as the one who needs to overcome his daughter being kidnapped.
Nic constantly bringing up that his family wanted him to do all those movies so the world wasn’t denied his talent!
And maybe this doesn’t really apply to most of our scripts, but if you’re going to pitch a story to a specific actor, make the main character something worth playing.
This just didn’t feel like it, and I’m curious to hear what the real Nicolas Cage thought of this initial portrayal and what he suggested to change.
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