Op-ed Commentary by Terri Schwartz @ mtv.com:'
Saoirse Ronan Cast As Leading Lady In 'Effie,' But Is The Role Too Adult?
In Hollywood, everything comes in threes. More often than not, that's referring to celebrity deaths and trilogies, but today it's about Saoirse Ronan, who is getting her third title role in just one year. First it was "Hanna," which cast Ronan as a 14-year-old Eastern European cold-blooded killing machine. Then it was opposite Alexis Bledel in "Violet and Daisy," which follows two teenage hitgirls named (duh!) Violet and Daisy who get sucked into some serious trouble.
To complete the hat trick, Production Weekly has announced via tweet that Ronan will be starring in the Emma Thompson- and Greg Wise-scripted flick "Effie," which would cast Ronan as -- you guessed it -- the title character Effie Gray. The film will follow Gray's disastrous marriage to John Ruskin, a Victorian art critic and poet, and focus largely on their sexual relationship (or lack thereof) and a love triangle that results from that. Sure, Ronan played a teenager who was raped (off camera) in "The Lovely Bones" and made some pretty big mistakes in "Atonement," but do we really need to point out that she's only 16?
She definitely isn't the first actress to push the age barrier in her roles in recent years. Dakota Fanning got plenty of flack for her rape scene in "Hounddog," and only this year Chloe Moretz was lambasted for killing dozens of bad guys and using the C-word in "Kick-Ass." And there have been way more examples over the years.
But two roles as a ruthless killer and now one that focuses on a Victorian marriage and sexual behaviors seems a bit excessive. Thompson told the Telegraph about the script: "I think you need to go into the past to examine sexual mores to get clues about our behavior now... The so-called sexual revolution was probably inevitable, but with many revolutions mistakes are made." The film will portray Gray's character in a positive light, but for the record Gray was 17 years old when she married Ruskin -- though, to be fair, she and Ruskin didn't once have sex during their nine years of marriage.
Ronan is a great actress and I'm not trying to argue that she shouldn't be cast in serious roles. Her performances over the past three years have continued to show off her great ability. It just seems a bit inappropriate that she should be cast in four such adult roles before she is legally an adult. At least there don't seem to be any doubts about casting her as a leading lady, which I'd say bodes well for the rest of her career.
Do you think Ronan is too young to be playing the roles she's been cast in? Does "Effie" sound like an interesting film to you? Tell us in the comments!'
Saoirse Ronan has the potential, in my opinion, to become one of the most celebrated actors of her generation. Her iconic role in the Lovely Bones seems, by nature of her veracity, to come near the start of a very important career in an industry which lacks players of the sincerity and unselfconscious joy that she regularly demonstrates in pursuit of her ambition - which I imagine will take her to a number of groundbreaking and unexpected roles. If you are good enough, you are old enough and unlike some of her contemporaries, Saoirse Ronan is infinitely worth her steadily growing reputation. It has reached a stage where if she has chosen to put her name to a project, you know it will be a script of unique interest. Her appearance is fast becoming a seal of quality. As audience members, we are lucky to have her.
ReplyDeleteNow Saoirse is 17 she is ready for a role like Effie. This, in my opinion is a fantastic part for her to play, especially for an actress with such a unique range. I so hope Thompson's script will get the all clear in this copyright infringement case and begin shooting sometime soon. And even though Ronan has other projects lined up, to play the role of the fiery and passionate Effie Gray alongside Emma Thompson as her confidante is a mouthwatering prospect that will captivate Saoirse Ronan fans and again enthuse the academy.
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