The Alamo

[Luv2Roam]

I thought the Alamo was a dead project. Must not be:

* Jason Patric, drawing critical acclaim as a tough cop in "Narc", has signed to play famed frontiersman Jim Bowie in "The Alamo", a Disney (nyse: DIS - news - people) drama also starring Dennis Quaid and Billy Bob Thornton. Reuters/Variety

Copyright 2003, Reuters News Service

 

[Another Voice]

‘The Alamo’ is still an ongoing project at Disney although it’s missed its last several start dates. It’s now tentatively scheduled to be Disney’s big release for Summer 2004.

The film was originally developed with Ron Howard directing a script by John Sayles. The script was one of the best I’ve read in a long time and was about what it truly means to be “an American”.

Michael Eisner deemed that script and that production as being too expensive and fired Ron Howard (by contract, you’ll still see his name listed as a producer to justify a large check Disney has to cut to him). The project has been rewritten as an action-adventure film and handed over to the director of ‘The Rookie’. It’s rumored to have lost all the nuance and insight that the original script in favor of “gooder” good-guys, “badder” bad guys and many more explosions.

Not that it means it will necessarily be a bad movie, just not as good of one.

 

[RustManFan]

IMDB indicates that Viggo Mortensen (of LOTR) is playing Jim Bowie and that filming is supposed to start this month !

 

[raidermatt]

Vigo the Carpathian?

 

[Bob O]

I guess we will get a dumbdowned eisner version of the Alamo!!!
Makes one really hopeful it will be a great movie, NOT!!!

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

...Ghostbusters...

Actually I wouldn't put Viggo Mortensen in for a dumbed down version...but I'm surprised more explosions would be cheaper. If this film is good guys vs bad guys it'll be disappointing...and I won't be interested in seeing it. I'm probably wrong but I thought one of the reason Texas seceded (revolted) against Mexico was so they could have slavery. They certainly sided with the south in the civil war. I was hopeful the film would give an unromanticized history of Texas.


Addenda: I took the time to check it out...and this was one of the percipitating causes of the Texas Revolution. Mexico freed her slaves and residents of Texas did not care to comply. Texas later entered the US as a slave holding state & naturally sided with the south during the civil war.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I'll stick with Fess, Buddy, and the Alamo I remember----

But I am familiar with the "real"story. The book "Three Roads to the Alamo" is my favorite.
There is quite a controversy going on as to how Davy Crockett actually died at the Alamo.
Wonder how they are going to handle it in the new movie??

 

[Jeff in BigD]

The project is still going on. My sister's friend (who has a part in the film) just left a couple days ago to start riding lessons & stage combat classes for the film.

 

[TheTexasKid]

As someone who lives in Texas, this film has more then a little interest to me. I, too, thought it was a dead project, until there was a big article about it in one of the local papers. And the article was all favorable. Thus, this is my take on the subject.
John Sayles' script is still being used as the basis of the film. It was just worked on, which is not unknown for most Hollywood screenplays.
One of the reasons Ron Howard walked, was he wanted to do a R-rated version of the film. R as in R for violence. And at the cost that it would cost to do it, the producers wanted at most a PG-13 version of the film. PG-13 as in violence.
We know that Ron Howard can do big epics. Look at his "Apollo 13," but the director of "The Rookie" may not be such a bad choice. Look at this portrayal of west Texas in that film. He knows his Texas and his Texans, because that part of the film was dead on accurate.
The only cast change I am aware of, is that Russell Crowe will not play Colonel William Travis, but, that change may be due more to a prior film commitment, then the fact that Ron Howard will not direct.
The filming supposedly commences in March in Dripping Springs, Texas, where a fairly accurate set of the original Alamo has supposedly been recreated.
It is also suppose to be the most accurate portrayal yet of what happened at The Alamo. That I will believe, when I see it. As you can't get two Texans to agree on anything that happened at the Alamo. As Uncleromulus has pointed out, I am especially interested in seeing how they handle the claim that Davy Crockett was killed after he surrendered and after the battle was over.
Enjoy the film. I am sure I will.

 

[Planogirl]

I agree that it'll be interesting to see how the story is handled. I wonder if Travis will draw the mythical line in the sand? I can't help but hope so a little even though it doesn't seem to have actually happened.

I need to look up Dripping Springs on the map. I am clueless about where that is!

 

[WDWHound]

Dripping Springs is just south of Austin on 290.

 

[jenjenmouse]

Hi guys. I live in San Antonio and just went to the real Alamo with my 5 year old DD. I've lived here all my life and wonder why the Alamo is so interesting. There is a movie at the IMAX all about the Alamo and it is very interesting and there is a 3-d virtual reality type experience downtown too. Dripping Spings is a hop skip and jump away from SA. I bet the extremely small town will be buzzing.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Just curious-how does that IMAX movie portray Davy's death? Or does it sort of leave it to your imagination?

 

[jenjenmouse]

I can't really remember. It's been about 13 years since I went and saw it. I'm leaning towards saying he became ill but I could be dreaming. It might have left it to our imagination and that's what I imagined.(sp?) Oh-no, am I forgetting the Alamo? Nah!