Rate the Gettysburg Movie Cast

CivilWarTalk

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Rate each Gettysburg Cast Member for his performance in the movie:

Tom Berenger as Longstreet
Martin Sheen as Robert E. Lee
Stephen Lang as George E. Pickett
Richard Jordan as Armistead
Jeff Daniels as J.L. Chamberlain
Sam Elliott as Buford
C. Thomas Howell as T.D. Chamberlain
Kevin Conway as Kilrain

I can't wait to see your critique!
 
It's not easy to rank them. Just some personal comments, IMHO (and not taking the beards into consideration):

Tom Berenger as Longstreet:
Cool, understated, possibly the best for me. Gives the role a certain physicality (thinking of the tree log scene).

Martin Sheen as Robert E. Lee:
I thought he was OK, but so much criticism makes me want to watch the movie again with special attention to his performance.

Stephen Lang as George E. Pickett:
A study of an airhead (respectfully speaking, that's how Pickett comes across in the movie) who gets deflated in the most tragic way. Can't wait to see him play Stonewall, such a turnaround could be Oscar-worthy.

Richard Jordan as Armistead:
Very poignant and moving, though probably this has much to do with knowing it was his last role.

Jeff Daniels as J.L. Chamberlain:
Maybe the most down-to-earth and easier to relate to, expressive in conveying his uncertainties, though his moustache hides most of his face (I said I wouldn't talk about beards, but I didn't mention moustaches).

Sam Elliott as Buford:
He chews all the scenery in sight, and I love every moment of it.

C. Thomas Howell as T.D. Chamberlain:
A bit inconsistent, too much overacting. I'm curious to see him older and wiser in G&G (the actor, not the character, of course).

Kevin Conway as Kilrain:
I tend to fall asleep during his big scene ("Man is like an angel..."), no matter that it's supposedly the philosophy of the movie; probably not his fault, but it tinges a bit my opinion of him.
 
I enjoyed all the acting, with the exception of Lee. Sheen just did not do it right. Was this, maybe, because portraying R.E.Lee is like trying to cast Abe Lincoln or Jesus? Can't be done? Can't be made believable? I am so curious about Robert Duvall's Lee. I hope against hope that he can accomplish the portrayal.

I have to mention how much I like the Confederate campfire scene when Pickett rides up smelling of french perfume and the ensuing conversation with Longstreet. Also at the campfire, the discussion on whether England will support the Confederacy and the debate over Darwin's theory of evolution. Classic.

Longstreetlass
 
Ok,

I give each of the actors five stars out of five, except Sheen, who rates two and a half. I thought this was one of the finest casts I have ever seen put together.

LongstreetLass
 
Jeff Daniels is in first place
Richard Jordan second place
Everybody else tied for last

There is no contest in my opinion. Daniels pulled off the performance of his career. I am sure the interest in Chamberlain skyrocketed after the movie was release.

Jordan was a close second. Never mind the fact that he was playing his last role. He did a terrific job.

Bill
 
I thought the casting was excellent. They seemed to cast actors who really LOOKED like the characters they were playing. Jeff Daniels as Chamberlain, e.g.
The only one that didn't quite come off for me was Sheen as R.E.Lee, but I don't know who could have been better. Lee may be the most difficult to cast.
 
Maybe if Sheen had prefected more of a Virginia accent instead of what some have called a South Carolina accent, his acting would be more realistic?
 
Some of the casting for Gettysburg is amazingly accurate at least by way of looks, but then some places could have done better.
I admit to having somewhat of a hard time as seeing Sheen as Lee. I don't believe it was his voice, but I think it was the shape of his face! As crazy as it sounds, the roundness of it bothered me, sometimes making it hard to keep focused on the plot. Nevertheless, I adore the movie.
happy.gif
 
I have several personal friends who were "extras" in this excellent film (Hi Moondeath!), so...I give them a "5 Star Award*****" along with Daniels and Elliot. Quite honestly, every one did a fine job in this work, with the exception of Martin Sheen's R.E.Lee. He just didn't cut it for me, although, I'm hard pressed to find some one who would.

Slater
 
To be in extra in a movie like this must have been amazing. I hope only to become more experienced so that I might be able to be an extra some day. What fun!
 
Longstreetlass: In response to your post of August 7, I must disagree (sorry). The strongest cast in any movie ever made was "The Longest Day" (1962), and that is not only my personal opinion, but documented by Hollywood itself. However, you do have a fine point about the cast involved. I judge movies about what I like, and not of the minds of the "critics". We have all heard about the glue around the beards, the vans in the background during Pickett's Charge, etc., but, all in all, in the movie Gettysburg, my hat goes off to Richard Jordan. He gave every ounce to his role. Unfortunately, Mr. Jordan died about 1 year after filming, and 6 weeks prior to the movies's release. Inoperable brain cancer. A fine actor, mostly dramatic roles. I watched him in "Les Miserables" as Jean Valjean, with Anthony Perkins as the inspector, and in "The Mean Season" (as the serial killer) with Kurt Russell. Anyway, that's my take on Richard Jordan.

Bill Doherty: You are right. Prior to the movie coming out, the traffic at Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain's house in Brunswick, Maine was about 500 visitors per year. Since then, it's about 5000.
 
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