Moira Kelly and The Return

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Mr. Reindeer
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Re: Moira Kelly and The Return

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Jonah wrote:
Mr. Reindeer wrote:[(one of four characters to appear in every single episode of the original show)
I'm guessing the others are Kyle, Ontkean, and... ? Madchen? Jack Nance? Sherilyn?
Kyle, Ontkean, and Beymer!
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Jonah
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Re: Moira Kelly and The Return

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Mr. Reindeer wrote:
Jonah wrote:
Mr. Reindeer wrote:[(one of four characters to appear in every single episode of the original show)
I'm guessing the others are Kyle, Ontkean, and... ? Madchen? Jack Nance? Sherilyn?
Kyle, Ontkean, and Beymer!
Ooohhh interesting. Wouldn't have guessed that. Is there a list anywhere of how many episodes each actor is in? IMDB just has most of them listed as 30 episodes (for the original series). Would be cool if there's one for the new series too.
I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.
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Mr. Reindeer
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Re: Moira Kelly and The Return

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Jonah wrote:
Mr. Reindeer wrote:
Jonah wrote: I'm guessing the others are Kyle, Ontkean, and... ? Madchen? Jack Nance? Sherilyn?
Kyle, Ontkean, and Beymer!
Ooohhh interesting. Wouldn't have guessed that. Is there a list anywhere of how many episodes each actor is in? IMDB just has most of them listed as 30 episodes (for the original series). Would be cool if there's one for the new series too.
I have a list I made awhile ago, for the original and for the original and TR combined (might also be one for TR as a standalone, I can’t remember). I’ll post them in a few minutes as a new thread.
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Stavrogyn
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Re: Moira Kelly and The Return

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I was a little upset before watching Fire Walk with Me for the first time because I knew Lara Flynn Boyle was replaced, and I, as the most of us I would guess, don't really like when they recast actors. However, even though I do not dislike LFB, I liked Moira Kelly in that role much better. She had a certain kindness, sweetness and innocence I never really felt from LFB's Donna, whom I always perceived as cunning and even uncaring (probably because of the storyline with Harold Smith). For example, when Laura and Donna go partying and Donna ends up drugged and half naked with random guys in a public place, I genuinely feel like Laura when she gets upset. If that was LFB instead, I think I would have just thought: "Yes, she fits in this environment completely."

I don't want to sound unfair, though, I like both actresses and what they did with the role. But it is a shame Moira Kelly wasn't asked to return... Maybe next time? :wink:
All those years living the life of someone I didn't even know - Knight of Cups (2015)
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Jonah
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Re: Moira Kelly and The Return

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I'd like to see them both back even though I know it could be a bit cartoonish, but if handled right also an interesting new way to explore dualism. (Or just cast one of them as someone else.)
I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.
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Mr. Reindeer
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Re: Moira Kelly and The Return

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Stavrogyn wrote: I don't want to sound unfair, though, I like both actresses and what they did with the role. But it is a shame Moira Kelly wasn't asked to return... Maybe next time? :wink:
I think LFB’s performance on the original is very underrated. She can be a little artificial/affected at times, but she has two of the absolute best acting moments on the whole show: the scene yelling at Laura’s grave, and the monologue to Harold about night swimming. She’s incredible in both those moments, and commands the screen single handedly.
Jonah wrote:I'd like to see them both back even though I know it could be a bit cartoonish, but if handled right also an interesting new way to explore dualism. (Or just cast one of them as someone else.)
It’s no sillier than the “identical cousins” motif! I’m sure Lynch could find a way to make this interesting. I would really love to see him work with LFB and possibly redeem/rehabilitate her career.
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Re: Moira Kelly and The Return

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Mr. Reindeer wrote:
Stavrogyn wrote: I don't want to sound unfair, though, I like both actresses and what they did with the role. But it is a shame Moira Kelly wasn't asked to return... Maybe next time? :wink:
I think LFB’s performance on the original is very underrated. She can be a little artificial/affected at times, but she has two of the absolute best acting moments on the whole show: the scene yelling at Laura’s grave, and the monologue to Harold about night swimming. She’s incredible in both those moments, and commands the screen single handedly.
I also think LFB is great on the original. Sometimes I may not like where they took the character or other surrounding factors, but that's not on her.

I will say, in a rare moment of disagreement, I actually don't love the Laura's grave scene. Now that you've pointed it out as featuring outstanding acting, I'm pinpointing that it may not be the acting itself, but everything else about the scene, which is the rare overly emotional moment in the show that strikes me as heavy-handed, especially arriving when it does, during the stretch where it seems as though the show may be on the verge of spinning its wheels (but doesn't really wind up doing so for long). However, I would cite the "You're my daddy" scene in the finale as being her single greatest moment. I just see any and all artifice stripped away in that scene, and it sends shivers down my spine. Partially because, under the direction of Lynch, it is part of the attempt at violently correcting/resetting the series and restoring it to its proper tone and characters to their essence.
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Re: Moira Kelly and The Return

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LateReg wrote:
Mr. Reindeer wrote:
Stavrogyn wrote: I don't want to sound unfair, though, I like both actresses and what they did with the role. But it is a shame Moira Kelly wasn't asked to return... Maybe next time? :wink:
I think LFB’s performance on the original is very underrated. She can be a little artificial/affected at times, but she has two of the absolute best acting moments on the whole show: the scene yelling at Laura’s grave, and the monologue to Harold about night swimming. She’s incredible in both those moments, and commands the screen single handedly.
I also think LFB is great on the original. Sometimes I may not like where they took the character or other surrounding factors, but that's not on her.

I will say, in a rare moment of disagreement, I actually don't love the Laura's grave scene. Now that you've pointed it out as featuring outstanding acting, I'm pinpointing that it may not be the acting itself, but everything else about the scene, which is the rare overly emotional moment in the show that strikes me as heavy-handed, especially arriving when it does, during the stretch where it seems as though the show may be on the verge of spinning its wheels (but doesn't really wind up doing so for long). However, I would cite the "You're my daddy" scene in the finale as being her single greatest moment. I just see any and all artifice stripped away in that scene, and it sends shivers down my spine. Partially because, under the direction of Lynch, it is part of the attempt at violently correcting/resetting the series and restoring it to its proper tone and characters to their essence.
I actually think “where they took the character” is on her to some extent. The narrative is that she was resentful of Fenn being the “sexy bad girl” and insisted on the cigarettes and sunglasses. Who knows if this is true or not, but most sources seem to agree. Doesn’t take away from her acting abilities, though.

The grave scene is really sort of a litmus test. I can see both sides, but I do feel that she overcomes the melodrama and really sells it through the performance.
LateReg
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Re: Moira Kelly and The Return

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Mr. Reindeer wrote:
I actually think “where they took the character” is on her to some extent. The narrative is that she was resentful of Fenn being the “sexy bad girl” and insisted on the cigarettes and sunglasses. Who knows if this is true or not, but most sources seem to agree. Doesn’t take away from her acting abilities, though.

The grave scene is really sort of a litmus test. I can see both sides, but I do feel that she overcomes the melodrama and really sells it through the performance.
Oh yeah, I wasn't thinking that far out of the box. I only meant that anything about her performance that I may not like is not a result of her acting. But, it absolutely appears that she had a hand in the character moving in that direction. Great point.
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Jonah
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Re: Moira Kelly and The Return

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I was fine with Donna in Episode 8. It was a bit ridiculous, but very mild compared to how silly things would get. I could imagine Lynch having fun with the scene as a sort of parody of film noir femme fatales, and it didn't seem that wildly out of character given her age and the events going on as it just felt like she was trying to be someone she wasn't. I was also intrigued by the suggestion that Laura's sunglasses might be having some sort of (real or imagined) influence. This was hinted at in FWWM too, when Laura told Donna not to borrow her stuff.
I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.
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