Read the Book:
Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon
FICTION PYNCHON
Boogie Nights director Paul Thomas Anderson has recently expressed in interest in adapting the Thomas Pynchon stoner noir novel Inherent Vice, which follows drug-addled P.I. Larry "Doc" Sportello who is trying to track down his ex-girlfriend's missing mobster beau. The novel is set in 1969 and set in the mythical L.A. neighborhood of Gordita Beach. It's an enjoyable read that could easily pass as an account of Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski's early years (though less funny than the Coen Brother's film). P.T. Anderson has an excellent track record; most of his films range from good (Hard Eight) to mind-bogglingly awesome (There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights ). So I, for one, couldn't be more excited to see his take on the book.
Robert Downey Jr. is rumored to be cast as Doc. I think RDJ is an excellent actor and really shines in comedies, but I don’t quite see him for this part. First off, RDJ is quite a bit older than Doc, who is 29 in the book. Also, I think RDJ is a bit too smart and charming to really be a convincing Doc, though he did a nice job playing a paranoid drug addict in A Scanner Darkly . However, if P.T. Anderson is interested in a middle-aged Doc; I think RDJ's blue collar counterpart, Sam Rockwell, would be a great choice. He’s made a career out of playing desperate and pathetic characters (think: Snow Angels , Confessions of a Dangerous Mind , and Safe Men ). Also, NOTE TO CASTING DIRECTORS, he has real life experience as a private investigator. Then all the movie would need is one good dance sequence!
Robert Downey Jr. is rumored to be cast as Doc. I think RDJ is an excellent actor and really shines in comedies, but I don’t quite see him for this part. First off, RDJ is quite a bit older than Doc, who is 29 in the book. Also, I think RDJ is a bit too smart and charming to really be a convincing Doc, though he did a nice job playing a paranoid drug addict in A Scanner Darkly . However, if P.T. Anderson is interested in a middle-aged Doc; I think RDJ's blue collar counterpart, Sam Rockwell, would be a great choice. He’s made a career out of playing desperate and pathetic characters (think: Snow Angels , Confessions of a Dangerous Mind , and Safe Men ). Also, NOTE TO CASTING DIRECTORS, he has real life experience as a private investigator. Then all the movie would need is one good dance sequence!
Below are my casting choices for the major characters in Inherent Vice:
