Screen Time

The inevitable has happened. Someone just cast Toby Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal as brothers in a movie. It’s called, remarkably, “Brothers” and it’s directed by Jim Sheridan (”In America,” “My Left Foot”) and co-stars Natalie Portman.

This is either brilliant casting or a big no-brainer. I remember back in 2000/2001 - the “Wonder Boys” and “Donnie Darko” days - most people couldn’t tell Maguire and Gyllenhaal apart. They both had that same sleepy-eyed, slim, “alternaboy” look and it seemed like they were always landing similar roles - usually playing the sensitive, sleepy-eyed alternaboy in indie movies.

For a while there I was referring to Gyllenhaal as the “poor man’s Tobey Maguire,” since Maguire seemed liked the better actor, and he seemed to get the better gigs. Well, Maguire still gets great roles (”Spider-Man,” “The Good German”) but Gyllenhaal’s resume is lookin’ pretty good nowadays (”Brokeback Mountain,” “Jarhead”). Who’s the better actor? I dunno, I think it’s a draw at this point. They both still have the market cornered on the sleepy-eyed manboy thing. Hopefully we’ll get to see them act against each other once “Brothers” opens in 2009.

The movie, a remake of a 2004 Danish film, is a love triangle about a soldier (Maguire) sent to fight in Afghanistan while his black-sheep brother (Gyllenhaal) cares for his wife (Portman) and kid. I hope this doesn’t mean the two “brothers” won’t share a lot of screen time. I’m looking forward to an on-screen staring contest between the two. Who do you think will fall asleep first?
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Photos courtesy Columbia Pictures and Paramount

Posted in: Casting • Celebrity • Coming Soon • Drama • Trends |

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