Ralph Fiennes' QUIZ SHOW Accent
Kirn Braich
Who else thought that Ralph Fiennes' accent in Quiz Show was a bit British?
He certainly didn't have the same accent as his father in the film, and it
really didn't sound like he was from the New York area, even considering
his character is upper class. I was surprised at this, since his German
accent in "Shindler's List" was remarkably good. I think he's a great
actor, but his accent could have been better in Quiz Show.
Kirn
Lionel Hutz
wrote:
>
> Who else thought that Ralph Fiennes' accent in Quiz Show was a bit British?
I agree totally! Everyone has been trying to convince me that
it didn't sound English, it sounded "New England". I know that
it was SUPPOSED to be very Connecticut Blueblood, but what it
was was British.
KLB
cgun...@e4e.oac.uci.edu (Lionel Hutz) wrote:
Yeah, I was totally confused by the accents. Ralph Fiennes is from England
right, so I figured that he couldn't hide it enough for the film. Don't
get me wrong, I thought the acting was great. But, what confused me, was
what type of accent did Paul Schofield (he was the father, right?) have,
because he's from England as well, right? Were they supposed to have vastly
different accents, because Schofield's did sound Connecticut Blueblood --
although I'm not really sure what a Connecticut Blueblood sounds like :-).
----KLB (St93...@pip.cc.brandeis.edu)
YAY!!! Only 1 1/2 months until I see Damn Yankees starring Victor Garber. I
am giddy with anticipation - that's right, giddy.
Karen M Frederickson
I find it hard to judge, but I don't think it was as British as some
people think. The target accent wasn't just upper crust New
York-Connecticut but the literary crowd, and of the 50s, too, and accents
change as well as dialects. Some have mentioned that he says cahn't or
something like it..but listen to George Plimpton. Perilously near a
British cahn't. (I'd like to hear a tape of Hugh Auchinloss, Jackie
Kennedy O's step-father, seems like he'd be in that class.)
By the way, Fiennes did ask Van Doren for directions when he took a peek
at him in Connecticut (unbeknownst to Van Doren), so he could hear what
he sounded like.
This reminds me of how Robert Shaw's accent in Jaws was widely lambasted
as being nothing anyone had ever heard of, when he learned the voice by
listening to tapes of the eccentric shark fisherman that Benchley had
based Quint's character on.
(I'm not saying you were "lambasting"! :} )
Karen
Kirn Braich
: get me wrong, I thought the acting was great. But, what confused me, was
: what type of accent did Paul Schofield (he was the father, right?) have,
: because he's from England as well, right? Were they supposed to have vastly
: different accents, because Schofield's did sound Connecticut Blueblood --
: although I'm not really sure what a Connecticut Blueblood sounds like :-).
: ----KLB (St93...@pip.cc.brandeis.edu)
Yes, that's my point. Scofield did a very good Connecticut accent, yet his
movie son (Fiennes) sounded British. Still, I think Fiennes' performance
was very good overall.
Kirn
Alma Whitten
I have never understood people who act like a regional accent
is a precise thing. For the record: I lived in Connecticut from
when I was six months old until I was 27. If I ran into Fiennes'
Van Doren in a northeastern Connecticut grocery store and heard
him speak, nothing in his accent would have made me think he was
from elsewhere.
Contrariwise, people in Connecticut would frequently ask me where
I was from, thinking I was from somewhere in Europe, based on the
way I speak! And I have not even traveled outside this country.
Hmm, my parents are from New York, too. Maybe I have the accent
Fiennes was trying for?
-Alma
Kathy Mclaughlin
>I found Fiennes to be surprisingly accessible in QUIZ SHOW and to me that
>signals that he will not have the self-absorbed air of someone like
>Daniel Day-Lewis who is probably his biggest competitor in the
>skinny-dashing-Brit-acktore department. I look forward to seeing
>him in a comedy someday as well as drama.
Uh, I think Hugh Grant may win over both of them, hands down, though
Fiennes is a close second, and DDL ain't bad himself!
Kathy
Ellen B. Edgerton
>KLB (st93...@pip.cc.brandeis.edu) wrote:
>
>Yes, that's my point. Scofield did a very good Connecticut accent, yet his
>movie son (Fiennes) sounded British. Still, I think Fiennes' performance
>was very good overall.
>
>Kirn
I enjoyed Fiennes in QUIZ SHOW, but let's face it -- this was not
exactly a demanding role. Fiennes' job was to look handsome (which
he's awfully good at) and to convey some of Van Doren's (minimal)
inner conflict, but he had a much meatier acting job in SCHINDLER'S
LIST, obviously.
I found Fiennes to be surprisingly accessible in QUIZ SHOW and to me that
signals that he will not have the self-absorbed air of someone like
Daniel Day-Lewis who is probably his biggest competitor in the
skinny-dashing-Brit-acktore department. I look forward to seeing
him in a comedy someday as well as drama.
QUIZ SHOW was good, but it wasn't THAT good.
Lucia Ortiz
what a good job R.Redford did directing it, I wasn't to sure at first
but know I must say "Kudos to you Mr. Redford" Anyway the
accent...Well my friends if you think back you'll recall that Ralph
Fiennes' character was someone who studied abroad ergo the unusual hard
to place accent isn't far feched for this fish to swallow. WoW I can't
wait for this movie to come out on video. Hey did anyone here recognize
Ralph Fiennes from SHINDLERS LIST (sp)?? How did you feel about his
accent in that one?? ok I'm making like a bannana leaving--it's a twist
on a movie quote--anyone-anyone
lucia