Could Alison Pill Take Over More Than Just Ellen Page's Werewolf Gig?
Filed under: Drama, Horror, Romance, Casting
These days, Ellen Page seems to be taking the Nicole Kidman cinematic route -- signing up for a lot of interesting gigs, then backing out of them before they come to fruition. It's not exactly new news that Ellen Page has left the lesbian werewolf movie Jack and Diane -- Kim Voynar discovered her removal from the film's info last summer. But now it's official, with a new actress slipped in. As Arrow in the Head reports: Alison Pill has taken over the sexy saddle.The film follows two teen girls who start snogging in New York City. But when Jack learns that Diane is leaving the country, she tries to cool things off. But Diane wants to keep things going -- while also having to keep it secret that these sexy shenanigans are turning her into a werewolf. There's no word on who will play who, but Pill will be one while Olivia Thirlby will play the other.
Page, much like her other Juno co-star Michael Cera, has picked up a good niche market with her snarky and tough youth. But the problem is -- she's always some version of the same sort of spunky person. Fun, yes. Continually original, no. Alison Pill, on the other hand, she's done the Canadian tv scene, played a wonderfully awkward pacifist gun-toter in Dear Wendy, got political as Anne Kronenberg in Milk, and plays the cancer-ridden April on In Treatment. And just to give her a little more notoriety, she's going to play the drumming Kim Pine in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Varied gigs with varied performances.
Seeing her take over for Page, I can't help but wonder if this will open up some doors for Pill while closing them for Page. (While, it must be said, looking quite similar to Page.) Popular constancy can only take you so far. Could this be the start of a new indie queen? I can only hope so. Pill has proved herself, but has yet to score the notoriety. What say you?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-18-2009 @ 9:50AM
PageFan said...
While I like Alison, she's no Ellen Page. And Ellen certainly has had varied roles, they just weren't mentioned in this article. She played a victim of child abuse/torture in American Crime (no snark there), a troubled girl searching for her little brother in "The Tracey Fragments" (plenty of angst, but more dark than snark), and she (brilliantly) played the avenger/vigilante in "Hard Candy" (a lot of snark, but nothing funny about it). There are other credits as well, but that's enough to prove my point.
Also, Ellen has some juicy roles coming up, which, aside from "Whip It," are far from "spunky."
Considering how badly Ellen wanted to do "Jack and Diane," I would venture she's pretty unhappy about having to give up that role due to circumstance, but also happy the film is finally being made.
There's enough room for Alison and Ellen, both talented actors with plenty of open doors before them.
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8-18-2009 @ 12:37PM
Jamie said...
Good post pagefan - you're completely right. The reporter (Monika Bertyzul) seems to have done no research at all on Ellen's roles. Ellen Page has a varied filmography which includes many non-"spunky" roles. I think Alison is a fantastic young actress too - her role in In Treatment was amazing.
8-18-2009 @ 12:52PM
Monika said...
American Crime does show more range, but Tracey and Hard Candy , while different in theme, aren't really in her performance.
I'd say she's so likable and notable (I do like her work) because although her basic personality/presence/physicality doesn't change much, she does have a great emotional depth. But it always feels like versions of the same person.
8-18-2009 @ 4:16PM
Jamie said...
"But it always feels like versions of the same person."
I really don't agree. I think there is quite a difference between Tracy, Juno, Sylvia, Vanessa, Kitty, Sherry and Hayley. But no matter, she's only 22, plenty of time to hone her skills.Few young actors in my opinion have her range and ability.
We'll see her soon as a young mother in Peacock, a grad student in Inception, a shy teen in Whip It and of course Jane in Jane Eyre. Let's see how she does.
She and Alison Pill went to the same school in Toronto - I wonder if they took acting classes there because they seem to be have very similar acting styles.
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8-18-2009 @ 4:37PM
Justin said...
allison pill and olivia thirbly as lesbian werewolves? my geek heart goes pitter patter.
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8-18-2009 @ 5:48PM
Cole said...
Ellen Page is currently filming Christopher Nolan's Inception with Leonardo Dicaprio and a ton of other great actors. That should be something different for her, unless Nolan is secretly making an indie romantic comedy. lol
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8-18-2009 @ 6:24PM
Jim said...
"But it always feels like versions of the same person."
So what - remember Cary Grant, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Lauren Bacall, ..... You would have said the same thing about them probably. She finds parts of herself to embody the character and we suspend our belief. Thats not a bad thing is it?
Personally I rather see her stay as she is rather than wear a funny nose or a funny hat to make her unrecognisable and hence apparently, a "good" actor.
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