From: shagan@gandalf.rutgers.edu (Susan R. Hagan)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.soaps
Subject: Re: DOOL: Christie Clark [Carrie]
Keywords: what a cutie!
Date: 31 Dec 92 04:10:18 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

mins@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (timothy.j.mizerak) writes:

>In article <Dec.29.12.55.37.1992.23548@gandalf.rutgers.edu> shagan@gandalf.rutgers.edu (Susan R. Hagan) writes:
>>mins@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (timothy.j.mizerak) writes:


>Gasp!  Choke!  SUSAN!!!   You have disappointed me tremendously!
>I had such high hopes for you.  :-)

Okay Tim.  Get a grip.  :)

>I don't understand your point at all.  The jump from 12 to 19 has 
>occurred because about 7 years have passed.   I guess it would be
>like not seeing a distant cousin for a long time and being a little
>taken back by how much she changed.   What, do you want someone else
>assuming her identity, ala John Black?  I find it rather nice to see
>the same actor over a long period of time.  Being able to watch the
>character age naturally makes it  all the more realistic for me.

She doesn't look much different to me than she did then.  Whenever she
kisses Austin, I think "What does she think she's doing?  She's just a
little kid".  I'm happy to see an actor grow up in a roll.  Thats not
my point.  I'm just saying that, *for me* - since I didn't see her as
a teenager - only at 12 and then at 19, it is a bit of a jolt.

Its exactly like seeing a distant cousin.  You remember them as a little
kid and then when they come back all grown up, its startling.  Its was
a lot easier for me to accept Tracy as an older Carrie because I didn't
remember her as a 12 year old.  See what I mean?

>I don't find her wooden, but I suppose that compared to the wild
>overacting that Tracy spewed forth, it might appear that way.

I agree that Tracy overdid it in the beginning, but I think she mellowed
out a lot and got much better.  Christie is very low-key, which is a big
contrast.

>But they are sooooooooooooooooooo bad.   I'm not sure that Meryll Streep
>could make those two look better.   I know that you consider Crystal a
>good actress, but you don't think she makes RKK look better, do you?
>Not to mention that poor Christie is out-numbered.  :)

They aren't that bad.  They aren't going to win any awards, but there have
been muuuuuuuccccchhh worse.  Not that that is any exuse, but they just
don't bother me, except when they pretend to be musicians.

Yes, I think Crystal is a good actress, but RKK is good also, but neither one
of them are great.  I guess it takes more than simply a good actor to make
a lesser actor look better - I guess it takes a great actor to do that. 
Julie makes everyone look good - for example.

>I hated her from day one when she appeared on the prime-time episode and
>I contend that I was the first to say so here.   This is why:

>1.  She couldn't act worth a darn.  I could have done a better job.  I

In the beginning, I agree that she was ackward, but I don't feel as 
strongly about it as you do.

>2.  Her portrayal of Carrie was completely inconsistent with the
>previous portrayals.   When a character is recast it is just that, the
>casting of a different actor to play the SAME character.  If they 
>wanted someone new they would have just dreamed up a new character.

Don't you think the writers have a bit to do with that too?  I
don't think it was Tracy's fault that she was written as a shallow
showoff.  

>3.  She often spoke so  quickly and with such slurring that I didn't
>know what she was saying.

I agree that she was this way when she first came on, but I think she
got a little better.  And by the way, Christie hardly moves her lips
when she speaks.  She talks through her smile and doesn't enunciate 
either.

Now don't fly off the handle, I'm completely indifferent to her (unlike
you who adore her) and I'm telling you an honest observation - not a put-down.


>4.  Tracy did a terrible job of showing the different facets of Carrie.
>One second she is a bitch, the next she is vulnerable, the next she is
>caring and responsible.  But this was never tied together nor done in
>a believable fashion.  

Again, this has a lot to do the writers also.  I think she showed a lot
more consistency beginning with her breakup with Lawrence.  She 
seemed to be all one person, with many different facets, instead of
a doll with a "mad" button and a "sad" button and a "happy" button.
If you know what I mean.

>I really don't think it was the result of any bias that we all agreed
>that Tracy couldn't act.   I've had

I never said that Tracy was a great actress, but I think she did a good
job.ob.  You think swas an atrocious actress, but I think that opinion
is compounded by the fact that you were watching when Carrie was
defined, and so when they changed her, you rejected it.  Which you
should - its perfectly reasonable.

However, since I wasn't around for that part, I am much more tolerant of
the change in the character.

>You should say that she wasn't level-headed like CARRIE apparently was,
>and that DOES make her a bad actress!!!!

An actress can't play what isn't written.  The Carrie that they wrote
for Tracy was not level headed.  She was immature. She was written that
way.  .  Perhaps she could hainterpreted her lines in a different way, but
don't they have a director to make those decisions?  I don't think you can
heap all the blame for this on Tracy.

When an actress is hired to take over a role, are they expected to play
it the same way as their predecessor?  No.  It is called Making the
charactor your own.  

>>I get the feeling that Christie doesn't know who Carrie is anymore and
>>so we don't get anything out of her.


>Christie has some warming up to do, granted.  But believe me, she *IS*
>Carrie.   She knows perfectly well "who Carrie is" and if you think 
>Tracy was better, then I'm sorry, but you don't know "who Carrie is".

I think you misunderstood me.  The writers wrote Carrie very differently
for Christie than they did for Tracy.  Christie knows who her Carrie is,
but does she know the Carrie that they are writing now?  Considering
how different they apparently are, I imagine that it is going to be
difficult for her.

Part of the reason she is so stiff is that perhaps she no longer recognizes
the character that they writers are writing.  That is my point.

>Oh, Happy Holidays!  :)   Hey Vickie?  Your turn.............

Oh jeez, are you all going to gang up on me now???  Okay, okay, okay.
Christie/Carrie is a goddess, Carly is a demon from hell, John is really
Roman, Lawrence must be persecuted and hated all the days of his life
until his rape of Jennifer is reconciled,  Jack Deveraux is a stud-puppy.
My name is Elmer J. Fudd, millionaire - I own a mansion and a yacht,
Theres no place like home, theres no place like home, theres no place
like home, I am getting very sleepy - my eyes are getting heavy - I
will always agree with everything from now on....


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (don't forget to shut me off when you leave)zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz



-- 
Susan R. Hagan (shagan@gandalf.rutgers.edu) 
Publications Coordinator - User Services
Rutgers University Computing Services
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.soaps