The Bening AND La Pfeiffer? In the same movie !?!
Saturday, May 11, 2019 at 10:01PM by Nathaniel R
Have you heard that news that Annette Bening and Michelle Pfeiffer have signed on as the leading ladies of a new feature film? If you've heard that news than you'll understand that I, Nathaniel, am typing this from heaven as I must have died and gone there for this to be true. Last thing I remember I was on a plane back to NYC (more on where I've been shortly) and then I was dead. Death by actressexuality. What a way to go.
The future film what done me in is called Turn of Mind and it's based on the novel of the same name by Alice LaPlante. Gideon Raff (best known for creating the Israeli series that TV's Homeland is based on) will be directing the thriller with Doug Wright (Quills) doing the screenplay. Annette Bening plays Dr Jennifer White, a retiree suffering from Alzheimers and suddenly accused of killing her longtime best friend Amanda (Michelle Pfeiffer) and unable to remember whether she actually committed the crime...
We're assuming that much of the story is in flashback since indications are that Pfeiffer's role is also fairly large. Gideon Raff describes their dynamic like so:
A story of a warped friendship between two brilliant, sharp, forceful women who are bonded equally by their love for and jealousy of one other.”
The book has two possibly intriguing major supporting characters, Jennifer's twentysomething son and daughter so let's hope they cast powerhouse young actors for those parts, too.
Longtime readers will know that among the hundreds of actresses we love here at TFE, Annette Bening and Michelle Pfeiffer are near the tippity top of our Most-Obsessed-With list. They're both easily in the top five 'all time most egregiously non-Oscared movie stars' list so imagining them together is thrilling. Some of Annette Bening's most indelible screen moments have come opposite other actresses -- think of her "endolphin" stroll with Meryl Streep in Postcard from the Edge, or her challenging maternal conversations with Greta Gerwig in 20th Century Women, or the way she silently collapsed when realizing that Julianne Moore was cheating on her in The Kids Are All Right.
Pfeiffer's most riveting screen partnerships, on the other hand, have largely been with male stars but now that she is serious about getting back to work (and in challenging large roles again finally!) having signed on for both French Exit and Turn of Mind in the past few weeks, we're eager to see her go head to head with an actress of her own caliber, something she hasn't done since the ill-fated A Thousand Acres (1997) with Jessica Lange.
I'll be cheering them both on from my screening room in heaven.
Reader Comments (21)
Imagine them both winning the Best Actress Oscar in a tie?? Since you're already dead you'd have nowhere else to go.
So excited and happy for you Nathaniel! Assume they film this right after French Exit? When does Annete's play wrap up?
Also remember Jeffrey Wells saying Pfeiffer was "over" a few years ago.
EAT IT, JEFF!
Sort of sounds like that Nicole Kidman movie BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP, but with twice the actressexuality.
This sounds like an episode of Law and Order, but I relish any chance to see Michelle Pfeiffer on screen, and I enjoy Annette Bening as well.
I love both these actresses, but Bening would be my fav of the two.
They need new young actors that are popular and well known; otherwise, I am not sure people will go see the movie.
One killing the other and forgetting about it sounds like their careers.
this should be have happened ages ago if the merged that two dangerous liaisons adaptations. bening is the best merteiull and pfeiffer is the best tourvel
I am very excited and delighted to see these 2 talented actresses take on something together. I have not heard anything about the script.
But La Benning has been picking very good scripts lately, so I think it must be pretty special.
I hope it's as good as "The Kid's are Alright" or "20th Century Woman".
What a treat we have to look forward to.
After Close, can we lay off hope for Oscar-less living legends?
The only Oscar redemption after they refused us with Glenn and Amy.
I cannot take another (deserved) loss for a legend. Competitive oscars should be about career and be cumulative. More perennial winners please.
Can Meryl has a supporting role?
Halleluja !
Sounds like Copycat but with Alzheimer
The NY Times calls the novel "haunting and original" plus the casting of Annette Bening and Michelle Pfeiffer is just too delicious and Gideon Raff is beyond talented creating tension out of thin air. Doesn't sound like Oscar material though; And Am I alone here, but I actually enjoyed A Thousand Acres, Pfeiffer and Lange were luminous, maybe need to revisit it.
@Eder Arcas A Thousand Acres was just so bland overall, just not very good, IMO, but the acting was superb across the board.
Super excited about this pairing! No need to get caught up in Oscar dreams just yet, though .... this sounds like a thriller, and those typically don't get much love from the Academy.
@rdf, “need new young actors that are popular and well known; otherwise, I am not sure people will go see the movie.” Are general moviegoers drawn to anything nowadays for stars, young or no? It’s IP that seems to count, so don’t think a Jennifer Lawrence will pack ‘em in on her name alone?
@LadyEdith, Bening “has been choosing very good scripts lately,” huh? Life Itself may suggest otherwise. You know that they’ll run her lead and Pfeiffer supporting at the Oscars.
I want Elizabeth Debicki as the daughter and Timothée Chalamet as the son
Casting the two together is great. Remember when Annette was supposed to originally play Catwoman, go back and watch the 91 oscars for proof. I'm excited for this simply because I want to see them work and while oscars might never happen I'm just happy to see work from them.