This is the first time in recent memory that I have watched the line by line, scene by scene remake back to back with the original. I was actually quite frustrated that I had accidentally watched the 2004 remake, but I am now glad I did. Why? I now feel like I understand what casting is about and can grasp what screen testing is all about. Never have I seen such a lengthy exemplar on the differences the actors and actresses can make when they are the primary variable in a film.
The original was better, as expected. Jeff Daniels did not seem to fit the role exactly and Patricia Heaton overacted almost every scene in the remake, although I did like Halie Kate Eisenberg's performance a lot. She did as well if not better than Quinn Cummings, who played the daughter in the 1977 original. Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason seemed much better cast for the roles and had much more believable chemistry.
The original was better, as expected. Jeff Daniels did not seem to fit the role exactly and Patricia Heaton overacted almost every scene in the remake, although I did like Halie Kate Eisenberg's performance a lot. She did as well if not better than Quinn Cummings, who played the daughter in the 1977 original. Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason seemed much better cast for the roles and had much more believable chemistry.