Here Kahn dreamcasts an adaptation of Face Value:Readers, friends, and relatives have been casting Rachel Gold and her brilliant, fat, and crude best friend Benny Goldberg since they first appeared 25 years ago in The Canaan Legacy. Back then, many suggested that Rachel be played by Amy Irving (who’d starred in a few films in the 1980s), and that Benny be played by John Candy (as a stand-in for John Belushi, who had died earlier that decade). Over the years, Amy’s career has faded and John Candy sadly followed John Belushi into the grave.Visit Michael A. Kahn's website.
Also over the years, two other recurring characters have emerged, namely, Sarah Gold, Rachel’s irrepressible Jewish mother, and Jacki Brand, the massive former steelworker who underwent a sex-change operation while working as Rachel’s secretary (and attending law school at night) and who is now a partner in Rachel’s law firm.
Here are my casting choices:
Rachel Gold: Everyone seems to have their own Rachel. My top two choices are Natalie Portman and Kate Winslet;
Benny Goldberg: Seth Rogan or Jonah Hill;
Sarah Gold: There are so many wonderful actresses over the age of 60 that this is a tough casting decision. How do you choose among Judi Dench, Meryl Streep, and Susan Sarandon? Each would be an awesome version of Sarah Gold. I think, though, I will opt for Jane Fonda. She could channel that feisty, no-nonsense personality of Sarah Gold that so exasperates her daughter and so endears her to readers.
Jacki Brand: This role requires a burly male actor in drag. A younger James Gandolfini would have been perfect, but he’s obviously no longer available. My first choice is Channing Tatum. If he’s not available and we are able to sign Jonah Hill to play Benny, then I’d opt for Seth Rogan, who’d look lovely in lipstick and heels.
Writer Read: Michael A. Kahn.
The Page 69 Test: Face Value.
--Marshal Zeringue
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