PTSD

The Hume movie: The cast

Since E mentioned this, I've not been able to get it out of my head. So, here, for your edification, is my take on the cast for a film on Hume:

David Hume
when young: James McAvoy (the Faun in the Chronicles of Narnia)
when older: Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies: big and looks good in robes)

Hume's mum: Tilda Swinton (the witch in the Chronicles of Narnia: tough and scary at times but efficient)

Hume's sister: Shirley Henderson (Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films)

Adam Smith (who published Hume's works after Hume died): Ewan McGregor

James St Clair (who Hume worked for and went on expedition to Vienna and Brittany with): Robert Carlyle (one of the Full Monty and also Begbie in Trainspotting)

Andrew Millar (Hume's publisher. Threatened with legal action many times by Hume's detractors): Peter Mullan (from My Name is Joe)

Lord Hertford (Ambassador to France. Hume worked for him for 3 years): Dougray Scott (The codebreaker guy in Enigma)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (who corresponded with Hume. Hume arranged for him to become a refugee in England and also secured a pension. Later, though, Rousseau accussed Hume of being part of a plot to discredit his (Rousseau's) name): Vincent Cassel (the guy from Derailed since my knowledge of French actors is limited to him, Gerard Depardieu (too old), and Alain Delon)

The villain of the piece, John Beattie, a professor at the University of Aberdeen, who saw Hume's work as anti-religious and as a threat to morals and religion: David Tennant (the new Doctor Who)

Also, in true revisionist style:

Jimi Mistry as Hume's "native" friend who encourages him to follow new fashion trends and dress like this (I love the turban and can just imagine Hume at intellectual gatherings in Edinburgh, dressed in this rather unusual (for that time) gear)

and,
since I'm doing the casting, him as a friend of Hume (rather like the new version of Little John in that Robin Hood film) who debates theology and causation.

Yes, I'm well aware I left out the most famous of the Scottish actors. I'm not too keen on him though he may be perfect as William Wishart, an official of the University of Edinburgh who disliked Hume and circulated pamphlets, with excerpts from Hume's work, around Edinburgh saying they were anti-religious (but thus popularising Hume's views). However, I also fancy Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine from the Star Wars films) in that role.

I wonder if the film would work better as a musical. I can already see the billboard:

Hume the musical: featuring the top-100 hit "Causation in action"

Both E and I are swamped with end of semester stuff: grading and flunkie-ing (me) and research (her) so yous will have to amuse yourselves with this until we can think coherently again. Though, based on past posts, I'm not sure if coherent thinking is our strong point at any time.

posted by Priya @ 1:56 PM