I've given up on The Stand

I hate to admit defeat, but I have given up on watching the end of The Stand. I can't believe that I couldn't even work up the energy to finish the adaptation of one of my favorite books. It was just too 'blah.' I started thinking about what I didn't like and it came down to staging and casting. The movie simply left out too much of the good stuff and seemed force. Instead of neatly weaving the stories together, all the people seemed random and you couldn't quite figure out how they all ended up overlapping. Some of my favorite plot lines were also totally ignored, especially during the early portion of the plague; I hated that they cut out the total chaos that ensues across the country and the people who died post-plague because of their inability to survive in a world without electricity or modern comforts. That section of the book wasn't very long, but it really illustrated how dependent we all are upon the grid and the little vignette's about people dying post-plague were really interesting.

As for casting, I can't express how much I disliked Molly Ringwald. She was NOT Fran in any way shape or form, and she can't act. Opening your eyes a little wider does not convey a wide range of emotions, and that really seemed to be her only acting technique. If I could re-cast I would pick:

Stuart: I did like Gary Sinise, but he's too old now! I'd cast Robert Downey Jr. in a new version although he might be too old too! Nathan Fillion is the right age, and I think he would be great.

Fran Goldsmith: Blake Lively (I know this is a strange choice, but I think she fits the part--she plays strong-willed girls with pizazz)

Flagg: Gary Oldman

Nadine Cross: anyone but Laura San Giacomo! I hated her in this role! She was weird and twitchy instead of calm, collected and slowly losing her mind. If Camille Belle were a older she would be great. Summer Glau would be great too, but again maybe too young.

Harold Lauder: an unknown! Someone who can either gain weight and shoot the scenes, or lose weight after shooting the early part. I hated that this Harold did not look the part. The actor was little and wimpy, but he was supposed to be a real outcast, and the physical change throughout the book was really important to his mindset.

Nick: I think you would need another unknown here. It was hard to watch this version because my mind kept screaming "that's Rob Lowe," instead of being able to see him as Nick Andros.