Nick Nolte is not Gary Busey

I recently read Pat Conroy's Prince of Tides book (linked to my review), in conjunction with its new ebook release by Open Road media.

I read the book years ago, back in high school, I think, and then saw the movie when it came out when I was in college (looking back, it hardly seems fare for a campus co-ed, but I don't guess I was your typical campus coed either).

While I was reading the book, I was picturing the people from the movie. Barbra Streisand made a perfect Dr. Lowenstein, and Nick Nolte was able to carry off Tom Wingo as well. But then I watched the movie (which I also just reviewed on 5 Minutes for Books), and it wasn't Nick Nolte I was picturing, but Gary Busey!

Nick Nolte looked much better than I was picturing him (even as himself, not a Busey mash up), but then again, so did the rest of the cast, since I sort of had them playing these roles from 20 years ago in their present incarnation. I had remembered that Blythe Danner (one of my celeb BFFs) was in the movie, but I was picturing her as Tom's mother, not his wife (remember the 20 years). I actually think she would have played Lila Wingo perfectly.

I had a little bit of a hard time with Nick Nolte's accent as well, because since I recently listened to the audiobook of Conroy's The Water is Wide, I had the voice of the narrator Dan John Miller in my head -- who did a perfect job with that book.

Oh dear.  The point is, the book and the movie both had stuck with me so much that 20 years later, I was able to recall scenes and themes.  Read my review of the book and my thoughts on the movie.

Am I the only one that has the problem?  First I had a problem with two Joe politicians, then two megachurch pastors, and now it's two blonde actors (honestly I don't know if I am faulting myself for the Nolte/Busey mixup).

So even though I've completely destroyed my credibility, please check out my reviews of the Prince of Tides book and movie.