r/MadeMeSmile • u/moonpies4everyone • 27d ago

This letter from Ron Howard to Newsweek after they grilled 9 year old Jake Lloyd’s performance in The Phantom Menace. Favorite People

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u/54sharks40 27d ago

It's been a long, long time, but if I recall, the kid's performance was not the issue with that movie

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u/enfuego138 27d ago

Anyone remember how flat the entire cast was? Talented actors, none of them did well. It was poor direction, crap dialog and the fact that most of the move was filmed on an empty sounds stage in front of a green screen. Why would anyone be shocked the kid struggled when his adult peers couldn’t figure it out?

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u/Odd_Sheepherder_3369 26d ago

Even friggin Liam Neeson was awful in that movie.

Say what you will about some of the roles he takes, but if Liam Neeson is terrible in your movie, it's probably the fault of terrible directing and/or editing.

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u/Brandon_Won 26d ago

It really takes a special set of skills when you have talent Like Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, Samuel L. Jackson and Ewan Mcgregor to make a movie where none of their talent is utilized remotely to it's fullest.

And that said the movie is still pretty fun to watch even with all it's flaws.

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u/Bridalhat 26d ago

Also child acting is often barely acting! You find some really good actors at 9, but usually it’s a matter for the editing room more than anything else.

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u/sansasnarkk 26d ago

The only time in the entire trilogy that I felt something was "You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!" Ewan was ~acting~ in that scene.