I just saw "Mary and Tim" on Lifetime. I loved it. Candice Bergen's portrayal of the 50 something Mary and Thomas McCarthy's Tim (btw did anyone else get a little chuckle that the actor's names were Bergen and McCarthy?)was sweet and touching...
While i did prefer Ms Bergen's performance-she gave it just a touch more depth and sensitivity, Mel Gibson's Tim felt a tad more realistic: he gave Tim a great combination of innocence in a grown man's body. He was wide-eyed and adorable. McCarthy was sweet, but he seemed a little too 'movie of the week'-ish to me.
But this particular adaptation was a little easier to believe when Tim proposes marriage to Mary. It makes sense that all of the parties involved would have serious reservations...in the original, Tim's dad merely attended the wedding without voicing any opinion at all, which always seemed a little strange to me. I did like the fact that they gave Mary and Justine a little resolution in their relationship. The original movie's Dawnie just had a too much hostility.
All in all there are pluses and minuses to both versions, but frankly, I adore both movies, and will probably never get tired of watching either.
While i did prefer Ms Bergen's performance-she gave it just a touch more depth and sensitivity, Mel Gibson's Tim felt a tad more realistic: he gave Tim a great combination of innocence in a grown man's body. He was wide-eyed and adorable. McCarthy was sweet, but he seemed a little too 'movie of the week'-ish to me.
But this particular adaptation was a little easier to believe when Tim proposes marriage to Mary. It makes sense that all of the parties involved would have serious reservations...in the original, Tim's dad merely attended the wedding without voicing any opinion at all, which always seemed a little strange to me. I did like the fact that they gave Mary and Justine a little resolution in their relationship. The original movie's Dawnie just had a too much hostility.
All in all there are pluses and minuses to both versions, but frankly, I adore both movies, and will probably never get tired of watching either.