Consider the pitch: Paramount Pictures, sensing a new literary sensation in the cards, snaps up movie rights to Same Kind of Different as Me, the New York Times bestseller penned by Lynn Vincent, Denver Moore and Ron Hall.
In repackaging the true-life story for the big screen, the studio then goes about recruiting Greg Kinnear, Djimon Hounsou and Renée Zellweger – an actress in the midst of a comeback thanks to Bridget Jones’ Baby and legal drama The Whole Truth – to star, laying the foundation for a crowd-pleaser. At least, that was the idea.
In unveiling the old-timey first trailer for Same Kind of Different as Me, Paramount has revealed Michael Carney’s adaptation to be a disappointingly schmaltzy affair, with some truly questionable acting – and indeed accents – across the board.
Here’s the pitch:
“SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME” is the story of an international art dealer Ron Hall (Greg Kinnear) who must befriend a dangerous homeless man (Djimon Hounsou) in order to save his struggling marriage to his wife (Renée Zellweger), a woman whose dreams will lead all three of them on the most remarkable journey of their lives. Jon Voight plays Hall’s father, with whom he reconciles thanks to the revelations of his new life.
Same Kind of Different as Me opens in theaters on February 3, 2017 – far from any window that would incite awards consideration.
