Should Oskar have been heavier?

[CyberGhostface]

I think Kare was fantastic but how do you think it would have been if they had picked someone like Jeremy Ray Taylor (using an American example as I know very little Swedish actors) to play Oskar given how he was in the book? Would the general public have viewed it differently?

[PeteMork]

I suspect that if the chemistry between them was as good as between Kare and Lina, any potential problems would evaporate quickly.

[lor.s]

Perhaps Tomas A. was more interested in the public empathy with the character, and not so much to represent Oskar's physiognomy as literally as it appears in the book.

[dongregg]

TA said it took him almost a year to cast Oskar and Eli. Was their shape part of it? I'm guessing not.

[gkmoberg1]

Finding suitable child actors is hard enough. Finding a match up, such as Thomas did, is key to a film's success. Visual aspects of a film are overwhelming on how the audience remembers the film. Look how much we associate young Lina Leandersson with Eli, even when discussing the novel.

For LTROI, I think the priority of seeking out a heavier Oskar would have been secondary (at least) to finding the right child actor match up. The audience builds up an empathy for the poor child without yet the weight issue added in.

[dongregg]

Yeah, and the wetting himself, shoplifting, inept in gym class.

IIRC, Hitchcock said he built his films around showing characters the audience likes and then putting them in danger.

[Casper]

Sometimes, secondary to overall body image is the attractiveness of a person's face. (For some, the face is primary.) Jeremy has a rather friendly face, so I don't think this would have taken away from the character of Oskar. After appearance I suppose would be the talent of the actor to command the proper emotion from his or her audience. This is far from impossible. Any casual browsing on youtube will demonstrate that even the most unattractive person can develop a strong fan base who genuinely supports them. So yes, I believe the movie could have been just as successful with a much heavier Oskar, given the casting department knew what they were doing.

[cmfireflies]

I don't know about heavier but I always thought it was hilarious that Oskar was noticeably more pale than Eli in the bedroom scene

[a_contemplative_life]

I think it might've made the bullying a little more understandable. But Kare made a very credible weakling, so I don't think much would've been gained.