Why not a fat Oskar?

[Ash]

One of the reasons Oskar was the subject of bullying was him being overweight - a "Piggy", while this obviously was not the only reason.
But TA and JAL went for a normal-sized Oskar in their film. Which makes the "Piggy" teasing a bit difficult to understand.
Did they feel it would be hard for audiences to feel sympathy for a fat Oskar? For Eli to fall in love with a fat Oskar?
If so, weren't they only manifesting the same attitudes as Oskar's bullies themselves?

[intrige]

It took almost a year to find Oskar, I think that if they fund a fat Kåre they would take him. But they didn't. I don't think they chosed a thin Oskar. TA looked after a blondhaired animal after all, a blond goat. Eli was a darkhaired lion. I can't recall more of the caracters. But TA mostly looked for animals, in a way. Fat or not.

[Lou-chan]

Yeah, like intrige said, Kåre was the man... erm... boy for the job, fat or not. They couldn't really tell the poor kid to pork out and gain twice his weight before they began filming the movie, now could they? I admit, I would have enjoyed a fat, or at least fatter, Oskar. But at the same time I can't think of anyone else but Kåre to play his role.

[Nightrider]

What works on the page might not have worked on the screen...Book's Oskar would not bring in the audience...and to be honest, we wouldn't be here taking about about him.

[Jules]

I find that the thinness of Kare increases the "victim", lost and fragile face of Oskar, like his very blond hair and his palor. I can't imagine a fat Oskar. In fact, i can't imagine an other Oskar that Kare

[Nightrider]

I find that the thinness of Kare increases the "victim", lost and fragile face of Oskar, like his very blond hair and his palor. I can't imagine a fat Oskar. In fact, i can't imagine an other Oskar that Kare

Exactly the same way I can't imagine another Eli other than Lina.

[Ash]

"Book's Oskar would not bring in the audience..."

That's what I'm saying. While audiences (us) can handle murder, mutilation and (implied) pedophilia, they wouldn't be able to accept a fat Oskar? Or Eli loving a fat Oskar?
I don't see that sort of pandering to aesthetics far short of the bullies' rationale for bullying Oskar. Discrimination based on physical appearance - Piggy.
"He stuffed his down coat full of Dajm, Japp, Coco, and Bounty chocolate bars."
Oskar's self-image of being fat and unattractive was a major part of why he viewed he "deserved" to be bullied. A major part of why he loved Eli for overlooking that fact. Perhaps why he was so obsessed with violence and revenge against the "normal" kids. And a big part of the story that is lost in the film.
I believe they advertised the acting role of Eli by simply stating they wanted a girl who could run fast.
Maybe Oskar's role should have stipulated a "big-boned", "chubby" or "pleasantly plump" Oskar as an essential criteria, as it was such an important factor for understanding who Oskar really was.

[gattoparde59]

Choosing Kare for the role, I get the feeling they were going for the whole package. Blonde hair, fragile appearance and even girlish appearance. He was also chosen I think because of the wide range of emotions he could express: sweet happiness, anger, misery. Kare does a lot with this first film role. A very good child actor, even if chubby, could have evoked the same emotions as Kare and won us over.

I agree with Ash. The choice of body types for certain roles is typical of the worst tendancies in the American media. If you are fat you are condemned, condemned to play comic roles.

[mackousko]

As for me. If Oskar would be played by a actor equal good to Kare , i would not care if he is overweight or not. But i have my doubts if i would become "so much infected" in case the role of Eli would be played by some boy instead of Lina. But, who cares? It was Lina, and i´m trapped.

[gary13136]

I think one of the reasons for not having a "fat" Oskar, is that Oskar was not "fat" in the sense that he was obese. In the book, Oskar is described as "slightly chubby". That just gives the bullies one more reason to bully him. Lots of women are "slightly chubby", but one could hardly describe all of them as unattractive. A bully only needs one good reason to go after someone, and that one good reason is that other person seems vulnerable. It could be the color of their hair or skin or the shape of their face. Their regional accent; anything will do. But I think vulnerability is the most likely reason.

I've been what could be described as "slightly chubby" my entire life.

Not once has a doctor ever suggested that I need to lose weight.