Shakespeare suggested we "kill all the lawyers." Tommy Lee Jones is doing his part by bailing out on 'The Lincoln Lawyer,' which he had been slated to direct and play second banana to Matthew McConaughey in an adaptation of Michael Connelly's hit novel.McConaughey is to play the lead as Mickey Haller, a criminal attorney who is working out of the back seat of his car, chauffeured by Jones, who was to portray a client who is working off the lawyer's fees. The attorney is okay with handling run-of-the-mill bad buys until he scores a career-making case: defending a Beverly Hills playboy accused of murder.
'Lincoln Lawyer' was to have been a return to serious work for McConaughey, who, since 2006's 'We Are Marshall' has been immersed in romantic comedy ('Ghosts of Girlfriends Past') and broad satire ('Tropic Thunder'). Now 'Lincoln' will have proceed without its director and co-star. The reason for Jones' defection: the proverbial 'creative differences.' Apparently Jones was unhappy with John Romano's ('Intolerable Cruelty,' 'Nights in Rodanthe') script.
Jones should have no trouble filling his days, however. He has just finished 'The Sunset Limited' for HBO and 'The Company Men' with Ben Affleck and Kevin Costner. Meanwhile, he is starting on an adaptation 'Islands in the Stream,' by none other than Ernest Hemingway, who was known to write a memorable story or two.
Reader Comments (22)
CINDY at 8:25PM on Nov 27th 2009
WOW!! Is that really Tommy Lee Jones?? He looks SO MUCH OLDER than last time I saw him!! How old is he?? Does anyone reading this article know his age? It doesn't say in the story. He used to be drop dead beautiful!!
Merrily at 10:31PM on Nov 27th 2009
Cindy, why do you think he looks older? Well, everyone gets older every day. I would like to be a fly on the wall when you turn 63 years old and people say YOU LOOK SO OLD!
What a crass comment.
KenB at 8:48PM on Nov 27th 2009
Bob, it's a shame that ignorant morons like you aren't a hoax! Why don't you try responding to the actual article instead of spewing political garbage!
Larry at 9:01PM on Nov 27th 2009
Cindy. He's 63 now,so you are probably remembering some of his work from..several years ago.Still not a bad looking guy for his age
Mike at 9:24PM on Nov 27th 2009
Tommy lee Jones has never passed himself off as a pretty boy, but Cindy must be pretty hightime herself if she remembers him in his youth..I would say she has fairly high milage
Jane at 7:22PM on Nov 28th 2009
I don't think she is thinking about Tommy Lee Jones at all. I think she is confusing him with Pamela Anderson's ex.
b scott at 9:25PM on Nov 27th 2009
He probably bailed when he saw what a bad actor Matthew McConaughey really is..
Matt at 10:51PM on Nov 27th 2009
You are sooo right about McConaughey..he is a terrible actor. I've tried to watch a couple of his films and got fed up with his lack of acting skills. Tommy Lee Jones doesn't have to worry about his acting skills - he's great!
hmenglish at 9:39PM on Nov 27th 2009
bob you need to wake up , you are a richard cranium .
Rob at 10:30PM on Nov 27th 2009
Tommy Lee Jones and Matthew McConaughey just do not go well together anyway. Tommy Lee Jones is definitely in the top 50 of great actors, and to be playing second to to Matthew McConaughey; now that's a comedy! Wise move for Tommy Lee Jones.
Tim Fred at 10:44PM on Nov 27th 2009
McConaughey is a horrible actor. He is just a pretty boy with no sense of drama, subtlety, or presence. I am surprised that Jones would have signed up for this in the first place. God knows he really doesn't need the $. The Lincoln Lawyer is a great book and McChuckle is totally miscast. The director has missed this badly.
FRED at 4:45AM on Nov 28th 2009
Too bad, if Tommy Lee Jones is in any movie I'll pay to go see it. Looks like I'll be seeing it on HBO in a few months instead.
andi at 11:04PM on Nov 27th 2009
come on now people , both of these actors are good. True Tommy Lee Jones is the greater of the two but McConaughey did well in " A Time to Kill " and what about " Double Jeopardy " but Tommy Lee is one of a kind.
Joani at 11:49PM on Nov 27th 2009
I totally agree that Tommy Lee Jones has fantastic acting skills, but McConaughey is not terrible. His roles do tend to be on the less dramatic side to say the least, which is probably the biggest fault for his reputation. He was very, very good and memorable in A Time to Kill.
JOANNA at 11:32PM on Nov 27th 2009
BOB......
GET OFF THE BOOZE.
SLBushway at 12:21AM on Nov 28th 2009
Bob you're a genius I see. You're right global warming is a hoax - earth is nothing more than a giant floating snowball - our change of seasons are nothing more than figments of our imagination. Yeah you're right global warming is a hoax.
plate man at 12:38AM on Nov 28th 2009
McConaughey is nothing but a lame-o non talent. He should not get work. He has no skill. He likes dick. Every time McConaughey passes gas the global warming issue becomes worse. No wonder T. L. Jones left the film. Just say Merry Christmas.
Kayron at 3:30AM on Nov 28th 2009
Matthew is lousy, Tommy Lee is great, and global warming is not a hoax. The earth warms and cools. Has for eons and if we are lucky it will continue how it has for the last several thousand years, but there is not guarantee it will continue to be liveable for human kind forever. What is a hoax is that we humans are somehow responsible for and in control of Global Warming. Quit falling for the scare tactics of the likes of Gore. He's getting rich off his shtick.
Nancy at 6:31PM on Nov 28th 2009
It's encouraging to hear of an actor making what he feels is a good choice for himself; my hunch is that moviegoers and viewers will benefit, too.
(I do think that generally, when we do what's right for us,there is an overall gain for others, too.) Mr. Jones has a good sense of timing, not only when executing his craft, but over the broader arc of his career; I look forward to seeing what he will do in the film adaptation of Hemingway's Islands of the Stream.
Jim at 1:51AM on Nov 28th 2009
I think that Tommy was tempted into taking this part at the directors seat and then backed out after he could see that Mr McConaughey's acting couldn't be helped, and it wasn't worth risking his honorable reputation.