The better young Indy: River or Sean?

HovitosKing

Well-known member

• Sep 7, 2004

• #1

Young Indiana Jones was first portrayed (excellently) by River Phoenix in Last Crusade, then by Sean Patrick Flanery (primarily) in the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. River passed away shortly after the show's inception, but do you think he would have made a better young Indy in the Chronicles had he been cast and lived? And why wasn't he cast in the first place?

I don't, despite the fact that he was great in the film. Sean Patrick Flanery was superb, IMO.

By the way, did you all know that Sean Patrick Flanery is 39 years old, having been born in 1965?

 

Last edited: Sep 7, 2004

Junior Jones

New member

• Sep 8, 2004

• #2

River did a great job of imitating Harrison Ford, but with the short amount of screen time he had, he didn't get much chance to demonstrate his range. Therefore, it's hard to judge.

But I think Sean did very well in the part.

 

Indyologist

Well-known member

• Sep 8, 2004

• #3

River was good as far as portraying Indy's rough and tough side. Flannery looked the most like what a younger Indy would look like and, I think, some of the ideals he would have.

River was Indy's crunchy, chocolatey outside, Flannery was Indy's soft, chewy inside.

Mmmmm...

 

Last edited: Sep 8, 2004

Indydan13

New member

• Sep 13, 2004

• #4

I can't remember much of Sean but River was awesome and...

Holy crap that's disgusting!

 

S

Sundance

Guest

• Sep 14, 2004

• #5

I liked Sean the most as I didn't like River's hair.

 

Indydan13

New member

• Sep 15, 2004

• #6

Tis true. I thought the get-hair-out-of-my-face-in-front-of-lion bit was a bit too odd...

 

M

McSeem

Member

• Nov 1, 2004

• #7

Flannery was kinda soft, I can hardly imagine how his character transforms to Harrison Ford's sharp character.
Phoenix was more smart, rogue, more Ford-ish type of hero. Yup, his hairstyle isn't great, but his acting style is much better. I prefer River.

 

Marion

Guest

• Nov 1, 2004

• #8

River often had bad hair days (the 80's).

 

Original Raider

New member

• Nov 2, 2004

• #9

Indydan13 said:

I can't remember much of Sean but River was awesome and...

Holy crap that's disgusting!

Click to expand...

Thats the funniest response Ive ever seen

And Sean was better, River was too "It belongs in a museum" for me. A real young Indy would have stolen the cross, punched out the badguys, sold it, and gotten away.

 

A

AntiJones

New member

• Nov 18, 2004

• #10

Move over, Sean and River

River being dead and Sean hardly resembles HF. You want someone who can play young Indy ? George Lucas should have find this out early:

http://www.joeflanigan.com/Jfdc_photos_Shadow.htm

 

Webley

New member

• Nov 20, 2004

• #11

Ill take Sean Patrick Flanery over River any day. Flanery is my young Indy the show ended to soon.

 

San Holo

Active member

• Nov 20, 2004

• #12

River had the look and attitude of a young Harrison, which made him more believable to me. If he were still around, I think he would be the prime candidate for a Son of Indy franchise.

 

Rick5150

New member

• Nov 23, 2004

• #13

River Phoenix had the look, attitude, the facial expressions and the mannerisms down. Check out Harrison Ford during the Flying Wing fight scene. He looks like he was in the William Shatner school over overacting the way he twirls around when punched. It makes for excellent big-screen fighting however and I am amazed at how few people I speak to had picked up on it. Once you notice the "over-the-top acting, it stands out like a sore thumb. And it was brilliant. Watch him run in the Cairo marketplace. Then watch Pheonix's escape from Fedora. He really nailed Harrisons actions and was much better than Flannery, IMO. That hair though...

 

Andy Jones

New member

• Feb 17, 2005

• #14

I thought they were both really good, though I'd have to go with SPF.

 

00Kevin

Indyfan

• Apr 11, 2005

• #15

I want to say River, but that is mainly because his adventure was an Indy type adventure, with lots of action and fun. YIJC wern't action packed like the films, and that's the difference

if YIJC had more action, however, I think I would still pick river. SPF just always seems to be confused

 

F

Flasha_tasha

New member

• Apr 12, 2005

• #16

I definately reckon that River did the best Young Indy Jones, he had that moody edge which HF portrays sometimes as Indy Jones.

 

Aaron H

Moderator Emeritus

• Apr 12, 2005

• #17

It is said that Lucas didn't care much for River as young Indy. But when the time came to do the YIJC they had to ask him first, much to Lucas' relief River turned down the role because he felt he would be type-cast. Less than a year after filming started, River died of a drug overdose.

 

Stoo

Well-known member

• Apr 13, 2005

• #18

"Hands down" for River Phoenix. R.I.P. There are a few moments where
he delivers a line in true Harrison Ford style.

In interviews with Sean Patrick Flanery, he talks about emulating Ford
but there is little evidence...The parts w/SPF that come closest to HF
are certain scenes during "The Curse of the Jackal" in Mexico.

Still, I think Flanery is a good actor. (I haven't seen "Powder" yet...)

To Aaron H: Amazing that Lucas didn't care for River's performance!
In retrospect, I wonder what he thinks now...

 

indyclone25

Well-known member

• Aug 2, 2008

• #19

i think sean patrick was the better --- he showed the naive side of a young indy and that we saw him grow up and become more adept at handling very dangerous situtations, so yeah i like sean patrick better

 

Junior Jones

New member

• Aug 4, 2008

• #20

It's hard to judge. River had less than twenty minutes of screen time as Young Indy, and Sean had more than twenty-five hours. So when I think of Young Indy, I immediately think of Sean. (In fact, Sean has spent the most on-screen time as Indy, even more than Harrison.)