I absolutely hated Kate Bosworth as Lois: too young-looking, too whiny, too nasty, too skinny, not smart enough, no apparent chemistry with Routh whatsoever other than in the scene when she takes off her shoes. Lois should NOT look like she would have been in high school when she had her kid! She seems more like his annoyed babysitter - having to pick him up; having to drag him along; wanting to go outside to smoke when she should be sitting by his bedside, making sure he's OK...
As I posted in one or two other threads on this board, I'm a longtime Superman fan who grew up with Reeves (George - that's not a bad spelling for Christopher!) reruns until the Superman movie came along. Dean Cain was a dreamy Clark. I loved Noel Neill, Phyllis Coates, and Teri Hatcher as Lois - lots of spunk, lots of wit, lots of screen chemistry with their respective Clarks/Supermen. I don't remember what I thought of Margot Kidder when I was a kid (the first Reeve movie came out when I was in 2nd grade or so), but watching her now I find her great as the smart reporter and definitely "into" her Clark/Superman, but a bit too neurotic and squeaky (and smoky!) for an ideal Lois. Lois should NOT look like a supermodel, but she should definitely be attractive if not beautiful. She should NOT look anorexic. She should look healthy and be smart and every bit worthy to have Clark/Superman after her. A bit neurotic and leap-before-you-look is fine (Teri Hatcher was wonderful as Lois, and the Reeves-era Loises got tied up an awful lot because of their naivete/recklessness), but don't go too far on that and get to slapstick. The comedy should be secondary to the drama/romance/action of the story. The best of all worlds would be to have a Superman fan in the part, but I'll live if she's not.
Hadn't seen pictures of Kate's Blue Crush-era self before. It's like seeing two different people. In the Blue Crush photos she looks very thin but not creepily so as now (like Nicole Ritchie and Lindsay Lohan). She actually looked OLDER back then, and peppier, and more appropriate for the Lois role! Not as skinny, not over-tanned, not skanky-looking, and just generally healthier and brighter all around. I want to ditch current-Kate from the series entirely, but if we could bring back Blue Crush-Kate then I'd be willing to give her a second chance. I think she looks MUCH better (and healthier) as a brunette or at least not with that bad, pale bleach job as now. Have her grow her own hair out to shoulder length or so, dye it, and we'll try for Round 2.
If that's not an option, then I hope she goes - it doesn't work as-is.
So who do I think would be a much better Lois to Routh's Clark/Superman?
Parker Posey (loved her as Kitty, but she could also switch with Kate or just ditch Kate altogether - thought she and Routh were a million times better together than Kate and Routh)
Teri Hatcher (check out the YouTube video clip of her with Routh onstage - they interact very naturally and casually, as Lois SHOULD with someone - Clark - she has known for so long)
Rachel MacAdams (McAdams?) - hadn't come up with that idea myself, but another poster suggested it and I concur that she could be great with Routh
Rene Russo (why couldn't Lois be rather a bit older than Clark? He's very mature for his age, and in the movies he doesn't seem to have met her before he gets to Metropolis...)
Shakira (is she too "pretty"?)
Favorite Star Trek suggestions for Lois:
Jennifer Lien (Kes - fantastic, deep voice; can look serious as well as sensitive/hurt)
Chase Masterson (our favorite Dabo girl, Leeta - great comic timing; sweet as can be; can do romance; old enough to have had a kid; too tall/gentle to play Lois?)
Jennifer Hetrick (Vash - see her scenes opposite Picard and Q - she'd be a fab reporter; old enough to have had a kid; not sure about her with Routh specifically, as I haven't seen her soft side much)
Roxann Dawson (B'elanna - can do the temper and the maternal bit as well as the problematic decisions)
Suggestions that weren't in my other posts:
Reese Witherspoon (tiny, but not fragile-looking most of the time; spunky, very bright, sympathetic, sweet yet determined; she IS a mom in real life, so that side should be believable)
Lindsay Lohan (spunky, for sure, and bright but scatterbrained; we'd have to get the pre-anorexic/pre-drugs look or it wouldn't work)
Winona Ryder (fabulous actress; has the Lois look already; not sure if she could be soft enough for us to really believe her & Routh together)
Rosario Dawson
Scarlett Johanson (one "n" before the "s" or two?) is an excellent actress, and she's sure feisty, but I have no desire to see her opposite Routh. I find her a bit too snobbish. Then again, she's versatile ("Lost in Translation")...
Don't know that I've seen Zooey Deschanel in anything, but she certainly looks from the postings here like a young Lois would.
A poster elsewhere suggested Keira Knightley or Natalie Portman. Based on her "Pride & Prejudice" I think Keira would also do a good job as Lois opposite Routh. So would her shorter doppelganger, Natalie Portman (see Natalie as the kid who helps the assasin out, her first movie?, for a non-Star Wars look). Of the two, I'd prefer Keira.
Using Courtney Ford herself - well, that could get a bit weird for Routh and Ford. Would hate to break them up via SR:sequels. She's very pretty and would look fine as Lois but I've never seen her in anything other than the "Denial" trailer. Up to them, of course... It has worked for some Hollywood couples but not for others.
My original commentary on the movie and possible/wishful recasting for all characters is in two parts, if you care to get the whole story. Be forewarned, both posts are very long-winded.
http://www.superherohype.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250006&page=3 and
http://www.superherohype.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10333742#post10333742
