Suddenly it's like folk music has become cool again. Or more accurately, folk music movies are cool again, and that's nearly 10 years after David Guest mocked the crap out of folk artists in A Mighty Wind. Last spring we learned that Taylor Swift and Alison Pill were circling the roles of folk legends Joni Mitchell and Carole King in the biopic, Girls Like Us. Right now it looks like Swift is a lock for Mitchell, but things aren't quite so certain for Pill as a bevy of lovely ladies are in contention for the part, along with more wanting to play Carly Simon.
Variety reports that Pill will be joined by Zoe Kazan(Ruby Sparks), Ari Graynor(Whip It), and Olivia Thirlby(Dredd) in testing for the role of King. That's some pretty heavy competition, and you really can't go wrong with any of them, although I'm not sure how any of them fare in the vocal department. I assume some singing will be a requirement. As for the role of Carly Simon, it looks like Allison Williams(Girls), Jessica Pare(Wicker Park), and Analeigh Tipton(Crazy Stupid Love) are the top choices. Swift is going to need all the help she can get leading a film like this, and by approaching folks like Kazan and Graynor they are trying to surround her with proven actresses who can maybe help guide her along. I'm not a big fan of Williams, but I'd really like to see what Pare can do given her run on Mad Men. Obviously, if it were up to me they'd boot Swift out completely and find a way to get Graynor, Kazan, and Thirlby in there together. That would be sweet.
The great John Sayles(Matewan) wrote the script, based on Sheila Weller's book about how the three women proved themselves as 1960s folk legends and feminist icons. Katie Jacobs will make her directorial debut, and it looks the ball will get rolling once Sony gives a "thumbs up" to the final casting.
