RE: Indy's age in "Last Crusade"

Posted by ROB T. from 162.10.138.28 on May 27, 1999 at 22:11:53:

In Reply to: Re: How old should Indy be in the fourth installment? posted by Goodsport on May 27, 1999 at 08:39:30:

: :
: : : I think he should be somewhere in his fifties. No?

: : ROB T. here,

: : If we weren't in the information age I think Indy's age could almost be ignored and they could place Indy IV at any time period they wanted like a year or two after "Raiders," for example.
: : The Indy films don't really specify Indy's age, we just know it because we know Harrison Ford's age. Indy is so weather beaten and abused that he almost looks ageless anyway. "It's not the years, it's the mileage."
: : But we are in the info age and so they cannot disregard Harrison Ford's advancing age so it would be impossible for Indy to be much younger than his early fifties.
: : Because of this, a new Indy film would have to take place sometime during the 1950's. I think this would be a shame since it would omit any use of the Nazis as villains and they make the perfect foil for Indy. They can be made to appear smart and ruthless and also like mindless followers who will willingly kill or die to obtain whatever prize Hitler sends them after.
: : Spielberg has said that since "Schindler's List" he is no longer interested in portraying Nazis in the way they were portrayed in the Indy flicks. This is too bad..

:
: In "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles", it was established that Indiana Jones was born in 1899 (I forgot the exact date), so it would depend when the movie takes place. If it took place in 1953, for example, then Indy would be either 53 or 54 (depending on whether it takes place before or his birthday).

: That would mean that in Raiders he was 36 or 37 (in 1936), in Doom he was 35 or 36 (in 1935), and in Last Crusade he was 12 or 13 in the first part of the movie (1912), then 38 or 39 for the rest if it (1938).

: It's interesting that Harrison Ford was actually older when each film came out than the character he played. Since Ford was born in 1942 (again, I forgot the exact date), that means that he was really 38 or 39 when Raider first came out (1981), 41 or 42 when Doom came out (1984), and 46 or 47 when Last Crusade came out (1989). Soon he will be 57!!! :(

:
: -G

ROB T. here, in all three movies the difference in Indy's age as opposed to Harrison Ford's age is only a handful of years and not enough for anyone to really notice, especially since the young Indy chronicles came after the films so we didn't really know Indy's age until later. However, if Indy is only twelve or thirteen at the beginning part of "Last Crusade" then they should have had someone other than River Pheonix play him. River died in 1993 and was in his early twenties so he would have been 17 or 18 when he played a 12 year old Indy. There is definately a physical difference between a 12 year old boy and an 18 year old adolescent. Far more than with a man in his late-30's early 40's.

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: : : 
: : : : I think he should be somewhere in his fifties. No?

: : : ROB T. here,

: : : If we weren't in the information age I think Indy's age could almost be ignored and they could place Indy IV at any time period they wanted like a year or two after "Raiders," for example.
: : : The Indy films don't really specify Indy's age, we just know it because we know Harrison Ford's age. Indy is so weather beaten and abused that he almost looks ageless anyway. "It's not the years, it's the mileage."
: : : But we are in the info age and so they cannot disregard Harrison Ford's advancing age so it would be impossible for Indy to be much younger than his early fifties.
: : : Because of this, a new Indy film would have to take place sometime during the 1950's. I think this would be a shame since it would omit any use of the Nazis as villains and they make the perfect foil for Indy. They can be made to appear smart and ruthless and also like mindless followers who will willingly kill or die to obtain whatever prize Hitler sends them after.
: : : Spielberg has said that since "Schindler's List" he is no longer interested in portraying Nazis in the way they were portrayed in the Indy flicks. This is too bad..

: : 
: : In "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles", it was established that Indiana Jones was born in 1899 (I forgot the exact date), so it would depend when the movie takes place.  If it took place in 1953, for example, then Indy would be either 53 or 54 (depending on whether it takes place before or his birthday).

: : That would mean that in Raiders he was 36 or 37 (in 1936), in Doom he was 35 or 36 (in 1935), and in Last Crusade he was 12 or 13 in the first part of the movie (1912), then 38 or 39 for the rest if it (1938).

: : It's interesting that Harrison Ford was actually older when each film came out than the character he played.  Since Ford was born in 1942 (again, I forgot the exact date), that means that he was really 38 or 39 when Raider first came out (1981), 41 or 42 when Doom came out (1984), and 46 or 47 when Last Crusade came out (1989).  Soon he will be 57!!!   :(

: : 
: : -G

: ROB T. here, in all three movies the difference in Indy's age as opposed to Harrison Ford's age is only a handful of years and not enough for anyone to really notice, especially since the young Indy chronicles came after the films so we didn't really know Indy's age until later. However, if Indy is only twelve or thirteen at the beginning part of "Last Crusade" then they should have had someone other than River Pheonix play him. River died in 1993 and was in his early twenties so he would have been 17 or 18 when he played a 12 year old Indy. There is definately a physical difference between a 12 year old boy and an 18 year old adolescent. Far more than with a man in his late-30's early 40's.

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