Catherine Tidd's "Confessions of a Mediocre Widow"

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Catherine Tidd is the owner of theWiddahood.com and the author of Confessions of a Mediocre Widow.

Here she shares some suggestions for casting an adaptation of her memoir:

I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to forgive Brad for suddenly leaving me with three children under the age of five, no job, and a mortgage on a house that we bought because he liked the location. Oh, I know it wasn’t his choice. It’s not like I sit around picturing him up on a cloud in a chaise lounge, fruity beverage in hand, waving down to me and saying, “Have fun down there!” But there have been moments of deep darkness—as I figured out the bills, health insurance, and child rearing alone—when I have wondered if he didn’t get the better part of this deal.

I would imagine that casting a movie based on a memoir would be much like the actual writing of the memoir – slightly difficult because you want to stay as true to the people you’re writing about as you possibly can.

But when it comes to casting these roles, it’s less about the look of the actor and more about who can capture the spirit of the actual person. And so here are my picks for my memoir, Confessions of a Mediocre Widow, and a few reasons why I chose these amazing actors.

Brad (Matt Damon): Matt Damon has shown he has the depth to play a caring, but spunky father. He can be funny, carry a line with a twinkle in his eye, and still pull off a brilliant character (my husband was a rocket scientist). Perfect.

Catherine (Ginnifer Goodwin): I chose Ginnifer to play me because I believe that she has an expressive face and could pull of the “deer in the headlights” look, which is how I’ve felt for most of my widowhood. But I also believe she can be funny while delivering an emotional line. Good combo.

Haley (Joey King): She was an adorable girl who has turned into a beautiful teenager, just like my daughter. I believe that she could handle playing the caring, witty person Haley is.

Michael (CJ Adams): Who couldn’t love this kid? I believe he could pull off the quiet, smart, mellow mannerisms of my son – with a few tantrums in there just to let us know that he is actually human.

Sarah (Maggie Elizabeth Jones): SPUNK. That is Sarah. You never know what’s going to come out of her mouth, but you just can’t get mad at that face.

Kristi (Kristin Wiig): Only someone sharp and witty could play my sister. Kristin Wiig could deliver those funny, no nonsense lines without a problem.

Mom (Blythe Danner): Funny and versatile, I could imagine myself (my character) being comforted by Blythe Danner. She would be the perfect person to play how amazing and capable my mother is.

Dad (Tom Selleck): Something that I’ve heard over and over about my dad is that “he has a presence.” He’s funny, handsome, and caring. And he looks just like Tom Selleck (how lucky am I?).

Mike (Kevin James): One of the funniest people I know…this part has to go to a great comedian.

Visit Catherine Tidd's website and Facebook page.

--Marshal Zeringue