‘No Country for Old Men’: Did Jack Nicholson nearly star in the Coen brothers classic?
2007 was indeed a remarkable year for the Academy Awards, with frontrunners in the “Big Five” categories that remain unparalleled. Films like No Country for Old Men, Atonement, Juno, Michael Clayton, and There Will Be Blood dominated the ceremony. In contrast, the feel-good comedy The Bucket List, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, was notably absent from the proceedings—unsurprising given the fierce competition.
Interestingly, in a different universe, Nicholson might have been more involved in this prestigious year for cinema. During a Q&A, he revealed, “I like the part in Cormac McCarthy’s book – you know, I read the book; I didn’t even know they were already making the movie – but I like that Tommy Lee Jones part in there…It’s a brilliant novel.” If Nicholson had been aware of the Coen brothers’ adaptation of No Country for Old Men earlier, he may have sought a role in the critically acclaimed film.
Nicholson noted in one interview that, approaching the age of 71, he was “thinking a lot about dying”. It might have been one reason he chose to star in The Bucket List. He noted: “I thought that there were a lot of original thoughts in it because these are subjects that we think about all the time, but don’t necessarily talk about”. It’s no wonder that an older Nicholson resonated with both No Country and would have jumped at the chance to play Bell.
The McCarthy adaptation was meditating on similar themes – especially in the character of Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, played in the film by Tommy Lee Jones. Bell is a western hero in the twilight of his life, growing weary and desensitised to the violence he witnesses on an everyday basis. The film follows the character in the run-up to retirement as he investigates his last case – all the while lamenting the state of a world that doesn’t seem like it’s built for him anymore.
The film opens with the sunrise, illuminating the desert until the sky is bleached white and the land is a dead, desaturated brown. He compares where he is now to the sheriffs of the past – some of whom didn’t even carry a gun. Bell wonders how they might have operated in the film’s 1980s setting – which he considers uniquely decrepit physically and morally. At the end of the film, after investigating a case that leaves everyone involved dead, Bell retires. He recounts two dreams to his wife about his father, who he has now outlived. In one, he’s entrusted with some money and loses it. In another, he sees his father wrapped in a blanket in the cold, head down, hat covering his face, riding ahead of him to fix a fire – Bell is left behind.
We are left with a feeling of failure and the inevitability of death. But also the hope that Bell can now leave this character he’s been playing to live up to his father, behind. Bell faces both his own mortality and the end of his career as he prepares to retire. Reflections about death, his own and that of others abound in his inner monologue. The violence he has witnessed throughout his career weighs heavily on him, but what really unsettles him is the senselessness and unpredictability of a lot of it in No Country for Old Men. He is worried about his own and society’s futures because, in his opinion, nothing makes sense anymore.
Nicholson went through a very similar journey, recalling the moment of peace he had when he turned 70. “It was the first time I felt young for my age. Fifty dropped on me like a ton of bricks – something about the number. But when this birthday came along I felt good about it.”
It would have certainly been interesting to see Nicholson reckon his often larger-than-life screen presence with this more understated character. Nevertheless, Jones was likely the right choice for the role, and it is comforting that the film still seemed to have a positive impact on the Easy Rider star.
