Who would play Gerry Lingren in a movie about his life?

[orvilleatkins]

A young Gerry Lindgren would be best for the part of Gerry Lindgren but there is no one like him. I think his ups and downs throughout his life after running could be portrayed to be of great interest also. I also feel that the current Gerry is the real thing. He knows too much about his running. Have any of you read Gerry Lindgren's "Book on Running" by the Shadow of Gerry Lindgren with a forward and also an endorsement by Coach Tracy B. Walters? The book was published by Gerry the Jogger in 2005. Gerry, who has posted on Letsrun for many years now, now uses the alias "gerrythejanitor" and can be reached at [email protected]. (Both Gerry and Bob Schul have posted about their Compton 1964 race on the six page Letsrun thread entitled "Whatever happened to Bruce Kidd, Canadian Phenom" started by Steve Hoag on 1-10-07.} Gerry's book has few times listed and he did not have a record of when he ran many of those times but that has been rectified. Again, I feel that only a young Gerry Lindgren can play Gerry and, yet, there never will be another person like him.

[Peter Michaelson]

Hugh Dancy, currently in "Adam" about a guy with Asperger's syndrome.

[slowcat]

How about Robin Williams

[jpaule]

Mini Me (Verne Troyer) would be a good choice.

Seriously, Gerry was one of the all time great US distance runners.

[Davidokun]

Re: Who would play Gerry Lingren in a movie about his life?

Morton Downey jr is the first actor that comes to mind for me.

Really? That's quite an unusual choice...

Presumably, he meant Robert, not the late Morton.

[Dennis]

For those of you who remember him.... Wally Cox.l

[jhc68]

Good call, Brian!

Either Woody Allen or Burt Lancaster... no middle-ground choices would work.

[Brian]

Re: Who would play Gerry Lingren in a movie about his life?

A young Woody Allen would have been perfect.

[lovetorun]

Nice job jhc68....great creativity and fun in your post!

Whenever Gerry Lindgren is brought up I always have to throw my (boring by now) 2 cents....yes, I saw his amazing win against the Russians in 1964...it was and, 45 years later, still is my most exciting T & F moment. The cold war hype of those days was the under current of the 12 lap standing ovation--goose bumps!

[Conor Dary]

The real great story would have been if Lindgren had just stayed missing. The Russian angle is good...kidnapped by the Russkies and sent to a gulag...or become a spy for the KGB.

Getting serious: It is amazing what a big deal the USSR-US duals were. Along with Lindgren, another memorable runner was Debbie Heald's great mile race in 1972. Still one of the most exciting races on youtube.

[James Fields]

Lindgren movie

". . . he was more in the news in T&FN during the '60s than anyone but Ryun."
-----------
For dramatic conflict, a movie staple, there was little Lindgren successfully defying NCAA threats while bigger persons and institutions withered.

Because the issue was selection / composition of USA team vs Russia it drew attention of federal lawmakers (U.S. Congess) thereby expanding the story beyond sport pages. That David vs. Goliath angle should be central to the script of any planned movie.

[Per Andersen]

I dunno, Lindgren had that early experience with the Russians in 1964 and then after college he pretty much disappeared from sight for several years. More elusive than Bobby Fischer. Could be he went underground to infiltrate the KGB back in those Cold War years and then re-emerged later in Hawaii. Are we certain that the man known as Gerry Lindgren now is really the same kid who ran those amazing times so young? Could he be a Russian look-alike mole? I'd say the odds are good that GL is an international man of mystery with a huge backstory.

Of course we know that as a child he DID portray Alfalfa on the later Our Gang comedies when the original child actor had grown too old to fit the role. And, when he was competing in college races with his glasses on, GL bore a more than coincidental resemblance to the allegedly deceased Buddy Holly (see the pic linked below). Maybe Gary Busey should star in the Lindgren film. All this requires Matt Marriott to evaluate the larger implications of the whole situation and the place that the Illuminati might occupy in a bio-pic about GL.

http://www2.localaccess.com/rlalonde/Pre/pre&lin2.jpg

Love it! It's lack of imagination if you don't see a movie script in the Gerry Lindgen story.
Get David Lynch on it :!:

[jhc68]

I dunno, Lindgren had that early experience with the Russians in 1964 and then after college he pretty much disappeared from sight for several years. More elusive than Bobby Fischer. Could be he went underground to infiltrate the KGB back in those Cold War years and then re-emerged later in Hawaii. Are we certain that the man known as Gerry Lindgren now is really the same kid who ran those amazing times so young? Could he be a Russian look-alike mole? I'd say the odds are good that GL is an international man of mystery with a huge backstory.

Of course we know that as a child he DID portray Alfalfa on the later Our Gang comedies when the original child actor had grown too old to fit the role. And, when he was competing in college races with his glasses on, GL bore a more than coincidental resemblance to the allegedly deceased Buddy Holly (see the pic linked below). Maybe Gary Busey should star in the Lindgren film. All this requires Matt Marriott to evaluate the larger implications of the whole situation and the place that the Illuminati might occupy in a bio-pic about GL.

http://www2.localaccess.com/rlalonde/Pre/pre&lin2.jpg

[Conor Dary]

What exactly is so amazing about Lindgren's life?
Sure he had a few amazing races, in 1964-5, ...

May not be anything amazing about his life, but, whoa! let's see, after '65 he won 11/12 NCAA titles he tried for and set an American Record in the 3M and two in the 5000. As noted in a tally of headlines I made a few years back, he was more in the news in T&FN during the '60s than anyone but Ryun.

How quickly they forget!

I am well aware of the aspects of GL running awesome achievements. As I noted in 64, 65 pretty amazing. 8:40 indoors in high school, 6th in Tokyo, pushing Clarke in history's first sub 13.....etc. 6 mile WR....

If you want to make a documentary of that period of Lindgren...Great!!. But his whole life.... I don't think so....Let's see...Scene 34 where GL goes out for a 60 mile training run....zzzzz. A murder in there, maybe....

Now David Mack and his shenanigans....There is a movie.

[gh]

What exactly is so amazing about Lindgren's life?
Sure he had a few amazing races, in 1964-5, ...

May not be anything amazing about his life, but, whoa! let's see, after '65 he won 11/12 NCAA titles he tried for and set an American Record in the 3M and two in the 5000. As noted in a tally of headlines I made a few years back, he was more in the news in T&FN during the '60s than anyone but Ryun.

How quickly they forget!