Let's cast a biopic of the Mamas and the Papas

Chrissy Metz as...Michelle Phillips.

(Just kidding. You know who.)

Snack purse as snack purse.

Beanie Feldstein for Cass, surely.

Adam Driver certainly has enough ick factor to play John Phillips.

[quote]biopic of the Mamas and the Papas

Who's the screenwriter? Elizabeth Warren?

Lens has the beauty and figure to play Cass.

Jamie Bell for Denny?

Aidy Bryant for Mama Cass.

This would be much more interesting than the Queen biopic or Elton John. I hope they do it some time soon and don’t make it a corny tongue in cheek thing like so many of them are. They have a chance to make something sort of gritty.

R8 absolutely. There was so much drama and insanity within and surrounding this group, plus you have sheer nature of these personalities, plus the intrigue about the time period and culture—it could make for a fantastic film in the right hands. I could (unfortunately) envision Lifetime doing a version and absolutely butchering it though.

[quote]Allison Miller was born to play Michelle Phillips. The resemblance is strong

I could play Mama Cass

If it were the 80s I always thought Teresa Russell had a bit of a Michelle Phillips vibe going.

[quote]I could play Mama Cass —Mindy Cohn

Actually she could,. Mama Cass Elliot had a genuine sweetness about her that snack purse doesn't have.

Maybe Kelly Clarkson? She she has the sweetness part down but I don't think she really has any acting experience unless you count From Justin To Kelly. 😨

Ellen Degeneres to play Denny. Absolutely.

Aussie actress Isabel Lucas resembles Michelle a lot, and already seems pretty intent on dressing in that 60s/70s hippie style (going off her social media etc).

Cass was very Jewish looking. Chelsea Peretti?

Paul Dano as Denny.

Aidy would be great as Mama Cass. As someone else said, she had a sweet quality that endeared her to a lot of people.

They have to include this performance

Julia Stiles, 20 years ago, coulda been Michelle.

Whoever plays Cass will no doubt be a shoe in for an Oscar nom if it’s done right, there was so much talent there.

Cass is also the more interesting and tragic part. That and John Phillips as the villain.

Remember when Carnie Wilson wanted to do it?

No , Michelle was the real fuse in that group. She turned them all against her at some point. She was replaced in the band by Jill Gibson, and had affairs all over the place.

It would have to be a miniseries to include everything. If they made a movie, then they should just concentrate on when they kicked Michelle out of the group. John forcing Cass and Denny to sign the letter. Michelle losing faith In herself. The PR people nervous because Michelle was an extremely popular member of the group.

Beanie Feldstein should be immediately trying to secure the rights to the story of Mama Cass. It would be a more interesting project for her than flopping in a Barbra Streisand musical.

How about a biopic when they are recording “people like us” and all hating the experience. They can tell the story in flashback showing how they got to this point of misery where they are as Michelle put it just people contractually obligated to do this awful album.

The girl from Precious should portray Cass Eliott in white face.

[quote]Aidy would be great as Mama Cass.

JEWFACE! JEWFACE! JEWFACE!

For sure cass will have the meatier role, no pun intended. She’ll have her heartbreak over Denny, her reaction to the creeque alley reference to her weight, and yet also her undeniable talent and her interactions with others at the time like Joni Mitchell, jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin…

There is no one around today interesting or talented enough to play these characters.

I'd hate if they had a rollcall of cameos.

[quote] her reaction to the creeque alley reference to her weight

The “getting fat” reference meant that she was making money. At the time the Mamas & Papas formed, Cass was the only one making a living off her music.

I always thought, at one time, that Kate Bosworth would have made a good Michelle Phillips. She was never a great actress, but she was okay in some roles. In retrospect, I don't know if she could've pulled it off. Now, she's far too old, anorexia-riddled, and busy whoring herself for high fashion brands to do it. Allison Miller looks more like Michelle. In some photos, the resemblance is uncanny—but can she act?

[Quote] The “getting fat” reference meant that she was making money. At the time the Mamas & Papas formed, Cass was the only one making a living off her music.

And what about "Everybody's getting fat except Mama Cass"?

Kate bosworth never! She’s more young Linda evans than young Michelle Phillips.

Lens Dunham IS The Ham Sandwich

Kelly Clarkson as Cass would actually be great if she could pull off the drama. She doesn't really look like Cass, but she has the sweetness about her, as well as, potentially more importantly—she can sing.

[quote] And what about "Everybody's getting fat except Mama Cass"?

Michelle, Denny and John formed the group and we’re headed for stardom while Cass was still playing Greenwich Village clubs for what she got when they passed the hat.

Sebastian and Zal formed the Spoonful

Michelle, John, and Denny gettin' very tuneful

McGuinn and McGuire just a catchin' fire

In L.A., you know where that's at

And everybody's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

They should do a Laurel canyon anthology series where each series is based on a Laurel canyon figure. But please don’t let Ryan Murphy touch this!!

Didn't they already do one?

John Mayer as John Phillips.

Donovan Leitch Jr in a walking role as Donovan.

walk-on ^

Nikki Blonsky as Mama Cass

So because John, Denny & Michelle were "tipped for stardom," they were doing better than Cass?

Who will play Lulu?

Bryan Cranston *is* Ed Sullivan.

I agree with OP on his pick for Michelle Phillips...really looks like her. Lena Dunham for Cass.

Rachel Redleaf from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

(scroll down)

[quote]I could play Mama Cass...—Mindy Cohn

Actually the ladies could be the entire cast: Jo - John; Blair - Michelle; Natalie - Mama and Andy - Denny.

Who would play MacKenzie?

r49

Well Tootie has breasts so that's out.

Donald Trump could play the ham sandwich.

I know that is a false meme but it is just too delicious to ignore.

Eating a banana on stage while singing California Dreaming has to be one of the most disrespectful performances I’ve ever seen. Fuck you, Michelle. An audience deserves better.

I'm placing my bets on the jambon.

David Schwimmer as Lou Adler. Or is he too old?

Feels pretty lousy to see Mama Cass still getting poked fun at for being fat or whatever. She was such a talent. She deserved more contemporary recognition, and it’s sad that she died so young.

If she had been a size 6 way back when, she wouldn’t have received so much ridicule. If she didn’t die so young, she probably would have had the type of career longevity of someone like Stevie Nicks or Dolly Parton.

That said, Aidy Bryant would fit the bill for a biopic. Dub her singing with Selena Gomez or somebody.

[Quote] She deserved more contemporary recognition,

Did she? She went very Vegas. That lane didn't age well.

[Quote] If she didn’t die so young, she probably would have had the type of career longevity of someone like Stevie Nicks or Dolly Parton.

Nah. She didn't have the songwriting chops or good taste in material/producers. She'd be Grace Slick level at best.

Why the fuck would anyone seek out Selena Gomez to provide a singing voice?

[Quote] Dub her singing with Selena Gomez or somebody.

Or, I don't know, have her lip sync to Cass' original recordings.

I love Mama Cass and her welcoming lovely voice but she was not an orthodox singer or band member. Most studio artists were not morbidly obese at the time.

Years ago on some forum I observed that we never got to see Cass slim. I was just expressing curiosity as to what she would have looked like. I got yelled at for even bringing it up. I still wonder. But I suppose her weight gave power to her voice? She had a great sound, loved it. I think I read that she auditioned for Miss Marmelstein, the part that launched Streisand on Broadway in "I Can Get it for you Wholesale." I can easily hear Cass singing that song.

As a matter of fact, a slimmer Cass could have played Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. She had the pipes, the humor, and the charisma.

R52 to be fair, she was probably stoned out of her mind, not to mention that they clearly were not singing live. John is miming it on the guitar, and everyone is lip-synching (not that well, either). It's unfortunate, but when you dig through the archives of a lot of these older late-night TV performances by musical artists in the '50s, '60s, and even '80s, they are oftentimes just faking it over the studio version.

There are very few legitimate live performances of "California Dreamin'" documented. There is the Monterey Pop footage, but that rendition is not so great—whoever engineered it did a real bang-up job. You can't even hear Michelle.

That may have been deliberate.

Maybe Allison Tolman (who was in the first season of Fargo) could do Mama Cass.

I love the Laurel Canyon anthology series idea.

In her younger years Kathy Najimy could have played Mama Cass.

Who would play Jackie DeShannon?

[quote] Who would play Jackie DeShannon?

Saoirse Ronan?

ONJ tells a great story of Cass and Karen where Cass and Karen were fighting over a porkchop.

What's an ONJ?

Bite your tongue!

[quote] As a matter of fact, a slimmer Cass could have played Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. She had the pipes, the humor, and the charisma.

On the other hand, she was the perfect size for the title role in "Stop the World--I Want to Get Off"

Cass' nasality could grate. She was best used as part of a group.

r69

If you have to ask, go away

[quote]Aussie actress Isabel Lucas resembles Michelle a lot, and already seems pretty intent on dressing in that 60s/70s hippie style (going off her social media etc).

Yikes -- she looks more like creepy Exorcist-era Linda Blair!

I don't see Linda Blair at all. I swear some of you have facial blindness.

Cass' voice was nasal? Really? I don't hear that. It sounded rich, warm and powerful to me. I would describe her style as conversational, meaning when she sang she sounded like she was telling you a story in a natural and engaging way. Lotsa personality.

Did Denny ever pity fuck her?

I feel like Mayim Bialik would make a great Cass if she put on like 100 lbs or wore a fat suit. Aidy Bryant isn't a bad suggestion either. Neither is Hairspray Live's Maddie Ballio. But of course, the ideal choice would be DL Icon Melissa Beth Miller, star of stage, screen and cheesy Ebay Christmas commercials.

I always thought Chelsea Handler would be a good Michelle. Not when Michelle was in the group but older.

Brooklyn Decker is Mama Cass. Thin girl acts fat - guaranteed Oscar bait!

[quote] Did Denny ever pity fuck her?

No. And that was part of the reason of the group breaking up. Denny was getting tired of Cass constantly asking.

For anyone who watched Friends, remember the episode where a woman stole Monica's identity? The actress was Claudia Shear, and if she were younger (and probably more well known), she would have been a great Cass Elliott, from her physical appearance and the way she speaks. But since she's not younger (and not more well known), this is a pointless post.

Has anyone suggested Victoria Pedretti for Michelle? I'm watching "You" on Netflix and thinking she's really got the look, just needs blonde hair.

No. Michelle had a "dream girl" quality. That actress doesn't.

Who’s your pick, R84

OP's choice has more of a Michelle look but I haven't seen her act.

Julia Roberts as Dionne Warwick

At one point in the 90s there was talk of doing a TV bio pic with Chynna as her mother and Carnie Wilson as Cass. Michelle Phillips was talking about it in TV Guide.

I'm gonna continue to make my case for Victoria Pedretti. Michelle was indeed a dream girl, but with an edge. The photo I posted of Victoria reminded me of this shot:

R88 that sounds terrible. Chynna doesn’t even look genetically much like Michelle. I still think Theresa Russell in the 70s is the closest to looking as Michelle did in her pouty moodiness.

I will play all of the parts!

[quote]No , Michelle was the real fuse in that group. She turned them all against her at some point. She was replaced in the band by Jill Gibson, and had affairs all over the place.

If you ever watched the VH1 Behind the Music on the M&P & Jefferson Airplane, Michelle & Grace Slick were just such unapologetic sluts. They fucked everyone & the men around them seem so bitter about it.

I didn't realize there were so few live performances of California Dreaming; makes you wonder if they were really the beneficiaries of great producing rather than great music

I expect Michelle was so underpowered that it couldn't be hidden in truly live performances.