Amanda

[Daneel]

I also think that there should have at least been another scene or two between Spock and Amanda -- it probably would have made her death all the more powerful.

There definitely should have been something with Amanda during Spock's infancy or childhood, otherwise casting someone like Winona Ryder in the role is a bit mystifying. Don't misunderstand me, I liked Ryder's performance --I thought she was appropriately warm and dignified as Amanda-- but casting someone as young (and well-known) as her is rather strange if we're just going to see her in two scenes during Spock's adult life.

That's my opinion, anyway.

 

[commodore64]

I thought Ryder sucked as Amanda and sadly felt a sense of relief when the planet swallowed her up. I also felt good about the storyline left for Spock -- a real tragedy. I love seeing characters go through hell and return. (Makes for good drama.)

 

[RoJoHen]

How did she suck as Amanda? She wasn't in it long enough to suck.

 

[Admiral James Kirk]

Although Amanda's screentime was brief it was powerful. A few days before I saw the movie I rewatched Journey to Babel and walked away with all sorts of love for Amanda. I've always felt so sorry for her. Suffering for and being rejected by her beloved son at the same time. Spock was always more like his mother than his father and he spent his whole life denying it.

When I saw Amanda plunge to her death I didn't just witness the destruction of Vulcan... I felt the world shake beneath me and the Star Trek universe of old crumble to dust and be reborn as something new.

A little sadder. A little wiser. But still... fascinating. And at the end of the day it was Amanda's death that closed the rift between Spock and Sarek. It also helped Spock find a peace with himself and his emotions that it took decades for the Spock of the prime universe to achieve.

 

[Aragorn]

They cut out a scene where a young Sarek, George Kirk, Charles Tucker V and Matt Decker are in a band and Sarek serenades Amanda by singing Boston's "Amanda."

 

[Awesome Possum]

They cut out a scene where a young Sarek, George Kirk, Charles Tucker V and Matt Decker are in a band and Sarek serenades Amanda by singing Boston's "Amanda."

While on the spaceship from the album cover.

 

[Rii]

Hopefully the missing scene will be on the DVD, if not edited in as part of a Director's Cut or somesuch. The scene between her and Spock early in the film is one of my favourites.

 

[Tulin]

Wasn't her last name before getting married to Sarak "Hugnkiss"?

Fail.

Actually, fail twice because you spelled "Sarek" incorrectly.

 

[Borgminister]

My personal spellchecker to the rescue...!

 

[BigC]

Wasn't her last name before getting married to Sarak "Hugnkiss"?

Grayson I think.

 

[Flamegrape]

Wasn't her last name before getting married to Sarak "Hugnkiss"?

Grayson I think.

No, I think it was Huginkiss.

 

[Claudia]

Although Amanda's screentime was brief it was powerful. A few days before I saw the movie I rewatched Journey to Babel and walked away with all sorts of love for Amanda. I've always felt so sorry for her. Suffering for and being rejected by her beloved son at the same time. Spock was always more like his mother than his father and he spent his whole life denying it.

When I saw Amanda plunge to her death I didn't just witness the destruction of Vulcan... I felt the world shake beneath me and the Star Trek universe of old crumble to dust and be reborn as something new.

A little sadder. A little wiser. But still... fascinating. And at the end of the day it was Amanda's death that closed the rift between Spock and Sarek. It also helped Spock find a peace with himself and his emotions that it took decades for the Spock of the prime universe to achieve.

Oh, well said indeed. Amanda had such a brief appearance, yet is such a pivotal character...

But I don't think Spock's really found peace yet (after all, this conflict within him *is* what's so fascinating about his character). He might not be at odds with Sarek any more, but it won't be easy this newly found acceptance with years/decades of misunderstandings... which led, after all, to his rejecting his human side in the first place. He's going to have to redefine himself now and find his place, albeit now with his father's blessing (although we don't know whether Sarek approves of Spock's remaining in Starfleet in the lights of the almost genocide). I'm looking forward to his journey.

 

[Dell Yount]

The role of Amanda Grayson was originally created by Miss Jane Wyatt.
She brought class, elegance, and a depth of emotion to the character
of Spock's Mother, which is far beyond the limited abitlities of the talentless,
Winona Ryder.

It is not at all surprising that this "sticky-fingered" shoplifter
had her scenes cut... quite simply, she is a poor imitation of the original.
Ms. Ryder is absolutely unworthy of the role and was completely miscast!

 

[Jax]

The role of Amanda Grayson was originally created by Miss Jane Wyatt.
She brought class, elegance, and a depth of emotion to the character
of Spock's Mother, which is far beyond the limited abitlities of the talentless,
Winona Ryder.

It is not at all surprising that this "sticky-fingered" shoplifter
had her scenes cut... quite simply, she is a poor imitation of the original.
Ms. Ryder is absolutely unworthy of the role and was completely miscast!

NO NO NO please tell us how you really feel Spocks Mom never had that many scenes in any episode or film to bring any depth to any performance.

 

[SonicRanger]

I fail to see how someone having a compulsive disorder, shown to have a link to brain chemistry, has any influence on their acting ability or "worthiness" for a particular role.

 

[suarezguy]

Having liked Ryder in Dracula, Alien Resurrection and Mr. Deeds, here she felt too light & fluffy, a little too close to her Deeds character, not taking it seriously (although she had very little to work with).

 

[Classic Fan]

Winona Ryder did a great job in my opinion. Dignified yet soft. A human heart wrapped in vulcan clothes.

I agree. I was quite surprised by her performance. My parents also had no idea it was her. They saw Winona Ryder's name in the credits at the end were like, "When was she in the movie?"

Same, guys.


When i saw Winona Ryder cast as Amanda, i found myself putting my hand to my head Picard style.

But to be honest, she put in a graceful, motherly performance. She was one the best played characters in my opinion and played the mother figure to Spock, especially when she saw him in his uniform when he was going to approach the council. That was what any mother would do to the collar, and her eyes acted with such affection it was almost real.



I was impressed that she did it so well to be honest. And to think she had to steal the TOS boxsets for research.

 

[rbnn]

Ryder was terrific as Amanda. There didn't need to be more scenes with her precisely because her acting was so powerful: in the few lines she had, the bond between Spock and her was manifest.

It would have been a mistake to show a scene with Spock's birth. It would have been too obvious a parallel with Kirk's birth and would supplied no new information.

 

[FarDreaming]

Ryder was terrific as Amanda. There didn't need to be more scenes with her precisely because her acting was so powerful in the few lines she had the bond between Spock and her was manifest.

It would have been a mistake to show a scene with Spock's birth. It would have been too obvious a parallel with Kirk's birth, and would not have given new information.

I disagree with that-- instead it would have proved a stark contrast to the violence surrounding Kirk's birth, and would have added more poignancy to Amanda's death.

 

[roguephoenix]

Unfortunately there was only 1 scene with Amanda with Spock and another one where she watches that drillbeam before her death... were there any others that fell victim to the editing process?

I for sure would have loved to see more of her - for example her and Sarek discussing Spock after that incident with the other boys...

from some reports, the dvd is supposedly longer with more scenes of wynona that were cut.