It Really is a Small World After All
What do the Walt Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer production of National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, the Los Angeles production of the Broadway smash hit musical Wicked, and the classic CBS Television series Perry Mason all have in common?
The very talented Talman family!
Actor William Talman is probably best known the world over as fictional Los Angeles District Attorney Hamilton Burger, perennial runner-up to television’s first, big name defense attorney Perry Mason, played by Raymond Burr.
What most people don’t know is that Talman, often typecast in dark, brooding character roles, was equally at home on stage and loved musical theatre. This is a passion that seems to have found its way into the life of his youngest son, Tim Talman, currently appearing on stage at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles as the Witch’s Father in Wicked.
Talman can also be seen, very briefly, as FBI Agent Cade in National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets. “Don’t blink,” said the hardworking actor during a backstage tour of Wicked, “or you’ll miss it. We filmed lots of great stuff for hours but as often happens, only that brief scene made it.”
A Hollywood pro, Talman knows that it’s not unusual to have whole scenes, even entire parts, excised from the final cut of a film. And if you watch the bonus features on the 2-Disc Collector’s Edition or Blu-ray Disc of Book of Secrets, you’ll come to know this basic fact of filmmaking as well, more on this in a minute.
And Momma Makes Five
As mentioned in our theatrical review, the National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets ensemble of Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicholas Cage), his on-again, off-again love interest Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger), wingman Riley Poole (Justin Bartha), and his father Patrick Gates (Jon Voight) have been joined by Academy Award winning actress Helen Mirren as Emily Appleton, Ben’s mom and Patrick’s estranged wife.
Helen Mirren, Nicolas Cage, and Diane Kruger from the Walt Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer production
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
Image copyright© Disney. All rights reserved.
Also joining the Book of Secrets cast is Ed Harris as smarmy historical artifacts dealer Mitch Wilkinson, who implicates Ben’s great grandfather, Thomas Gates (Joel Gretsch), in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Clearing Thomas Gates’ name means Ben must bring together his acrimoniously divorced parents while, at the same time, trying to patch things up in his own botched love life with Abigail.
There is genuine chemistry between all of these performers that enhances their action-filled adventures in locations as diverse as Buckingham Palace and Mount Rushmore as they pursue, through a series of historical clues, the “Book of Secrets,” said to contain the truth about everything from Ben’s grandfather to the Kennedy assassination and Area 51.
Only the president of the United States (Bruce Greenwood) has access to the fabled volume of secrets, and he won’t part with it willingly. Not a huge hurdle for Gates, the man who not only stole the Declaration of Independence but also became a national hero in the process.
What Script?
Listen to the National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets commentary track, with director Jon Turtletaub and Jon Voight, or watch the many “behind the scenes” bonus features, hosted by Turtletaub, and you’ll quickly realize that the movie was well into production before anybody, including executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer, knew a) what exactly the treasure was going to be and b) how exactly they were going to have Nicholas Cage and company discover it.
Director Jon Turtletaub and actor Justin Bartha on the set of
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
Image copyright© Disney. All rights reserved.
Turtletaub and the rest of the filmmakers can literally afford to joke about this now: Book of Secrets grossed over $457 million worldwide. It made nearly $220 million of that in the U.S. alone.
Had the movie not done as well at the box office, it’s fairly unlikely that Disney would have been quite as willing to have Turtletaub screen the seemingly endless hours of alternate story lines and big action stunts that did not make it into the final film.
Tim Talman was hardly alone when it came to finding hours of his work on the cutting room floor. Helen Mirren, Jon Voight, and Harvey Keitel were all heavily featured in scenes that were ultimately scrapped and rewritten. At least one other actor’s work, according to Turtletaub’s commentary, was completely dropped.
Watching the Book of Secrets’ bonus features, you can see how Keitel’s role, as Agent Sadusky, was substantially reduced from the way it had been initially conceived. Additionally, you’ll also learn that part of the London car chase scene that was to take place in front of St. Paul’s Cathedral, with as many as 400 extras—most dressed as priests—was filmed and then later dropped because it made the chase run too long.
It is a testament to the filmmakers’ instincts—especially action veteran Bruckheimer—that the final film is as entertaining as it is.
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, 2–Disc Collector’s Edition
Film: C +
Bonus Features: C
Buy or Rent: Not a bad buy, although the volume of deleted material hints at future “Deluxe Edition” release
Suggested retail price: DVD-US $29.99, Canada $41.99; Blu-ray Disc-US $34.99, Canada $44.99
Feature run time: 124 Minutes combined
Rated: “PG” (Bonus material not rated.)
Aspect ratio: Widescreen (2.35:1) Blu-ray Disc 1080p
Sound: 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound
Languages: English, French, and Spanish
Actor Tim Talman in his surviving scene from
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
Image copyright© Disney. All rights reserved.
