Boston Accent in Movies

Pull 10 people off the street down at Haymarket and none of them will have the same accent. If the people that live here can't get it right how is anyone else supposed to?

True. But the accents were horrible in the movie. It wasn't even close to any I have heard in the Boston area and I've lived here my entire life. I think it is bettah (Boston version) to just not bother.

No one living west of Cambridge Square will notice. Everyone from Storrow Drive to deep Southie will wonda wud the freek is da maaduh wit em'aul?

Did anyone notice that in Cold Mountain no one spoke with a Carolinian accent past the first few scence except, of course, for Oscar winning Renee......

Its varied but, its close really--most people can pick out a Boston accent no mattah what depth.

It is true however that Hollywood tends to go with more of the "Kennedy" drawl than anything else--and that makes my skin crawl. I think Tim and Sean did okay with it..but those gals...EEEKSS!

Haven't seen it yet. But read the book and cannot wait to see it. I think sometimes it is bettah to just leave the accents out. How much does it add to the movie? And sometimes it is just plan distracting.

I agree the women were much worse. Perhaps it helped Tim and Sean get their Oscars. Closest Boston accent from non-Bostonians award.

I wonder if the entire world thinks Bostonians speak like the Kennedys. Only the Kennedys have that accent.

Yeah, most people do think the Kennedy accent is the Boston accent--drives me nuts...no one I know talks like that

LOL

Matt Damon and Ben Asslick don't have a good Boston accent either. That's what happens when you grow up in the People's Republic. Spend so much time trying not to be from Boston that it shines right through.

The guy on Average Joe 2 was a perfect example of a Boston accent.

Second Sugars vote for the guy on Average Joe 2--definate down home Boston accent.

The other one is Boston Rob on Survivor.

Rob has an ugly Boston accent. I like mine bettah. Just a little twang here and theah. It's like the difference between a London type accent and a cockney accent in England. The London one is wicked bettah.

I can pull the Boston accent off pretty well, then again I've had linguist training. I'm actually moving to boston in Aug.

When ya get settled, let us know. Accent or not, its all good.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Rob Morrow's awful Boston accent in Quiz Show.

Worst. Accent. Ever.

Did Boston Blackie have a Boston accent? I don't recall him well, but i think not . . .

Those of us not from Boston are, of course, not sensitive to whether the accent is authentic or not. My experience has been that the accent varies depending on the neighborhood and/or social status in Boston. Correct me if I'm wrong.

ummm.
having lived up heeyuh for 9 years, i would say there are varying degrees of thickness, but i don't think social status has nearly as much to do with it as neighborhood...

neighbahhood is the determining factor, I agree. Ive been here for..humm..gosh..15 so, I suppose thats why I fall into the "gosh I didnt know you didnt grow up here" to some...and "what is that I hear in your accent that isnt Boston" to others.
Maybe just an ear thing as well.
Actually Lightwizard, those outside of Boston I would think would be more sensitive to it.
More times Ive been far from home and spoken a simple two words only to be pummeled with Boston ovah the head.
In certain parts of the country its even looked down upon to have an accent of a certain type so, I dont know. I suppose we here in and around all the areas can get a better grip on the type of accent it is but, I would think although we pick that out quickly in movies, others would as well since they have more of a generalized ear of it.
shrug
who knows

Definitely lightwizard. You can live a few miles from some one else and still have a different accent. I may have stated this before, but the only people who speak like the Kennedys are the Kennedys. Social status does in the case of the Kennedys because they are the only ones in their clan. Other than that social status could be it occurs because of location. For example you will not have the same social status of people in Southie as people in Wellesley.

I have only had people tell me that my accent is cute. Even over the phone to Luxembourg. But then again that guy was French and don't all the French flirt? However, my accent is not thick, just a few twangs here and there.

I can buy that, Linkat, but I don't know how concerned filmmakers are with accents that are approximations. They aren't concerned about Romans speaking Latin when they would, in fact, have been speaking Greek in Gibson's "Passion." Ooopps. Unless your movie is anchored on authenticity and then trangresses on what is reality, Hollywood is mostly make believe. Rob Morrow's performance in "Quiz Show" overshadowed any roughness to his accent. Besides, what neighborhood and/or social status would his accent come closest to? There's also a diverse difference in a New York accent. In "Sex and the City" there's not much effort to perform in authentic accents.