Movies where the actors had laughably bad southern accents

I watched the movie JFK this morning and thought that Kevin Bacon's Southern accent was pretty bad. John Candy's and Laurie Metcalf's weren't convincing either. What other movies had actors doing less than convincing southern or any regional accent?

Dennis Quaid in The Big Easy. AWFUL.

Daniel Craig in Knives Out.

I think the issue with southern accents is that actors can't hold back and do it lightly. Heavy, syrupy southern accents sound nice but they're rare. You're adding a lot of extra backstory to a character when you give them an accent that strong, and it's usually at odds with whatever's being played in the scene.

Ernest in "Ernest Scared Stupid."

Took me out of the drama completely.

Are there good Southern Accents?

Fucking Smyrna Georgia's own Julia Roberts.

R4 Gary Oldman when he played Lee Harvey Oswald.

Not a movie, but James Notton's farewell episode of "Grantchester." The Black civil rights characters from the U.S. (portrayed by British actors) sounded like plantation-era Whites.

Daniel Craig's "NCIS:KFC" accent in the"Knives Out" franchise is absurd, but intentionally satirical.

Norton's! Where are my spectacles?!

There's more examples with television. . .

which either it tends to be over the top or non-existent.

The worst is when said person is neither American white nor American black. . . because then it tends to be over the top for whatever demographic they're from. . .speaking as if they were fresh off the boat regardless how many generations they've been in the area and it's not an ethnic enclave. Native American characters frequently get a generic 'universal' treatment, too.

They portray Pacific Islander and Asians-Americans, from the south, this way the most.

Bette Davis in CABIN IN THE COTTON (33) and IN THIS OUR LIFE (42).

She didn't try so hard in THE LITTLE FOXES (41), and Wyler wouldn't have let her. So she's better.

Richard Burton in 'The Klansman' although to be fair he was in an alcoholic blackout during the entire movie.

Not a movie - but the entire series House of Cards. One of the worst "Southern" accents I've heard was Kevin Spacey's.

I recall a criticism of Vivien Leigh's accent in GWTW.

You can add Bette Davis' "broad as a barn" accent in HUSH...HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE to the list. Joseph Cotten's too.

There was enough ham in that film to feed a third world country.

I recall a TV version of SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER with Natasha Richardson, Maggie Smith, and Rob Lowe. All bad accents, particularly Dame Maggie's.

[Quote]You can add Bette Davis' "broad as a barn" accent in HUSH...HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE to the list. Joseph Cotten's too.

I don't disagree. I think Agnes Moorehead's accent was damn near minstrel. Mary Astor seemed to have the most pleasant "Southern" accent.

Agnes was never a subtle actress.

As much as I enjoyed Knives Out and Glass Onion, Daniel Crag cannot pull off a southern accent. It sticks out like a sore thumb in both flicks.

Has Meryl done a Southern accent?

Yes I thought Kevin spacey's accent was over the top too, but wasn't sure if it was supposed to be. I think Vivien Lee's accent was pretty good, especially for her to be British. P

I don't believe that Streep has done a Southern accent in a film.

I think she did one on King of the Hill.

Most of them in the various Sordid Lives productions.

The entire cast of True Blood.

R23 The best episode of that show!

Hank Hill: So, Gilbert, how do the Saints look this year?

Gilbert Dauterive: Oh, I am more familiar with sinners than saints, my dear. And sinners always look good.

Robert DeNiro, as Max Cady, on Cape Fear (remake).

In "Nell" Jodie Foster's was passable, but Liam and Natasha weren't good.

The entire cast of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, Olivier was spectacularly bad as big daddy

R28 Liam Neeson has never successfully done an accent on film.

R28 Since we're on Jodie, what about her Clarice accent? Was it good?

Adam Sandler could have been more subtle in the Waterboy.

The entire cast of DALLAS. Good Lord, you'd think after 15 fucking years on the air they'd get it down.

roberts in steel magnolia

Cherry Jones always does a great southern accent in everything.

Southern accents are nuanced. Male and female accents differ. Kevin Spacey's failed Southern accent in HOC sounded like he was imitating my great aunt. His patois was very feminine.

R36 he speaks kind of effeminately naturally. He went a little Foghorn Leghorn occasionally in really emotional scenes.

Since OP asked about all regional US accent on film, I would say that the entire cast of “Fargo” does overwrought Minnesota accents (although William H. Macy's Is the best). At one point Frances McDormand interviews a man shoveling his driveway who is an actual Minnesotan, and you can instantly tell how much more authentic his is than hers.

jessica lange's makes my ears bleed

R35 - Cherry Jones is just good in everything, period. But I she is originally Southern anyway (Tennessee).

With regards to Leigh's accent in GWTW (not sure about Streetcar), I understand that accents from the Southeast U.S. would be closer in sound and cadence to British English than Northeastern or Midwestern U.S., thus, Leigh hadnling Scarlett's accent fairly well.

[Quote]Adam Sandler could have been more subtle in the Waterboy.

That's a movie I admit to enjoying. I'm guessing Kathy Bates is exaggerating her own Southern accent here (she's from Memphis, TN).

Bonus scene here: Henry Winkler shows his ass at 3:00.

Jeff Bridges does a good Texas accent. Sicario, No Country for Old Men, Outer Range. He's from California, so it's not his natural accent but it sounds smooth and natural.

[quote] Leigh hadnling Scarlett's accent fairly well.

yeah. Some people actually thought her rather good as Scarlett O'hara

R42 I love it 🤣

For any actors lurking on this thread, here's a great example of a southern accent done well. Please take copious notes:

southern accentS were different in early 20th century than they are now; Georgian highlands accent sounded pretty much like Leigh's in GWTW

[quote] I recall a criticism of Vivien Leigh's accent in GWTW.

Well, fiddle dee dee -- go fuck y'all

R40 Well shit, no wonder.

Actors should study Shelby Foote. His accent was very enjoyable to listen to.

Here's so you can hear Vivien in GWTW.

Anyone trying to do a New Orleans accent fails miserably. There are two. Working class who have been here for generations have a Y'at accent. If you've ever heard former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron or Bruno, the cab driver from the Bronx or Queens, that's a Y'at accent. A Y'at accent is very similar to an NYC working-class accent, given both cities have a history of Italian immigrants.

Middle and upper-class NO have a very slight southern drawl you can only hear on certain words; Alabama is a good one. It's like they put an H between the L and the second A; very lovely to hear. No one attempts a Y'at accent, and everyone trying to do the drawl overdo it so much that they sound like Fog Horn Leghorn. The not-esteemed Senator Kennedy, who is a Rhodes Scholar, overplays the accent if you want to hear the Fog Horn Leghorn version.

what about redford and wood in this property is condemned ?

Checkout Jessica in Cat. She does the no-neck monsters speech in the first 5 minutes.

I mean if it's anything like Oscar's then you're in trouble 🤣

Whose fault is this? Why hire actors with bad accents, for star power I suppose. The average film viewer can't tell the difference anyway.

but he was so good in the shakespeare

[quote]I understand that accents from the Southeast U.S. would be closer in sound and cadence to British English

You do realize that each Southern state had a collection of accents unto itself. There were a good two dozen plus accents based on location.

Julia and Daryl in Steel Magnolias.

R57 excellent choice lol 👌

R53, I think Natalie Woods accent in, This Property is Condemned, sounds convincing. I have never saw that movie,

How about Tom Hanks in, Forrest Gump? I think he had it down.

Julianne Moore's clenched jaw cornpone accent in Hannibal was beyond bad.

Julianne is really bad at accents. her english accent in an ideal husband was a horror

[quote]How about Tom Hanks in, Forrest Gump?

Hank often tells of how he and the young Forrest hung out until Hanks could imitate his accent.

Meryl Streep and Cher Bono had convincing Southern Accents in Silkwood but Kurt Russell didn't use one even though he had a convincing one when he played Elvis Presley.

I think one of the best female performances where the actress did a very good southern accent was, Sally Field in Norma Rae. She was great.

Karen Silkwood was a Texan.

How about Tim Blake Nelson and Holly Hunter in Oh Brother Where Art Thou?

TV example of bad accents was on Friday Night Lights

Scott Porter, Taylor Kitsch, and Adrianne Palicki did awful Texan accents. Porter was the worst and he tried too hard.

Decent TV example of a Southern accent was Comedy Central's short lived show Robbie, Mary Holland did a decent Southern accent on that show.

R42 That was 100% not Henry Winkler's ass, though

Olympia Dukakis in Steel Magnolias and Kathy Bates Maine accent in Dolores Claiborne.

Tom Hanks, Charlie Wilson's War (unwatchable)

Kevin Spacey, House of Cards (unwatchable)

Daniel Craig, Knives Out and sequel (somewhat watchable)

Janelle Monae Knives Out sequel (laughable)

Friday Night Lights' accents were fine.

R43 Should say Josh Brolin.

Thelma & Louise Southern accents sounded pretty good to me . Susan Sarandon also speaks with a sort of affected Southern twang to begin with even though she’s from New Jersey .

Madonna's character in Who's That Girl when she was acting like Lowden's southern, country cousin. Fucking horrible.

Hillary Clinton, Selma, Alabama 2007. A fucking idiot.

Vivien Leigh and Olivia de Havilland's Southern accents in GWTW are very good despite occasional lapses into RP. That particular accent-- Coastal/Lowland-- is pretty much moribund now if not actually extinct.

Marlon Brando has an unusually subtle Southern accent in The Chase (1966). The movie is like watching paint dry but he gives a restrained performance amidst some grotesque hamming from the other cast members, some of whom have clearly never heard a Southern person speak outside of a children's cartoon.

The award for Worst Southern Accent Ever goes to Michael Caine in Hurry Sundown. It's so bad it should be classified as a hate crime. Occasionally this dreck turns up on TCM. You have been warned.

[quote] Thelma & Louise Southern accents sounded pretty good to me . Susan Sarandon also speaks with a sort of affected Southern twang to begin with even though she’s from New Jersey .

I disagree. Susan Sarandon's acting was horrible, in general, IMO. Especially in that scene where she tells Gina Davis that she (SS) refuses to drive through Texas.

I suspect SS is bad with accents & voices in general. IMO, she chickened out when portraying Bette Davis and not trying to do BD's accent.

[quote] I would say that the entire cast of “Fargo” does overwrought Minnesota accents (although William H. Macy's Is the best). At one point Frances McDormand interviews a man shoveling his driveway who is an actual Minnesotan, and you can instantly tell how much more authentic his is than hers.

That wasn't McDormand in that scene, it was her male beat (cop) partner (talking to the guy shoveling snow).

Vanessa Redgrave's in "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe."

Kevin Spacey had a small role in Time To Kill and I thought his southern accent was just fine. There was a scene in the courthouse hallway where he gets good news and says It must be my birthday.

Agreed re: Julia Roberts' Southern accent. One would think having MLK pay for your birthing bill--and having been born in GA--would make her a shoo-in for being able to at least feign a legitimate Southern accent. It's a good thing she wasn't cast as Harriet Tubman after all.

A masterful actor and genuine southern accent.

R52, the Yat Twelve Days of Christmas is one of my favorite Christmas carols…

R52: Same! It’s just sad that so many institutions named in the song no longer exist.

Frankly my dear, I have never heard a GOOD southern accent.

[quote] I think Natalie Woods accent in, This Property is Condemned, sounds convincing. I have never saw that movie,

you're welcome, glad to introduce you to this little gem, and impressed by your evaluation of US southern accents, since english is a second (third ?) language for you. enjoy !

[quote] Frankly my dear, I have never heard a GOOD southern accent.

Then take your Yankee ass on out of here.

[quote] I have never saw that movie,

Oh, dear. It's "I have never seen that movie."

I ain't never saw that picture.

And the award for "Worst Southern Accent Ever in a Motion Picture" goes to Brad Pitt in "Inglourious Basterds."

Hollywood tends to not get Southern accents, thinking all southerners sound like Scarlett O'Hara. (BTW, Scarlett's accent was all wrong for a county south of Atlanta at that time.)

I remember watching "Cold Mountain" and wondering, 'Why do all these people in Appalachian North Carolina, which has a very distinctive accent, sound like they are from Charleston, South Carolina?"

R98 are you a time traveller ? how do you know what an accent " for a county south of Atlanta" sounded like in 1861 ?

you have never saw that Natalie Woods movie ?? is movie goods, you will should see you.

Oh yeah R97. Brad Pitts accent in, Inglorious Bastards had me cracking up. Especially when he said " bornjorno"!

Kevin Spacey and Jude Law in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Then again, that whole film was an abortion of cinema (save The Lady Chablis).

I love Julianne (seriously) but she does struggle with accents.

When she was on As The World Turns the writer created a second role for her, her initial character's half sister - slash - cousin (don't ask) who had been stolen and raised in England (as one does).

She really did NOT land any part of that British accent well at any time. That character had a severe bun-style hairdo and Harry Potter glasses and the props did all the heavy lifting there.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was a letdown because the book it was adapted from was really good. I think a miniseries adaptation would have worked better.

Alan Rickman and Emma Thompsons southern accent in Judas Kiss.

R106 yes, exactly. I've been preaching that gospel for years!

Now that we have streaming channels a series would be a perfect match. Maybe someone will do it after Clint dies.

Surprisingly, Cherry's accent in Five Days at Memorial slipped in and out. R35.

Sissy Spacek (Texas) nailed Loretta Lynn's (Kentucky) accent and voice, in general.

R105, were Julianne and Anne He He on 'ATWT' at the same time? And both playing long-lost twinsie cousins?

R111 Anne HeHe was on Another World not ATWT. HeHe was quite good playing twins Vicky and Marley.

Anne Heche was on Another World and started in 1987, near the end of the time Julianne was on ATWT (which was 1985 to 1988ish). It was a dual role too, but Anne's characters were both American. One had been given away at birth (soaps not known for being super original).

And yes, Anne was very good in those roles.

R41 The closest U.S. accents to British English are supposedly Appalachian accents and the Chesapeake bay. The issue is they aren't particularly common, unless the piece is specifically set on one of these places.

R107 OMG! That's hilariously bad.

Rickman is OK but Emma....I don't know WHAT the fuck she was doing there

Flat American accents seem to be easy for foreigners to do. Many actors from the UK and Australia can do it. If I hadn't already known Rachel Griffith was Australian and Matthew Rhys was Welsh, I wouldn't have guessed anything when I saw them on the Sally Field Programme.

But nailing a regional accent is hard....so many of them, and so specific. I didn't see that Mare thing but apparently Kate W nailed that one.

[Quote][R42] That was 100% not Henry Winkler's ass, though

R75 He claims it is his ass, and part of the tattoo is still on it.

[Quote]For his role as the football coach, Winkler went all in and got a tattoo of legendary rock musician Roy Orbison on his backside.

[Quote]Winkler said that he “had it removed by laser.” But what part of that tattoo did he keep? Those Roy Orbison glasses.

[quote] Flat American accents seem to be easy for foreigners to do. Many actors from the UK and Australia can do it.

IMO Australians can do the American accents. British can mimic the sounds, but it doesn't sound natural. E.g., the "Americans" on Downton Abbey. Overly-enunciated.

There's a show coming out, next week I think, about George Jones and Tammy Wynette. Michael Shannon is going to play GJ and Jessica Chastain is playing TW. I think Shannon will be pretty good, but looking at the trailer, JC doesn't seem to nail Tammy.

[R90] and [R91] Yes! If you're a local, you can go see the Christmas light display at the botanical gardens (one of my favorite places in the city, and the lights are amazing), and they have a light-up display of The 12 Y'ats of Christmas! As the song plays, each thing mentioned in the 12 days is a display and lights up. And yes, many ain't dere no more! A similar display of The Cajun Night Before Christmas is wonderful! Y'all and anyone else who's local or visiting for the holidays should go.

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