How Liam Neeson Saved ‘A Walk Among the Tombstones’

As much as actor Harrison Ford has cemented his career playing fantastical protagonists — Indiana Jones, Han Solo, Dr. Richard Kimble (to a lesser extent) — the man is no stranger to stepping into the shoes of darker and grittier characters. There is 1986’s The Mosquito Coast and 2000’s What Lies Beneath, which both have him play someone evolving into a twisted and evil person by the movie’s end. More prominently though, 1982’s Blade Runner saw him play a cold and detached police officer who kills androids because of an ignorant social bias. If Ford has already proven that he could play anywhere on the character trait chart, why did he surprisingly bow out of playing private detective Scudder in 2014’s A Walk Among the Tombstones?

In an interview with Daniel Robert Epstein (writing for The Suicide Girls), Scott Frank (the director of the aforementioned movie) says that the Star Wars actor “chickened out.” Further explaining his stance, Frank thinks that Ford was “concerned about the darkness in that character.” In response, interviewer Daniel Robert Epstein thought it was more the actor just not wanting to do movies of a smaller stature (this was only a $28 million picture). Some speculators online even throw jaded thoughts into this topic, saying that the role intimidated Ford “because it would require him to act.” While one glance at the actor’s impressive filmography puts the last quote on shaky ground, the film itself was then put into developmental hell for 10 long years, and to this day, we don’t know the real truth behind Ford’s departure. Then, Liam Neeson came along.

Playing an Ex-Cop With a Harrowing Backstory in ‘A Walk Among the Tombstones’

Regarding this casting, Frank was once again vocal. In a 2014 interview with IndieWire, he says, “Without Liam Neeson, this movie doesn’t happen.” While he is obviously talking about the behind-the-scenes schematics of A Walk Among the Tombstones, this thriller certainly feels perfect with Neeson in the main role as well. He had already been going strong with thrillers for a while, as a matter of fact. The first two Taken movies were astronomical hits at the box office, and 2011’s The Grey was a critical success.

Also, make no mistake. This was an action movie by definition. However, the character of Matthew Scudder had a riveting backstory that ended up following him into the climax scene of the film. Even if it were for just a few scenes, a slower-paced and rather emotional character analysis might not have been Ford’s greatest strength. There’s viable proof hidden inside the box office results for two of his movies around that time: 2002’s K-19: The Widowmaker and 2006’s Firewall. Frank was probably right — in more ways than one.

Neeson Did What Ford… and Jeff Bridges Couldn’t

A Walk Among the Tombstones is actually based on a 1992 crime book by author Lawrence Block. Block is a busy man when it comes to writing — the character of Matt Scudder comes alive in not one, not two, but 21 novels. The fifth entry, titled 8 Million Ways To Die (released in 1982), was adapted to the big screen four years later. Even though a very notable name like Jeff Bridges played Scudder, the film was a box office bomb. With that, we have two attempts: Ford chickened out of becoming Scudder, and before that, Bridges just couldn’t elevate the private detective to a new medium.

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While a new film has yet to be announced, Neeson’s 2014 attempt at the alcoholic ex-cop was very much a commendable performance. The actor not only held his own when the script called for a flashback scene into the main character’s traumatizing origins (Scudder accidentally killed a girl while chasing three suspects in a robbery), but Neeson also managed to smoothly change tone when interacting with T.J. (played by then 17-year-old Brian Bradley).

Yes, the anticipated suspense and Taken-esque scenarios may instantly win some moviegoers over, but the balance between hard-boiled ex-detective and grizzled mentor says something about Neeson’s range. He goes from being concerned about a stranger’s health to being a threatening negotiator while on the phone with the movie’s antagonists.

The Truth Behind Harrison Ford’s Departure

The climax has him right in the middle of balancing these different personality traits. It’s amazing to see. Even Roger Ebert noted this in his review, saying the duo’s relationship was “utterly unpatronizing and convincing.” As Scott Frank puts it, was it all this specific character work that ultimately threw Ford off? The very end of the Daniel Robert Epstein interview provides a clearer picture. After Epstein commented on the possibility that Ford only wanted to star in A-list movies, Frank not only confirmed that to be true but let out another alarming recollection.

He recalls Ford stating that his fans “wouldn’t want to see him in something like this.” Even though Frank argues that Harrison Ford doesn’t really know his current audience, the small quote is largely impactful. The level of detail when it comes to the serial killers’ actions is very unsettling. The inciting incident is just plain cruel as well. Maybe Ford was right. The audience of yesteryear would most likely turn away in disgust. But for more modern audiences, A Walk Among the Tombstones is a severely underrated crime film worthy of a watch and is available to stream on Netflix right now.