With all the talk of Nine and A Single Man, I had kind of forgotten that I was really looking forward to The Lovely Bones this awards season. I read the book several years ago, and I was very impressed with the both the casting, and with the hiring of Peter Jackson to direct. Thus far, the reviews are mixed (read Time Magazine‘s review here), but I’m still going to see it. Just to hit the highlights of casting – Mark Wahlberg as the father, Rachel Weisz as the mom, 15-year-old Irish actress Saoirse Ronan (Oscar nominee for Atonement) as the murdered daughter Susie and Susan Sarandon as the fabulous Grandma Lynn. Wahlberg and Weisz didn’t make it to last night’s charity premiere in London (hosted by the Prince of Wales), but Susan Sarandon and Saoirse Ronan did, and they both looked gorgeous. My God, Susan is pretty much ageless, isn’t she? Maybe it’s the red hair. The red hair keeps her young. And Saoirse is a beautiful little thing too – she’s growing up to be an absolutely stunning young woman. The Daily Mail has more from the premiere:

She has been under the harsh glow of the celebrity spotlight for decades, but last night Susan Sarandon showed she had lost none of her sheen.

The actress, who turned 63 last month, dazzled the rain-soaked crowds at the Royal Film Performance and premiere of The Lovely Bones in London’s Leicester Square.

Dressed in an elegant floor-length dress, which she covered with a long, black sequinned coat, Miss Sarandon managed to smile despite the downpours battering the capital.

She was heard to mutter, however, that she was ‘not really enjoying the weather’ as she stepped out of her car.

Miss Sarandon plays a grandmother in the Oscar-tipped film, directed by Peter Jackson, which centres around a family that has been destroyed by the murder of a young girl.

Other star guests at the premiere, which was raising funds for the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund, included Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, who wore a teal blue velvet dress and matching evening cape with a pearl necklace.

The film’s young star Saoirse Ronan arrived in a grey strappy chiffon dress despite the winter chill. Miss Ronan, 15, who plays the character Susie Salmon, said it had been ‘nerve racking’ making such a high-profile film.

The American-born Irish teenager, who was nominated for best supporting actress Oscar for her role in 2007’s Atonement, said: ‘It was great to grow as an actress. I think there is a little bit of pressure but I’m trying not to think about it.’

She described how Miss Sarandon had become like a ‘mother’ to her during filming.

She added: ‘She’s very maternal on the set. She did look after me. And she’s a very open person so it was nice to be with someone like that. Just being around someone as experienced as that is great.’

The film is based on the best-selling novel by Alice Sebold, which tells the story of 14-year-old Susie, who is raped, dismembered and murdered by a neighbour.

[From The Daily Mail]

When asked about whether Grandma Lynn is really a good person, Susan said: “Grandma Lynn is quite wacky, which is good for me because my kids think I am wacky anyway! But she’s not your typical grandma and when I asked my kids what makes a bad grandparent, they could tell me because theirs aren’t exactly the best! But in the end Grandma Lynn comes good for the family, as they struggle to come to terms with the death of her granddaughter Susie – she is the one holding them altogether. She failed miserably with her own daughter but she’s been given a second chance and while she doesn’t embrace it at first, she soon becomes the one they all need.” I’m telling you, casting Sarandon was totally brilliant. She is perfection.

Susan Sarandon and 15-year-old Saoirse Ronan at the Cinema & Television Benevolent Fund Royal Film Performance of ‘The Lovely Bones’ on November 24, 2009. Also pictured are H.R.H. The Prince of Wales. Credit: WENN.