So, it's the summer, I have some time to think, so I came up with a list of the 150 greatest performances in movie history. These are lead and supporting roles. Sometimes I agreed with Oscar, sometimes I disagreed. Oscar tends to recognize actors who play people with a physical or mental ailment, I disagree because I think it's more challenging to play a normal, regular person who is facing life's challenges, Such as Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire. For the most part, I stayed away from characters with ailments. Also, there are many action movies and comedies on here that Oscar is too snooty to recognize. I also tend to recognize actors who dare to work outside of their comfort zone, like Cameron Diaz in "Being John Malkovich."
This list obviously skews towards newer movies, and I will admit I am not well-versed on older movies and actors. There are many movies, like "On The Waterfront," "The Deer Hunter," and "Raging Bull" I haven't seen which supposedly have great performances, so this list is by no means complete.
Out of the 150 performances, there are only 29 women. That is probably because I watch more action movies which usually have male leads.
Without further adieu, here is the list in alphabetical order. A "*" means this is a truly exceptional performance- the best of the best.
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
*Christian Bale, American Psycho
Kathy Bates, About Schmidt
*Kathy Bates, Misery
Ned Beatty, Network
Annette Bening, The American President
*Marlon Brando, The Godfather
Matthew Broderick, Election
Matthew Broderick, Glory
*Ellen Burstyn, Requiem for a Dream
Steve Carell, The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Sascha Baron Cohen, Borat
*James Caan, The Godfather
Nicolas Cage, Leaving Las Vegas
Nicolas Cage, Adaptation.
Nicolas Cage, Face/Off
George Chakiris, West Side Story
Sean Connery, The Untouchables
Daniel Craig, Casino Royale
James Cromwell, Babe
*Russell Crowe, L.A. Confidential
*Russell Crowe, The Insider
Tom Cruise, Collateral
*Tom Cruise, Jerry Maguire
Tom Cruise, Magnolia
Matt Damon, The Talented Mr. Ripley
*Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Robert DeNiro, Heat
*Robert DeNiro, Taxi Driver
Johnny Depp, Edward Scissorhands
Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean, Curse of the Black Pearl
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Cameron Diaz, Being John Malkovich
Leonardo DiCaprio, Catch me if You Can
Leonardo DiCaprio, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
Vincent D’Onofrio, Full Metal Jacket
Michael Douglas, The American President
*Michael Douglas, Wall Street
Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man
Faye Dunaway, Network
Robert Duvall, The Apostle
R. Lee Ermey, Full Metal Jacket
Richard Farnsworth, The Straight Story
Ralph Fiennes, Schindler’s List
*Peter Finch, Network
*Morgan Freeman, The Shawshank Redemption
Morgan Freeman, Glory
*Henry Fonda, 12 Angry Men
Henry Fonda, The Grapes of Wrath
Harrison Ford, The Fugitive
Jodie Foster, The Silence of the Lambs
Jamie Foxx, Ray
Kathy Bates, About Schmidt
*Kathy Bates, Misery
Ned Beatty, Network
Annette Bening, The American President
*Marlon Brando, The Godfather
Matthew Broderick, Election
Matthew Broderick, Glory
*Ellen Burstyn, Requiem for a Dream
Steve Carell, The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Sascha Baron Cohen, Borat
*James Caan, The Godfather
Nicolas Cage, Leaving Las Vegas
Nicolas Cage, Adaptation.
Nicolas Cage, Face/Off
George Chakiris, West Side Story
Sean Connery, The Untouchables
Daniel Craig, Casino Royale
James Cromwell, Babe
*Russell Crowe, L.A. Confidential
*Russell Crowe, The Insider
Tom Cruise, Collateral
*Tom Cruise, Jerry Maguire
Tom Cruise, Magnolia
Matt Damon, The Talented Mr. Ripley
*Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Robert DeNiro, Heat
*Robert DeNiro, Taxi Driver
Johnny Depp, Edward Scissorhands
Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean, Curse of the Black Pearl
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Cameron Diaz, Being John Malkovich
Leonardo DiCaprio, Catch me if You Can
Leonardo DiCaprio, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
Vincent D’Onofrio, Full Metal Jacket
Michael Douglas, The American President
*Michael Douglas, Wall Street
Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man
Faye Dunaway, Network
Robert Duvall, The Apostle
R. Lee Ermey, Full Metal Jacket
Richard Farnsworth, The Straight Story
Ralph Fiennes, Schindler’s List
*Peter Finch, Network
*Morgan Freeman, The Shawshank Redemption
Morgan Freeman, Glory
*Henry Fonda, 12 Angry Men
Henry Fonda, The Grapes of Wrath
Harrison Ford, The Fugitive
Jodie Foster, The Silence of the Lambs
Jamie Foxx, Ray
Judy Garland, The Wizard of Oz
Paul Giamatti, Sideways
Mel Gibson, Braveheart
Mel Gibson, Signs
Cary Grant, North by Northwest
Alec Guinness, Star Wars
Gene Hackman, The French Connection
*Thomas Haden Church, Sideways
Katharine Hepburn, Bringing Up Baby
*Katharine Hepburn, The Lion in Winter
Dustin Hoffman, Tootsie
Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs
Margaret Hamilton, The Wizard of Oz
Tom Hanks, Big
*Tom Hanks, Cast Away
*Tom Hanks, Philadelphia
Tom Hanks, Road to Perdition
Marcia Gay Harden, Mystic River
Ed Harris, Apollo 13
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Talented Mr. Ripley
William Holden, Network
Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction
Madeline Kahn, Blazing Saddles
*Val Kilmer, The Doors
*Val Kilmer, Tombstone
Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast
Martin Landau, Ed Wood
Angela Lansbury, The Manchurian Candidate
Jude Law, The Talented Mr. Ripley
William H. Macy, Fargo
Virginia Madsen, Sideways
John Malkovich, In the Line of Fire
Frances McDormand, Fargo
Malcolm McDowell, A Clockwork Orange
Ian McKellen, Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Steve McQueen, The Sand Pebbles
Burgess Meredith, Grumpy Old Men
Rita Moreno, West Side Story
Julianne Moore, Boogie Nights
Eddie Murphy, Beverly Hills Cop
Eddie Murphy, Bowfinger
Liam Neeson, Schindler’s List
Paul Newman, Road to Perdition
*Jack Nicholson, About Schmidt
Jack Nicholson, Chinatown
Bill Nighy, Love Actually
Edward Norton, American History X
*Edward Norton, Fight Club
Peter O’Toole, The Lion in Winter
*Al Pacino, The Godfather
*Al Pacino, The Godfather, Part II
Al Pacino, Donnie Brasco
Jack Palance, City Slickers
Bill Paxton, Frailty
Guy Pearce, L.A. Confidential
Guy Pearce, Memento
Sean Penn, Mystic River
Joe Pesci, Goodfellas
*Brad Pitt, Fight Club
Natalie Portman, Beautiful Girls
Natalie Portman, The Professional
Natalie Portman, V For Vendetta
Christopher Reeve, Superman
*Alan Rickman, Die Hard
Jason Robards, All the President’s Men
Tim Robbins, Mystic River
Alec Guinness, Star Wars
Gene Hackman, The French Connection
*Thomas Haden Church, Sideways
Katharine Hepburn, Bringing Up Baby
*Katharine Hepburn, The Lion in Winter
Dustin Hoffman, Tootsie
Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs
Margaret Hamilton, The Wizard of Oz
Tom Hanks, Big
*Tom Hanks, Cast Away
*Tom Hanks, Philadelphia
Tom Hanks, Road to Perdition
Marcia Gay Harden, Mystic River
Ed Harris, Apollo 13
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Talented Mr. Ripley
William Holden, Network
Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction
Madeline Kahn, Blazing Saddles
*Val Kilmer, The Doors
*Val Kilmer, Tombstone
Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast
Martin Landau, Ed Wood
Angela Lansbury, The Manchurian Candidate
Jude Law, The Talented Mr. Ripley
William H. Macy, Fargo
Virginia Madsen, Sideways
John Malkovich, In the Line of Fire
Frances McDormand, Fargo
Malcolm McDowell, A Clockwork Orange
Ian McKellen, Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Steve McQueen, The Sand Pebbles
Burgess Meredith, Grumpy Old Men
Rita Moreno, West Side Story
Julianne Moore, Boogie Nights
Eddie Murphy, Beverly Hills Cop
Eddie Murphy, Bowfinger
Liam Neeson, Schindler’s List
Paul Newman, Road to Perdition
*Jack Nicholson, About Schmidt
Jack Nicholson, Chinatown
Bill Nighy, Love Actually
Edward Norton, American History X
*Edward Norton, Fight Club
Peter O’Toole, The Lion in Winter
*Al Pacino, The Godfather
*Al Pacino, The Godfather, Part II
Al Pacino, Donnie Brasco
Jack Palance, City Slickers
Bill Paxton, Frailty
Guy Pearce, L.A. Confidential
Guy Pearce, Memento
Sean Penn, Mystic River
Joe Pesci, Goodfellas
*Brad Pitt, Fight Club
Natalie Portman, Beautiful Girls
Natalie Portman, The Professional
Natalie Portman, V For Vendetta
Christopher Reeve, Superman
*Alan Rickman, Die Hard
Jason Robards, All the President’s Men
Tim Robbins, Mystic River
Tim Robbins, The Shawshank Redemption
Seth Rogen, Knocked Up
Paul Scofield, A Man For All Seasons
George C. Scott, Dr. Strangelove
*George C. Scott, Patton
*Peter Sellers, Dr. Strangelove
Robert Shaw, Jaws
Maggie Smith, Gosford Park
Kevin Spacey, L.A. Confidential
Terence Stamp, The Limey
David Strathairn, Good Night and Good Luck
Meryl Streep, Adaptation.
Hilary Swank, Boys Don’t Cry
Charlize Theron, Monster
Billy Bob Thornton, A Simple Plan
Billy Bob Thornton, Sling Blade
Uma Thurman, Kill Bill
John Travolta, Face/Off
*Denzel Washington, Glory
Denzel Washington, Training Day
Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai
Sigourney Weaver, Aliens
Hugo Weaving, V For Vendetta
Christopher Walken, The Dead Zone
*Orson Welles, Citizen Kane
Orson Welles, Touch of Evil
James Whitmore, The Shawshank Redemption
Gene Wilder, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Gene Wilder, Young Frankenstein
Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Reese Witherspoon, Election
Renee Zellweger, Bridget Jones’ Diary
Seth Rogen, Knocked Up
Paul Scofield, A Man For All Seasons
George C. Scott, Dr. Strangelove
*George C. Scott, Patton
*Peter Sellers, Dr. Strangelove
Robert Shaw, Jaws
Maggie Smith, Gosford Park
Kevin Spacey, L.A. Confidential
Terence Stamp, The Limey
David Strathairn, Good Night and Good Luck
Meryl Streep, Adaptation.
Hilary Swank, Boys Don’t Cry
Charlize Theron, Monster
Billy Bob Thornton, A Simple Plan
Billy Bob Thornton, Sling Blade
Uma Thurman, Kill Bill
John Travolta, Face/Off
*Denzel Washington, Glory
Denzel Washington, Training Day
Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai
Sigourney Weaver, Aliens
Hugo Weaving, V For Vendetta
Christopher Walken, The Dead Zone
*Orson Welles, Citizen Kane
Orson Welles, Touch of Evil
James Whitmore, The Shawshank Redemption
Gene Wilder, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Gene Wilder, Young Frankenstein
Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Reese Witherspoon, Election
Renee Zellweger, Bridget Jones’ Diary
Overall, I would say the best male performance is Michael Douglas as the unforgettable Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street," but Orson Welles comes close in "Citizen Kane." The best female performance is Ellen Burstyn's unbelievable turn in "Requiem for a Dream." Her Oscar was stolen from her by Julia Roberts of all people for an overrated performance in "Erin Brockovich."
Actors with multiple mentions:
Tom Hanks: 4
Nicolas Cage: 3
Tom Cruise: 3
Johnny Depp: 3
Al Pacino: 3
Natalie Portman: 3
Matthew Broderick: 2
Russell Crowe: 2
Robert DeNiro: 2
Leonardo DiCaprio: 2
Leonardo DiCaprio: 2
Michael Douglas: 2
Morgan Freeman: 2
Henry Fonda: 2
Mel Gibson: 2
Katharine Hepburn: 2
Val Kilmer: 2
Eddie Murphy: 2
Jack Nicholson: 2
Edward Norton: 2
Guy Pearce: 2
George C. Scott: 2
Billy Bob Thornton: 2
Denzel Washington: 2
Orson Welles: 2
Gene Wilder: 2
Movies with multiple mentions:
Network: 4
The Godfather: 3
Glory: 3
L.A. Confidential: 3
Mystic River: 3
The Shawshank Redemption: 3
Sideways: 3
The Talented Mr. Ripley: 3
About Schmidt: 2
The American President: 2
Adaptation.: 2
Dr. Strangelove: 2
Election: 2
Face/Off: 2
Fargo: 2
Fight Club: 2
Full Metal Jacket: 2
The Lion in Winter: 2
Schindler's List: 2
The Silence of the Lambs: 2
West Side Story: 2
The Wizard of Oz: 2
I am sure I missed some, and I am sure some of you think there are people who don't belong on this list. Let me know your opinions!
7 comments:
I was really interested in reviewing your list. Biggest "don't get its" are: Cruse in Collateral and Cruise in Jerry Maguire. Pick any other actor and they would have been able to do both rolls. You did miss out on what I feel is Tom Cruises best performance (and probably his only)
Born on the 4th of July).Whats with your obsession with The American President. A cute chick flick with some political pontificating thrown in. Harrison Ford in The Fugitive? Please - Indiana Jones in scrubs...I have more, but I need to take Ben for a walk.
I know you don't like Tom Cruise. I actually never saw Born on the Fourth of July. I really enjoyed The American President, and I show that movie to my students, but I understand your criticism. And you can't compare The Fugitive to the Indiana Jones movies. The Fugitive was very real while Indiana Jones was about fantasy and the supernatural.
Okay, let's do this. Here are my (and my wife's) thoughts:
You really should pick an actor's one great performance, not two or three. Also, 150 is a lot of great performances. How about 50 instead? That being said, let's dissect the list. I won't hit on everyone, just my true concerns.
Kathy Bates will always be known for Misery. About Schmidt will not be remembered years from now like Misery.
The American President was cute. That's it.
Matthew Broderick is likable, but he does not deserve to be on a list of the greatest performances ever.
Take off Nicolas Cage. He is not that great, even in Leaving Las Vegas. Plus, as much as I like Face/Off, it's a popcorn movie. No performances from a popcorn movie should be up here.
Daniel Craig is the best Bond, but being an action star does not mean you are one of the greatest actors ever. If that's true, where's Bruce Willis?
Thank you for not putting up Gladiator for Russell Crowe. Ugh.
My wife and I agree that although we like the movie very much, Jerry Maguire is very overrated. You need to see Born on the 4th of July. Get rid of this other roles and put that up here.
Anything that has to do with The Talented Mr. Ripley needs to get off of this list NOW. Are CJ and I the only people in the world who thinks this movie sucks? Matt Damon should be recognized for his role in The Departed.
SEE RAGING BULL NOW.
Daniel Day-Lewis. SO GOOD.
No star next to Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd? Watch it again.
CAMERON DIAZ? You are not my brother.
Ah, Harrison Ford. He shouldn't be on here at all. But, if you had to put him on here, it should be for Indiana Jones. CJ said if you're going to watch a Harrison Ford movie, would you pick The Fugitive over Raiders? I don't think so.
As much as I love The Wizard of Oz, I don't watch it for the advanced acting skills of Judy Garland and Margaret Hamilton. Wipe 'em off!
Dude, get off the Sideways kick. It wasn't good. You put every actor except Sandra "Frying Pan Face" Oh up here. I say get rid of all of 'em.
Mel Gibson can make any movie watchable, but he sure ain't a legendary actor.
Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story. See it.
Tom Hanks was good in Road to Perdition, but not one of the greatest ever.
I like what Mom said about Burgess Meredith, Jack Palance, Alan Arkin, James Whitmore, and Martin Landau. They received the "You're Old So We'll Give You Some Credit Before You Die " award. Seriously, Burgess Meredith???
Steve McQueen was great, but he's the same guy in every movie.
Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor!!!!!!
Paul Newman in The Hustler and The Color of Money.
You do know Julianne Moore is sexier than Jodie Foster, right?
Jack Nicholson only ever acted in two movies; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Chinatown. In everything else he's just Jack.
Bill Nighy is awesome, but not quite.
Bravo Bill Paxton!
Brad Pitt was better in Seven.
Okay Colin, Natalie Portman is not that great. You'll never get her, you're already married. This was your biggest misstep.
Anybody could have put on those tights and become an icon. Christopher Reeve was a second rate actor who got lucky.
Seth Rogen will have his time, but it's not quite that time yet.
Gosford Park, aka the cure for insomnia.
Kevin Spacey as Keyser Soze. Nothing he's done since that has even come close.
Hilary Swank was better in Million Dollar Baby.
Umm, John Travolta in Pulp Fiction? Do you even watch movies?
I know you didn't see it yet, but Christopher Walken was better in The Deer Hunter.
I'm truly sorry, but Renee Zellweger is not good at what she does. Watch Cinderella Man and cringe.
Now you also missed a bunch. It's really late, but I'll try to fill in a few blanks. Sylvester Stallone in Rocky. Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross. Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in The Odd Couple. Michael Keaton in Beetlejuice. Robert Preston in The Music Man.
There are more, but I need to sleep now. I'm sure we'll discuss this more soon.
Here we go... I was waiting until I had enough time to respond to this....
"You really should pick an actor's one great performance, not two or three. Also, 150 is a lot of great performances. How about 50 instead? That being said, let's dissect the list. I won't hit on everyone, just my true concerns."
I was originally going to do 50, but there are so many great performances out there, so it became 100, then 150. Because there are so many, that's why I decided to do the stars.
"Kathy Bates will always be known for Misery. About Schmidt will not be remembered years from now like Misery."
Kathy Bates got a lot of attention in About Schmidt because of her nude scene. Aside from that, it was a great character story with great performances, and Kathy Bates' performance as a complete flake was spot-on.
"The American President was cute. That's it."
It was actually a great movie. Yes, it's essentially a chick movie that happens to take place at the White House, but it was smartly written, and the dialogue was clever and witty. I show it to my students to illustrate the many different roles the president has to assume. Also, this movie was the inspiration for the TV show "The West Wing," which was great for a few seasons until Aaron Sorkin was fired.
"Matthew Broderick is likable, but he does not deserve to be on a list of the greatest performances ever."
Yes he does. Watch Glory again. There are flashier performances like Denzel's, but he holds the whole movie together. And, in Election, he gives a great portrayal of your normal, everyday teacher with his mannerisms, the way he talks to students and co-workers, and even the way he dresses.
"Take off Nicolas Cage. He is not that great, even in Leaving Las Vegas. Plus, as much as I like Face/Off, it's a popcorn movie. No performances from a popcorn movie should be up here."
Face/Off is more than a popcorn movie, it is one of the best action movies ever made. It transcends the genre, like TDK does with comic book movies, and Lord of the Rings did with fantasy movies.
"Daniel Craig is the best Bond, but being an action star does not mean you are one of the greatest actors ever. If that's true, where's Bruce Willis?"
Bruce Willis is not on the list because he gives the same performance in every movie. Daniel Craig, however, does not. And he brought a new level of emotion and believability to the James Bond character that even puts Sean Connery to shame.
"Thank you for not putting up Gladiator for Russell Crowe. Ugh."
With pleasure. What a grossly overrated movie.
"My wife and I agree that although we like the movie very much, Jerry Maguire is very overrated. You need to see Born on the 4th of July. Get rid of this other roles and put that up here."
I agree that I need to see Born on the 4th of July, but Jerry Maguire is not overrated. It's a great story about a character who comes to a realization, a moment of clarity, and realizes he needs to change his life.
"Anything that has to do with The Talented Mr. Ripley needs to get off of this list NOW. Are CJ and I the only people in the world who thinks this movie sucks? Matt Damon should be recognized for his role in The Departed."
My wife doesn't like "The Talented Mr. Ripley" either.
"SEE RAGING BULL NOW."
I'd like to.
"Daniel Day-Lewis. SO GOOD."
Nothing I can add to that.
"No star next to Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd? Watch it again."
Maybe I will agree with you after I watch the movie a few more times.
"CAMERON DIAZ? You are not my brother."
Her performance was a very pleasant surprise in "Being John Malkovich."
"Ah, Harrison Ford. He shouldn't be on here at all. But, if you had to put him on here, it should be for Indiana Jones. CJ said if you're going to watch a Harrison Ford movie, would you pick The Fugitive over Raiders? I don't think so."
You may have a point. Harrison Ford is a good actor, but not a great actor. And his performance in Raiders was memorable. Many critics said that Witness was his best performance, but I haven't seen that entire movie yet.
"As much as I love The Wizard of Oz, I don't watch it for the advanced acting skills of Judy Garland and Margaret Hamilton. Wipe 'em off!"
The Wizard of Oz was all about memorable characters, and what characters are more memorable than Dorothy Gale and the Wicked Witch of the West, one of the greatest movie villains ever.
"Dude, get off the Sideways kick. It wasn't good. You put every actor except Sandra "Frying Pan Face" Oh up here. I say get rid of all of 'em."
NEVER! it was a great movie. Well-acted, believable and downright hilarious sometimes. With Thomas Haden Church's performance, you were able to like and feel sorry for a guy who is a complete jerk, and listen to Virginia Madsen's character talk about why she loves wine so much.
"Mel Gibson can make any movie watchable, but he sure ain't a legendary actor."
He isn't legendary by any means, but you could really believe his characters in both of those movies. I am insane with rage! It's time for an ass whooping!
"Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story. See it."
I'd like to.
"Tom Hanks was good in Road to Perdition, but not one of the greatest ever."
What a great anti-hero. I love that movie.
I like what Mom said about Burgess Meredith, Jack Palance, Alan Arkin, James Whitmore, and Martin Landau. They received the "You're Old So We'll Give You Some Credit Before You Die " award. Seriously, Burgess Meredith???
He stole the show in "Grumpy Old Men." and there are a lot of dirty old men out there.
"Steve McQueen was great, but he's the same guy in every movie."
You kind of have a point there.
"Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor!!!!!!"
He was better in the other two movies I pointed out. Climbing into a fat suit and farting does not equal a great performance.
"Paul Newman in The Hustler and The Color of Money."
I need to see those two movies.
"You do know Julianne Moore is sexier than Jodie Foster, right?"
Oh, yes.
"Jack Nicholson only ever acted in two movies; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Chinatown. In everything else he's just Jack."
Watch About Schmidt again. It's one of the few movies where he doesn't chew the scenery. I have yet to see "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest."
"Bill Nighy is awesome, but not quite."
He stole the show in "Love Actually."
"Bravo Bill Paxton!"
Game over, man. Game over!
"Brad Pitt was better in Seven."
Don't ever dis anything having to do with Fight Club. (but he was pretty good in Seven.)
"Okay Colin, Natalie Portman is not that great. You'll never get her, you're already married. This was your biggest misstep."
She is not on this list because she is attractive (even though she is) but because she is a great actress. "The Professional" and "Beautiful Girls" were some of the best performances I have ever seen by a child actor, and she was unbelievable in "V for Vendetta," which, upon multiple viewings, is still a truly great movie.
"Anybody could have put on those tights and become an icon. Christopher Reeve was a second rate actor who got lucky."
Chris Reeve WAS Superman. He brought a perfect sense of earnestness and innocence to the character that you would expect from Superman. He was so good that Brandon Routh tried to imitate it in "Superman Returns."
"Seth Rogen will have his time, but it's not quite that time yet."
I think so, he's hilarious.
"Gosford Park, aka the cure for insomnia."
The Thin Red Line works for me.
"Kevin Spacey as Keyser Soze. Nothing he's done since that has even come close."
I always thought "The Usual Suspects" was overrated, and I still do.
"Hilary Swank was better in Million Dollar Baby."
I just didn't like the movie that much. Besides, The Next Karate Kid put both of those performances to shame.
"Umm, John Travolta in Pulp Fiction? Do you even watch movies?"
Yes, I do, and "Pulp Fiction" was one of the most influential, and yes, one of the best movies ever made. I just thought Travolta's performance was a little too stylized.
"I know you didn't see it yet, but Christopher Walken was better in The Deer Hunter."
I would like to see that movie at some point, too.
"I'm truly sorry, but Renee Zellweger is not good at what she does. Watch Cinderella Man and cringe."
Renee Zellweger is not a great actress. She had a down-to-earth, girl next door quality that worked for me in "Bridget Jones," one of the few chick movies I can watch without yelling out "Who cares!" I haven't seen Cinderella Man because I heard it wasn't that good.
"Now you also missed a bunch. It's really late, but I'll try to fill in a few blanks. Sylvester Stallone in Rocky. Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross. Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in The Odd Couple. Michael Keaton in Beetlejuice. Robert Preston in The Music Man."
I agree with Stallone, Keaton and Preston. They were all great.
I haven't seen Glenngarry Glen Ross or the Odd Couple.
FINALLY! I was waiting impatiently. I'm still holding fast to my "one role per actor thing," but I'll be open minded here. Anyway...
I'm going to watch About Schmidt again. I do remember liking that movie quite a bit, but I still think Kathy Bates will be remembered for Misery.
Aaron Sorkin is overrated. He writes liberal political stuff sometimes infused with humor. I'd like to see him go outside the box. The best thing he has written was probably Charlie Wilson's War. Which, BTW, had an unforgettable performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Matthew Broderick always seems to have the same mannerisms in every movie he's in. I always see Ferris Bueller because it's hard for him to lose that wide-eyed innocent look he does all to often.
Yeah, I like Face/Off as well, but that is not a movie that should be recognized for its outstanding performances. You thought Travolta was too stylish in Pulp Fiction? Do you really think a subtle approach to a stoner hitman who jams an adrenaline needle into an ODing woman would be the way to go? Sorry, I get very defensive about Pulp Fiction. Especially when you think the acting in Face/Off is better.
I think we need to wait and see about Daniel Craig. No doubt he is awesome, but I think we need more than one movie.
Jerry Maguire gets more cliched and LONGER each time I watch it. I don't think it's held up well, even after just 12 years.
I might even watch Sideways again. Hell, I only bought it because YOU TOLD ME TO.
Those were great Mel lines from Signs, but I still can't call him one of the greatest.
Beverly Hills Cop made Eddie Murphy a star, but it was still just his usual schtick. You watch The Nutty Professor again and try not to sympathize with Sherman when he's getting roasted in the club. The fact that he could do so many different emotional states (between Sherman and Buddy) just shows how immensely talented he is. I don't think he will ever have a role as great as that one. I will tell you though, Dreamgirls came pretty damn close.
Yes, Bill Nighy stole the show in Love Actually, but that does not make it one of the greatest roles ever.
I stand by the fact that Natalie Portman is not that great. And seriously, Beautiful Girls is an unbelievably forgettable and cliched movie. Loved V for Vendetta though!
Yeah, Reeve brought that to the role, but some other unknown could have done the same thing! We'll never know. Don't talk about Brandon Routh, it depresses me.
Glengarry Glen Ross will blow you away. Glad you agree with my other additions there. I think we should also be putting up Heath Ledger as The Joker. I mean, he was the best villain on screen since Hannibal Lecter. Another addition is Robert Shaw from Jaws. No brainer, right? I know I'm alone on this one, but F. Murray Abraham from Amadeus. That may very well be the best role of the 80s. Oh, and anything Bruce Campbell has been in. No one beats Ash.
Robert Shaw is on my list.
I might put Heath Ledger on the list after watching TDK a few more times.
And I just watched Army of Darkness again, and the man, the myth, the legend, Bruce, should be on the list somewhere, if only for being a good guy.
Just a few comments: Steve McQueen is the only actor, living or deceased, who could "not act" and still be the coolest actor on the set.Took it from everybody. Loved Ryan Phillipe in Gosford Park. With the exception of Will Smith in the homage movie "Ali", he Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis will always get me to spend my $$. First saw Jude Law in Mr. Ripley - thought he was much better in Road to Perdition.
Sideways was boring as hell...Wanna see Tom Cruise get blown off the screen, watch The Last Samurai again, Ken Watanabe doesn't need to say a word, just watch his eyes. Loved Don Cheadle in Traffic. Still trying to figure out why Del Toro won the Oscar. I personally did not understand anything he said but better than in the Usual Suspects. Colin, I am really surprised about the movies you haven't seen. This can go on forever which, I am sure, you wanted to do with your blog. I can't think about this anymore. ITS FOOTBALL!!!
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