The Best and Worst in Film- a discussion of the past 15 years

Oh PAD tell me what you think of The Shipping News. Personally, I thought the movie on a whole was pretty good, but Cate... wow, she was PHENOMINAL in that film!

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Thank you Rouge1-and-a-Half, that's it.

Also add, Winona Ryder to the list (ducking from the rotten veggies people are throwing my way). Seriously people, she's one of our most underrated actresses. She has that old-fashioned presence that just fills up the screen. Her May Welland in Age of Innocence has me screaming "You passive-agressive b----!" at the screen every time. Add to that, her work in Heathers, The Crucible, Beetlejuice. She hasn't done much work lately and it's a shame that people don't use her much considering that other less talented people continue to get work (I'm looking at you, Julia Roberts).

Oh...and just wanted to add, "Free Winona!" That's it , yeah!

 

Lot of little comments to make:

Cate Blanchett was the most amazing, INFURIATING, but ultimately sympathetic ditz in The Talented Mr. Ripley.

She played a perfect "ditz." I actually wanted to slap some sense into her a few times in that film, and then felt guilty because I love her so much.

She was good in MR but frankly I though Ewan was better than her.

I agree to some extent that Ewan was the scene-stealer in that film. If it was a perfect world Ewan would have been nomminated for his performance and Nicole would have been nomminated for The Others instead of for Moulin Rouge (which is by no means a slight against her excellent portrayal of Satine).

you're thinking of To Die For...

Yes, and she certianly is.

My Belle Dame sans Merci has gone away.

I'm sorry to hear that, Rogue. If it's any consilation, I'm in a similar situation. So much so that I was inspired to make a short-film based on that poem. Oh, these soggy Autumn days...

Oh PAD tell me what you think of The Shipping News

I'll be sure to do that when I get to it.

Add to that, her work in Heathers, The Crucible, Beetlejuice.

Coincidentaly, I rented Heathers as well.

~PAd

 

Like the actor ones, I think this next list is more "Not good/not well liked"... I personally haven't seen any of these ladies really. Except Julia Roberts, who I think is not great, but she's certainly not horrible.

Worst Actress, Drama

1. Penelope Cruz

2. Julia Roberts

3. Madonna

4. Mariah Carey

5. Demi Moore

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Worst Actress, Drama

1. Penelope Cruz

2. Julia Roberts

3. Madonna

4. Mariah Carey

5. Demi Moore


I agree with PC, but Madonna and Mariah aren't really actresses, just singers who've been in movies. They don't really belong here. Julia Roberts is a very good actress. Very overrated, but very good. Demi Moore isn't a bad actress either.

How is Denise Richards not on this list?

 

Because Denise Richards isn't even an actress

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Penelope Cruz = Gonzo. 'Nuff said.

~PAd

 

Julia Roberts isn't great and she's certainly not the Goddess everyone makes her out to be, but she's not bad enough to be on this list. She was good in Sleeping with the Enemy.

I've got to agree with my esteemed colleague regarding Mariah Carey and Madonna. Carey for sure, doesn't qualify. How many movies? One? Hardly basis for calling her an actress.

I've not seen Cruz enough to judge.

Moore gets a lot of flak, but she's not that bad. She was fine in Ghost and I'd call her good in A Few Good Men.

How is Julia Ormond not on this list? That Godawful film where she attempted to sub for Audrey Hepburn alone should have gotten her shot in the back of the head . . .

 

why does english=scary, i swear if i see another kid with an english accent in a horror movie i'm going to flip out

 

Darth-Schwartz hee, and bwah.
Word on Julia Ormond Rogue1-and-a-half

Julia Roberts does not belong on that list. There are many more far worse actresses that are deserving. What we have here, I think, is backlash resulting from her media oversaturation and her ....aaahhhh...colorful personal life. However, there was a very insightful book written back in the 60's (forgot the author) touching on the differences between "star", "actress" and "role". He states that the "actress" brings her innate qualities to the role (physical beauty, diction, likability, etc.) and the "role" reciprocally bestows upon the actress its own larger-than-life qualities of heroism, sexiness, outrageousness, etc. Out of the composite of these two arise the projected image of the "star". Julia Roberts might have crossed over to the point where Julia-the-star essentially overshadows both the actress and the role in any movie and by that reckoning she might have ceased to be an actress. Example Notting Hill, where she plays, surprise, a megastar with feelings. I for one find that hardly sympathetic. C'mon, Julia. You're thin, you're pretty, you're rich, you have a cute guy who loves you - what exactly is the problem?

Overall, I find I disagree with the Worst Actress list as a whole because, sadly, they do not even represent the nadir of bad acting. For that, one must look to Elizabeth Berkeley in Showgirls. I got the DVD on sale for $10. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. She's like an octopus in electroshock therapy, hyperkinetic arms flailing, damaging innocent civilians, cars, and ketchup bottles.

I'd nominate Dana Delany to this list too. I find her tv work acceptable but overly stiff and mannered in movies. She was horribly miscast in Exit to Eden. She was incredibly stiff and lost in Light Sleeper especially in scenes against William Dafoe.

Hmmm...maybe tv actors don't fare well when transferring to the movie medium. Something to mull over.

 

Best Actor, Comedy


1. Jim Carrey

2. Ben Stiller

3. Robin Williams

4. John Cusack

5. Tom Hanks

thoughts later

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Thoughts on Blanchett in The Shipping News:

Wow, if you would have asked me before I saw the film I wouldn't have thought she had that performance in her. I mean, some of the delivery yes, but the character no. It was fun seeing a dignified lady act like a total tramp (and that's putting it nicely ). I'm a little sore about her getting so little screen time, however. I think that if the character was written with a larger role, she would have snagged another oscar nommination.

~PAd

 

See PAD I told you! I totally hate Petal! And I can just not see any of Cate in her. It's such an amazing performance. I too thought she should have had much more time in the film (but it was based on the book, and she's not a major character there either ). She was probably my favourite thing about the film (though I am a little fond of Quoyle )

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Hmm, regarding the comedy list, I have to disagree. Williams should be at the top in my opinion.

Carrey was great in Liar, Liar especially, but on the whole his schtick gets annoying. The only film he's yet shown any depth in is The Truman Show, another great one.

Compare that to Williams who has given us amazingly real yet funny turns in films like Good Morning, Vietnam and, to a lesser degree, Mrs. Doubtfire, and The Birdcage. His cameo in Hamlet was beautiful and his voicework in Aladdin was amazing. . .

Ben Stiller has been good in everything I've ever seen him in. So far no real clunkers, far as I know . . .

Tom Hanks is an odd pick. When was his last comedy? Forrest Gump for which he shouldn't have won the Oscar? Not counting the Toy Story films, that is, which probably shouldn't be counted. Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail are marginal comedies but his performances didn't reach the heights of hilarity of some. Turner and Hooch and Big are the only really funny movies in the time period. Shouldn't be here.

Where the heck, I'm wondering is Bill Murray, so fantastic in Groundhog Day, What About Bob?, Scrooged, Kingpin, and The Man Who Knew Too Little?

And where's Steve Martin who did the best job anyone could have of updating Spencer Tracy's character in The Father of the Bride films, and gave sterling performances in A Simple Twist of Fate, Roxeanne, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Sgt. Bilko, Bowfinger, The Out of Towners, House Sitter and Leap of Faith? To say Martin isn't one of the top comedians of the last fifteen years is akin to saying that the Marx Brothers weren't top in the thirties or that Jimmy Stewart isn't one of the top actors of all time. It's just wrong and it's not true.

 

At least Chevy Chase isn't in the list!

Robin Williams' great films are perfectly balanced against his awful films (preserving the natural harmony of the universe) so I'm glad to see he is not at the top.

I would have added Mike Myers to the list myself.

 

Where the heck, I'm wondering is Bill Murray, so fantastic in Groundhog Day, What About Bob?, Scrooged, Kingpin, and The Man Who Knew Too Little?

Let's not forget Rushmore, which, to me , is Murray's best work since Ghostbusters.

 

Yes, and Murray was great in The Royal Tennenbaums, I thought.

Sorry I've been out of town. Next list coming.


Worst Actor, Comedy


1. Tom Green

2. Adam Sandler

3. Jim Carrey

4. Freddie Prinze Jr.

5. Pauley Shore

I agree with this list save for Jim Carrey. I actually really like Carrey, especially in semi-serious work like Liar, Liar and The Truman Show.

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Er, yes, Carrey is not one of the five worst comedy actors of the past fifteen years.

He was fantastic in Liar, Liar, The Truman Show and Dumb and Dumber.

Tom Green--check.

Adam Sandler--er, he was actually really good in The Wedding Singer. Wish he'd do another one like that. Other than that, yeah, check.

Freddie Prinze, Jr.--never seen him in a comedy, actually.

Pauley Shore--er, check, though I only watched the first five minutes of Bio-Dome.

I'd replace Carrey with maybe Randy Quaid who's schtick is getting really old and wasn't that funny to begin with.

 

Based on the last 15 years, I would include Mel Brooks on the list. Also, the supremely unfunny Roberto Benigni.

 

Like that SNL skit where "Roberto" does stuff like cutting random people's arm's off, and everyone thinks it's hysterical? Yeah I don't think he's that funny...

Best Actress, Comedy

1. Julia Roberts

2. Renee Zellweger

3. Cameron Diaz

4. Meg Ryan

5. Sandra Bullock


-sj loves kevin spacey

 

the scorpion king has to be one of the worst movies of all time.

 

Hmm, is it just me or are there really no great comedic actresses? Zellweger is supposed to be good, but I've not seen her in much.

Bullock earns a place on the basis of Miss Congeniality alone, other than that, she's pretty darn flat a lot of the time.

Roberts--no.

Ryan--yeah, I'll allow this one.

Where's Helen Hunt who was so darn good in As Good As It Gets?

 

I agree, Rogue. There aren't really any big comedic actresses in film these days. Nor have there ever really been a lot of them, actually...

-sb loves john doe

 

Yeah, there never were a lot, but there used to be some really good ones. Everyone thinks of Katherine Hepburn and with good reason, but Myrna Loy was equally hilarious when she wanted to be. Irene Dunne and Paulette Goddard get honorable mentions. Margeret Dumont was as much a part of the Marx Brothers as Groucho was and Thelma Todd could hold her own against the three of them as well, which is really saying something.

That's all I can think of now . . .

 

Ha, ok, well this list just shows how fickle the public is, compared to the previous list:

Worst Actress, Comedy


1. Meg Ryan

2. Julia Roberts

3. Cameron Diaz

4. Mariah Carey

5. Sandra Bullock

-sb loves john doe