What's the best performance by an actor and/or actress in a movie?
- Thread starter roosterbell
- Start date
Christian Bale started overacting at an early age. I couldn't stand the kid in Empire of the Sun. A lot of people had to put their necks on the line to keep him alive.
Paul Newman-Cool Hand Luke, Hudsucker Proxy, Nobody's Fool
John Wayne-The Searchers
Frances McDormand-Fargo, Three Billboards Outside Ebbings Missouri
Tom Hardy-The Revenant
Daniel Day Lewis-Anything he has ever been in-Best Actor on the planet IMO
A few personal faves:
Paul Newman - Cool Hand Luke
Edward Woodward - Breaker Morant
Gregory Peck - To Kill a Mockingbird
Gene Hackman - The Conversation
Sissy Spacek - Coal Miner’s Daughter
Daniel Day Lewis - My Left Foot
Paul Newman - Cool Hand Luke
Edward Woodward - Breaker Morant
Gregory Peck - To Kill a Mockingbird
Gene Hackman - The Conversation
Sissy Spacek - Coal Miner’s Daughter
Daniel Day Lewis - My Left Foot
He is one of the best actors of all time. Does whatever the role requires. American Psycho is a classic.
I didn't realize that the young boy was Christian Bale, but I thought his performance was outstanding in that film. Only other film that I have seen starring him is the recent Ford v. Ferrari, and I thought that was a film that was awfully miscast as both leading actors were not believable.
I could give you 3 or 4 Newman movies (Cool Hand Luke, The Verdict, The Hustler) but the best acting he ever did was as a real a$$hole...
The old man in the convenience store was a local and not a real actor from what I was told. The Coens tried to use as many locals as possible in the movie.
I agree with George C. Scott as Patton. My uncle served as an officer in Patton’s army and said it was spot on except Patton had a higher pitched voice.
I would include:
Clint Eastwood: Outlaw Josey Wales and Unforgiven
Robert Duvall: Tender Mercies and Lonesome Dove
Tommy Lee Jones: No Country For Old Men and Fugitive
Robert De Niro: Godfather II
Al Pacino: Both Godfather movies and Dog Day Afternoon
Paul Newman: Almost all of his movies but particularly Hud
Robert Redford: The Natural/ Three Days of the Condor and his Newman movies
Samuel L. Jackson: Pulp Fiction
Jack Lemmon: Some Like it Hot
Jimmy Stewart: It’s a Wonderful Life/Harvey/Anatomy of a Murder
John Wayne: The Quiet Man
Philip Seymour Hoffman: Any movie but particularly Capote
Brad Pitt: Fight Club and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Dustin Hoffman: Rain Man and Marathon Man
Jack Nicholson: A Few Good Men and One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest
I would include:
Clint Eastwood: Outlaw Josey Wales and Unforgiven
Robert Duvall: Tender Mercies and Lonesome Dove
Tommy Lee Jones: No Country For Old Men and Fugitive
Robert De Niro: Godfather II
Al Pacino: Both Godfather movies and Dog Day Afternoon
Paul Newman: Almost all of his movies but particularly Hud
Robert Redford: The Natural/ Three Days of the Condor and his Newman movies
Samuel L. Jackson: Pulp Fiction
Jack Lemmon: Some Like it Hot
Jimmy Stewart: It’s a Wonderful Life/Harvey/Anatomy of a Murder
John Wayne: The Quiet Man
Philip Seymour Hoffman: Any movie but particularly Capote
Brad Pitt: Fight Club and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Dustin Hoffman: Rain Man and Marathon Man
Jack Nicholson: A Few Good Men and One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest
That's pretty strong right there! Some really good ones already mentioned anything Paul Newman, but The Verdict stands out to me, The Hustler, Somebody up there likes me, Cool Hand Luke, lots of good ones. Can't believe no Steve McQueen, Papillon, Bullitt, The Getaway and Sand Pebbles. Nicole Kidman The Hours.
Ken Watanabe? He was excellent in that movie. Most of the actors were. I just couldn't get behind Tom Cruise as the lead though. He wasn't great, and it was doubly problematic since it was another "great white hero" movie.
What I want to know is, "who is Bob Considine?"I could give you 3 or 4 Newman movies (Cool Hand Luke, The Verdict, The Hustler) but the best acting he ever did was as a real a$$hole...
Correct, he's a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude.
Jack Nicholson/Helen Hunt - As Good as it Gets
Holly Hunter/Albert Brooks - Broadcast News
Faye Dunaway/Warren Beaty- Bonnie and Clyde
Julia Roberts/Richard Gere - Pretty Woman
Tom Hanks/Robin Wright- Forrest Gump
John Travolta/ Olivia Newton John- Grease
Russel Crowe - in anything
Jodie Foster/Anthony Hopkins- Silence of the Lambs
Gene Wilder- Young Frankenstein
Leslie Nielsen- Police Squad
Almost said Tom Hanks and Wilson in Castaway but left them off the list but DID YOU KNOW that Wilson in Castaway was the same actor that appeared in the Volleyball scene in Top Gun?
This was the one I was going to add that I hadn't seen yet. So I'll add a different one:
Michael Clarke Duncan as John Coffey in The Green Mile.
Everyone in that movie did a great job. Just fantastic all around. The fact that the screenplay was good certainly helps.
As many times as Daniel Day Lewis has been mentioned here, it's pretty obvious that he's a strong candidate for the best actor of our time. Personally, I think his strongest performance was in My Left Foot, but his performances in Lincoln, Gangs of New York, and There Will be Blood are all in the elite category.
Another contender for that title is Tom Hanks. Forrest Gump was my favorite, but he hits home runs with almost everything he touches. The most memorable acting roles are usually bad guys or wackos, but Hanks does good-guy roles better than anybody.
A "sleeper" third contender is Gary Oldman. From Bram Stoker's Drcula, to The Professional, to playing Winston Churchill in The Darkest Hour, Oldman has significant range.
Some other notables:
Billy Bob Thornton: Sling Blade
Robert Duvall: Lonesome Dove (mini-series)
Paul Giamatte: John Adams (mini-series)
Charlize Theron: Monster
Jack Nicholson: A Few Good Men and The Shining
Brad Pitt: Snatch
Anthony Hopkins: Silence of the Lambs and The Two Popes
Jimmy Stewart: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
John Wayne: True Grit
Alan Rickman: Die Hard
Kathy Bates: Misery and The Waterboy
Another contender for that title is Tom Hanks. Forrest Gump was my favorite, but he hits home runs with almost everything he touches. The most memorable acting roles are usually bad guys or wackos, but Hanks does good-guy roles better than anybody.
A "sleeper" third contender is Gary Oldman. From Bram Stoker's Drcula, to The Professional, to playing Winston Churchill in The Darkest Hour, Oldman has significant range.
Some other notables:
Billy Bob Thornton: Sling Blade
Robert Duvall: Lonesome Dove (mini-series)
Paul Giamatte: John Adams (mini-series)
Charlize Theron: Monster
Jack Nicholson: A Few Good Men and The Shining
Brad Pitt: Snatch
Anthony Hopkins: Silence of the Lambs and The Two Popes
Jimmy Stewart: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
John Wayne: True Grit
Alan Rickman: Die Hard
Kathy Bates: Misery and The Waterboy
This will be unpopular with some here. But I'll take Tom Hanks any day over Lewis. Lewis just comes across as overly pretentious and only does the "Oscar bait" movies that -- to me -- are often overrated as hell. Particularly Gangs of New York and There Will Be Blood. Yeah, I said it.
Tom Hanks isn't scared to do things like the Toy Story series and guest spots on SNL. He also comes across as so unassuming and relatable. Oh, and also has some Oscars of his own.
This is not to say that Lewis isn't a good actor. He clearly is. But for me, Hanks is just as good, if not better.
Totally agree with you. Thought TWBB was a waste of time and didn't get all the hoopla about it.
Was watching first few minutes of GONY yesterday and just couldn't get into it but told myself maybe it will get better so tks for your review won't even bother watching anymore of it. Will delete.
Have to agree that body of work goes to Tom Hanks. The guy has put out top-notch performances for decades now and doesn't seem to be letting up in the least. I just looked at his filmography on IMDB and was shocked remembering all the amazing movies he has carried. A lot of actors have their peaks and then drop off - he seems to have plateaued at his highest point.
Downfall was great there were a lot of great performances in that movie. The secretary was really good and the guy that played Joseph Goebbels was great. Love that movie
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