In Character: Chris Cooper

I suppose I never fully realized how sensitive Chris Cooper is. He has that tough exterior. That baritone southern voice, that slow walk, that blue collar intimidation. But after choosing his best roles, I discovered that much of Cooper’s finest work has been captured through men of great sensitivity. They may not be the most upfront with their compassion, but they long to be understood. He’s a paradox, really. One that I’m continually captivated by.

Five Essential Roles

Lone Star (1996)

Sam

John Sayles’ Lone Star is some kind of quasi Citizen Kane, but instead of a reporter trying to figure out who a rich businessman was, Lone Star is about a son trying to discover the father he never really knew.

After Sam, a small town Texas sheriff, discovers a decades-old skeleton, the lab soon reports that it could be the body of the town’s old lawman. A lawman that Sam’s father (a former sheriff of the town, now deceased) may or may not have killed. Knowing this, Sam goes around town talking to old timers who knew and respected his old man. He gains perspective, becoming more respectful (and, at times, resentful) of his father. Lone Star was one of Cooper’s first (and still, only) leading roles, and he tackles Sayles’ great and complex material with vulnerability and compassion.

Great Expectations (1998)

Joe

It’s all about that New York gala. Soon after Cooper crashes Ethan Hawke’s first big art show, the scene develops into what may be the most gut wrenching moment of Cooper’s career. Joe shows up as himself: loud, excited, unexpected, and quickly embarrasses Hawke’s modest-turned-snobby Finn. After Finn expresses his distaste for Joe’s arrival, Joe quickly sinks in humiliation. As Joe leaves the gala, he and Finn talk outside, delivering the film’s most poignant moment.

It brings tears to my eyes to watch Cooper in this scene. Trying to make up excuses as to why he has to leave, his eyes glossed over in shame, his voice cracking on every word. It just kills me.

October Sky (1999)

John Hickam

John Hickam is the type of fiery performance Chris Cooper can take full command of. He’s a worker. A miner. His life is routine, his paycheck is steady, and his only hope is that his sons grow up to play football, or follow in his footsteps. But Homer Hickam (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a dreamer, not suited for the mine. Homer’s aspirations infuriate John, who nearly comes off as villain, were it not for Cooper’s humanistic sensibilities.

John isn’t a bad guy, he just believes life to be one way. My point is, whether he’s arguing ceaselessly with Homer, berating his employees, or saving Homer’s friend from a domestic attack, Cooper makes John real. And still, I’m most drawn to the film’s conclusion, when John is literally there for Homer for the first time in his son’s life. All without saying a word. He showed up… what more is there to say?

Adaptation. (2002)

John Laroche

Remember Cooper’s “Fuck fish” scene from Adaptation? Where he describes how he was once deeply, profoundly in love with tropical fish? Then one day, out of nowhere, he renounced fish. Why? Because he was done with fish.

Anyone who’s ever loved something (or loved doing something) only to randomly lose that insatiable desire to do that thing can understand what Laroche is talking about here. That scene often gets laughs, mostly because of Cooper’s indifferent delivery, but it certainly isn’t funny to me. Cooper does many impressive things as Laroche, but that scene will forever haunt me.

Breach (2007)

Robert Hanssen

Robert Hanssen was a veteran FBI agent who acted as a spy for the Soviet Union for decades. He’s a guy who sold secrets that led to the deaths of Americans, but was able to clock in as an officer of the law day in and day out, void of guilt. A guy suspected of sexual deviancy, but smiled politely every Sunday in church, wife and kids by his side. A man of many contradictions, and one that Cooper fleshes out remarkably in Breach.

It’s a tough role. Show your true evil, and the audience will rally against you. Hold enough back, and we’ll support you. Neither of those would make for a very compelling film, so it was Cooper’s job to find the balance between the two. We’re never really sure how to feel about Robert Hanssen, up until the film’s final scene, in which he stands defeated, eyes swollen, praying for forgiveness.

The Best of the Best

American Beauty (1999)

Col. Frank Fits, U.S. Marine Corps

By now, Chris Cooper has proved he’s an actor who can capture the inner torment of a human enigma perfectly. So many of his best roles depend on him showing us one thing, but meaning something else. Cooper’s characters often hide their true intentions, making their inevitable reveal that much more startling. But in 1999, not many people knew Cooper had this skill. We weren’t aware that he could deceive us with intimidation – with parental torment, bullying, and hatred – only to fool us in the end.

But that is the power of Col. Frank Fits, a career military man who bases his life on structure and discipline. Who rarely lets his guard down and exposes his true self. He’s Cooper’s finest, most fully realized enigma yet. One that never ceases to stun me; standing the rain, crying, squeezing Kevin Spacey’s back for comfort. I’ve always wondered what happened to Col. Frank Fits. Maybe he got caught, maybe he got away with it, or maybe he’s still trapped on his living room couch, pretending not to laugh as his son walks through the door.

Other Notable Roles

In Seabiscuit

Matewan (1987)

Guilty by Suspicion (1991)

This Boy's Life (1993)

Money Train (1995)

Boys (1996)

A Time to Kill (1996)

The Horse Whisperer (1998)

Me, Myself & Irene (2000)

The Patriot (2000)

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Seabiscuit (2003)

Silver City (2004)

Capote (2005)

Syriana (2005)

Married Life (2007)

New York, I Love You (2008)

Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

The Town (2010)

The Company Men (2010)

The Company You Keep (2012)

August: Osage County (2013)