Thursday, June 19, 2014

Top 10 Unsung Performances in Clint Eastwood Films

Clint Eastwood’s film adaptation of the Broadway hit, Jersey Boys, drops in theaters tomorrow, and as it stars four relative film unknowns, I thought it’d be fun to highlight performances from his films that never earned enough acclaim. Jersey Boys is Eastwood’s 33rd film as a director, so I will undoubtedly leave many worthy performances off this list. Do feel free to share your favorites.

Honorable Mentions
Clint Eastwood and Jessica Walter – Play Misty for Me (1971)
as Dave Garver and Evelyn Draper

Dave Garver is Clint Eastwood doing something he hardly ever does: playing a guy. Not a cowboy, not a crime fighter, not a government agent, just an everyday normal guy. One who is thrown into a circle of madness when his new girlfriend, Evelyn, begins terrorizing him. Play Misty for Me was the first film Eastwood directed, and it deserves to be seen for a number of reasons; Eastwood’s nuance, and Walter’s unhinged mania chief among them.

10. Margo Martindale – Million Dollar Baby (2004) 
as Earline Fitzgerald

Martindale’s performance as Hilary Swank’s repugnant mother in Million Dollar Baby might actually be my favorite performance on this list. The only reason I’m ranking it at number 10 is because, thankfully, her work in the film has received a fair amount of acclaim, including on this blog. Eastwood’s films are full of characters that are beyond redemption, and Earline Fitzgerald is surely one of the best among them.

9. Kevin Chapman – Mystic River (2003) 
as Val Savage

I would’ve bet good money that Kevin Chapman was a blue collar Boston stiff who was cast in Mystic River as an unknown. But I would’ve been wrong. Savage had a career years before Mystic River, and has had I thriving one since. But in this film, he feels so damn authentic, as if he were a reformed con given a chance to act in a movie. That’s the mark of a great character actor.

8. Anna Levine – Unforgiven (1992) 
as Delilah Fitzgerald

Who can forget the disfigured, tortured face of Delilah Fitzgerald? One of my favorite moments in Unforgiven is a tender conversation shared between Delilah and Will Munny (Eastwood), the man being paid to kill the scoundrels who cut Delilah up. Early in their talk, Will insults Delilah, which she accepts with heartbreaking defeat. He later apologizes, but she knows she’s broken, never to be put back together again.

7. Chief Dan George – The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
as Lone Watie

Roger Ebert thought Chief Dan George deserved an Oscar nomination for his work in The Outlaw Josey Wales, and watching the film, it’s easy to see why. George has a unique dignity and a subtle humor that allows him to own all of his scenes. Really, he’s as essential to the film as Eastwood himself.

6. William Holden – Breezy (1973) 
as Frank Harmon

Frank Harmon’s divorced and isolated life is given a sudden resurgence when a younger woman named Breezy (Kay Lenz, also quite good) falls into his life. Much of the fun of this film is watching William Holden embrace his old age while, at the same time, do everything he can to stay young. It’s not nearly as accomplished as his role in Network (hell, are any of his other roles?), but it is very pleasing work all the same.

5. Kazunari Ninomiya – Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) 
as Private First Class Saigo

As an unassuming Japanese baker, Saigo is mortified when he is drafted into World War II. His worries are enhanced when he realizes it is considered honorable for Japanese soldiers to die for their country, a notion Saigo does not believe in. His moral dilemma, set against the backdrop of the unforgiving caves of Iwo Jima, makes for many of the films best moments.

4. Brían F. O’Byrne – Million Dollar Baby (2004) 
as Father Horvak

A great running gag in Million Dollar Baby is the combative rapport Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) has with his priest, Father Horvak. Their brief exchanges give the film some much needed levity, which makes their final, dead serious conversation that much more impactful.

3. Bryce Dallas Howard – Hereafter (2010) 
as Melanie

As a would-be love interest to Matt Damon’s character, Howard is given a big emotional scene in Hereafter that is utterly devastating. I was floored by the strength of Howard’s work, and so impressed that she played most of the scene with her face hidden behind her long, red hair. It’s the kind of moment that can make an entire movie worth it.

2. Adam Beach – Flags of Our Fathers (2006) 
as Ira Hayes

Adam Beach’s performance as Ira Hayes is one of the best portrayals of post-traumatic stress disorder that I’ve ever seen on film. Plagued by images of hell he saw in the war, Hayes lives the rest of his days fogged by drink and guilt. He’s such a gentle, tortured soul, one that Beach plays with haunting command. Certainly, an Oscar nomination should’ve followed this exceptional work.

1. Jason Butler Harner – Changeling (2008) 
as Gordon Northcott

Changeling is a film that moves at its own, purposefully slow pace. Despite a few disturbing set pieces (mainly set inside a psychiatric ward), the film is a patient domestic drama. But then we meet Gordon Northcott, an ice cold psychopath who may have killed upwards of 20 children. The quick evolution of Northcott’s moral decay makes for Changeling’s most brutal moments. In fact, Harner’s final scene in this film is one of the most disturbing things Eastwood has ever directed. Jason Butler Harner deserves to have an illustrious career, but I’ll be amazed if he manages to go deeper than the sunken eyes of Gordon Northcott.

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30 comments:

  1. Oh so glad to see Howard here! She's a wonderful actress and she gets so little love. I thought Hereafter was terrible but it was indeed worth seeing for her scene, she was simply outstanding.

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    1. Hereafter didn't do it for me either. I tried to rewatch it a few months ago but stopped after Howard's big scene. Strange when a rather bad film has such a strong performance in it.

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  2. That's an excellent list while there's several performances in Changeling that I think is overlooked such as Denis O'Hare as the asylum doctor as he played it straight. Another is Michael Kelly as the detective who would uncover the atrocities over what Northcott did as he became one of the few officers that Angelina Jolie can trust.

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    1. Thanks man. The cast of Changeling is uniformly excellent. O'Hare is one of the great character actors and Kelly is such a champ. Also, Donovan as a complete snake. Very solid cast.

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  3. Oh, come on, man, your list rocks, but Martindale really deserves to be on #1. She was incredible in "Million Dollar Baby". I totally hated her character.

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    1. I really wanted to throw her at number 1, but that would've been cheating just a little. After all, it really isn't that unsung of a performance, you know?

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    2. Oh yeah, you're definitely right about that - compared to other performances of this list, she is far from unsung, totally agree. My comment probably had to do with the fact that her work in cinema on the whole is a little unsung. She's so underrated, it's just disappointing considering the fact that she's one of the most phenomenal actresses of her generation. Also, I still think that, though extremely memorable for everyone who saw the film (the contrary would be surprising, since she was such a dominating presence), her performance in Eastwood's film was definitely deserving of more acclaim. Jason Butler Harner is certainly a solid choice for #1 I think. Wow, his performance was so damn powerful. Bryce Dallas Howard would be my #1. She made the most of her character and very few people praised her for her brief, but so unforgettable turn as Melanie.

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    3. Martindale is definitely one of my favorite actresses in the game. I love her in everything - she's always so authentic. And I love hearing your praise for Howard's work in Hereafter. That scene really stunned me.

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  4. First, I love the honorable mention for Play Misty for Me. That's a film I've always thought was underrated.

    Second, when I get around to Best Actor 2006, Kazunari Ninomiya is the first name I'm listing under snubs.

    Third, I can't tell you how happy I am to see Anna Levine on this list.

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    1. Nice man, really happy you like the list. I've always enjoyed Play Misty for Me, would love if more people saw that film. Also, have you seen Levine's current IMDb picture? It looks nothing like her. Crazy.

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  5. I really like BD Howard, but thought Hereafter was so bad I don't even remember her performance. All I can recall is the great tsunami scene at the beginning and Matt Damon moping about. Still a great list, though. Another from Million Dollar Baby I think is unsung is Jay Baruchel's as Danger. Just re-watched it a few days ago (review up soon...this week?), and thought he was great.

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    1. Yeah, Hereafter isn't a good film. But that opening sequence is gut wrenching and Howard is remarkable. Always interesting when such a flawed film has moments of greatness. I too like Baruchel in MDB. He really owned that beating.

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  6. Howard is such an underrated actress. I thought she's one of the best in The Help but probably that's just me.

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    1. No I agree. I didn't like that film, but I appreciated what Howard and Chastain did there.

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  7. Great list, filled with so many brilliant performances. My favourite is definitely Martindale in Million Dollar Baby, she gave in my opinion the best performance of the film. She was also the true best supporting performance in August: Osage County (Julia was a co-lead!!). Howard and Levine are also definitely worthy of mentions.

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    1. Thanks! Martindale and Chris Cooper were my favorite performers in A:OC. That big scene they had together was remarkable, the highlight of the film. I love hearing that you're a fan of her work.

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    2. Yes, Martindale is brilliant! She had the best segment in Paris je t'aime. Going back to Eastwood, isn't it amazing how so many films that you were indifferent towards or didn't particularly like can change an a repeat viewing? Just yesterday, Mystic River was coming on TV so I decided to watch it. I don't remember the film being that brilliant! Definitely my favourite Eastwood film of the 2000s.

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    3. Her role in Paris je t'aime is my favorite performance of hers, and one of my favorite performances of the entire 2000s. So brief, but so very poignant. Really quite remarkable.

      I LOVE when I rewatch a movie I was indifferent toward, and realize its true greatness. Sadly, that doesn't happen to me very much (usually happens the other way around), but it is such a thrill when it does!

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  8. This post just reminded me that I have judged Eastwood on the like four films I've seen that he directed...and the trailers for the films I don't want to see. I need to see a lot more of his work!

    Just not Jersey Boys.

    But your #1 is pitch perfect. Like...how did he not get traction, especially when Jolie was practically a shoo-in all year?

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    1. Yeah man, it was a tough slog making it through all of Eastwood's films last year. Many of them are bad, but there are several standouts. I really dig The Four Seasons, so I'm excited for Jersey Boys. But who knows... Eastwood hasn't made a truly great film since Letters from Iwo Jima.

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  9. Just got to say I love seeing Brían F. O’Byrne here. I've always thought he was a really underrated actor and his performance in MDB is part of what really sells that movie for me (among other things - including Margo Martindale). William Holden is an interesting choice in my opinion. I saw Breezy a few months ago and was somewhat underwhelmed by it but you are 100% correct in saying that Holden and Lenz are both very, very good in the film. I think the reason that film work at all is because of the chemistry of those two performers.

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    1. O’Byrne is one of my favorite characters, really need to dedicate a full post to him. So great in MDB. I agree about Breezy - just a decent film, but their chemistry really sells it.

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  10. Jason Butler Harner is one of my favorite supporting actor performances. I was convinced he deserved a nomination that year - maybe even a little moreso than Jolie for her leading performance.

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    1. I agree, he was the best part of the movie. 2008 was rather poorly represented at the Oscars, in my opinion. Definitely should've been a Harner nomination.

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  11. Well, I could probably go through every Eastwood film and pick someone underrated. That takes way too much time, though. :-)

    I don't disagree with your list, at least for the ones I've seen. I'll just toss out a couple more: Ahney Her as the daughter of the Hmong family next door to Eastwood's character in Gran Torino, and a good performance in a not that good movie - Jeff Daniels in Blood Work. He's probably the most versatile American actor working today. If you haven't done an In Character post on him yet I'd be surprised.

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    1. Her is a great choice, was definitely close to making the cut here. Gran Torino has had a rough ride with me. I used to enjoy it, but when I rewacthed it recently, I found that it doesn't hold up very well.

      Love Daniels, and his work in Blood Work is best part of the movie (well, that and ol' Clint pulling a shotgun out of his trunk and going all Dirty Harry for a few seconds). Here's my In Character post on Daniels if you're interested: http://www.andsoitbeginsfilms.com/2012/05/in-character-jeff-daniels.html

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    2. And I see that I already commented on it. Sorry for not remembering (or maybe I subconsciously did, which is why I said I would be surprised if you had not already done a post on him.)

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    3. Hey man, no apology necessary. I once wrote an In Character piece, and right before I posted it, I realized I had already published one on the same actor two years earlier.

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  12. Wonderful list! I love these, especially your top 5. Seriously great work here man. I must watch Breezy and Play Misty for Me!

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    1. Thanks man! Breezy is just an okay film, but Play Misty for Me is actually pretty great.

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