In Character: Michael Keaton

If I was compelled to make a list of my favorite actors of all time, Michael Keaton would rank high among them. There’s something about him – an everyman quality, a subtle intensity, a pitch black sense of humor – that I’ve always loved. He’s had roles in all types of films, from the classic to the dreadful, and no matter the material, he consistently delivers notable performances. As he currently rides high from his towering work in Birdman, I thought it be fun to take a look back at the best roles of one of our finest actors.

Five Six Essential Roles

Night Shift (1982)

Bill “Blaze” Blazejowski

Keaton’s first prominent film role was as the hilarious morgue worker-turned-pimp,

Bill “Blaze” Blazejowski. Chuck Lumley (Henry Winkler) chooses to carry out his duties as a night shift worker at a New York City morgue in his typically solemn way. But his new colleague, Blaze, is here to have fun. He’s loud, goofy, and, as it turns out, a perfectly adept entrepreneur. Shortly after coming on at the morgue, Blaze has the idea to turn the morgue into a make-shift brothel. He runs the idea by the business savvy Chuck, and hilarity quickly ensues.

Blaze asserted Keaton as a comedic force, but upon rewatching the film for this post, I found myself oddly taken with Keaton’s quiet moments in the film. Blaze’s monologue about his father, for instance, is a signature scene of Keaton’s career. Blaze will always be known for his silliness, but there’s a lot more going on here than surface farce.

Mr. Mom (1983)

Jack Butler

After Jack gets laid off, he becomes a stay-at-home dad while his wife’s career in advertising flourishes. It’s a simple concept executed smartly in Mr. Mom. I appreciate this film for a number of reasons, Keaton’s hysterical turn, chiefly, but also because the movie has a lot of interesting things to say about the husband/wife and father/mother dynamic. This is a role reversal we’ve seen plenty of times on film – men “forced” to take the mother role, the wife role, the caretaker role. But seldom are those performances as accomplished as Keaton’s work here. Plus, rarely has Keaton’s comedic timing been so insanely on point.  

“Yeah, 220, 221. Whatever it takes.”

Need I say more?

Beetlejuice (1988)

Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice was one of my favorite movies as a kid; something I watched on repeat, constantly in awe of its macabre world. I was so transfixed by the character at the center of the film, a filthy and crude madman named Beetlejuice. It wasn’t until years later that I realized Beetlejuice isn’t even in the film that much. The movie is 92 minutes long, and the title character appears in less than 18 of them. Yet there’s no denying that the movie is Michael Keaton’s. He completely lost himself in this character – the animated mannerisms, the caked-on make-up and a voice that words can’t even describe. There is no end to the appreciation I have for Keaton’s work in this film.

Clean and Sober (1988)

Daryl Poynter

It’s kind of remarkable that Keaton delivered arguably his best comedy role and one of his great dramatic performances in the same year. Daryl is a successful businessman with a nasty dependency on cocaine. After he gets into trouble embezzling thousands from his company, and supplying blow to a woman who overdoses, Daryl decides to admit himself to a drug rehabilitation facility. He doesn’t enter treatment for help (his denial is still far too strong), but to simply lay low for a while. Eventually, Daryl gives in to the program, but he soon realizes that his problems are far from over.

Clean and Sober is one of my favorite films about addiction. It’s an honest portrayal of a dreadful disease; a film void of hyperbolic sentiment and manipulative turmoil. Keaton made Daryl exist. You may not like him, but you won’t exactly hate him. Either way, you won’t deny that the man feels real.

Batman (1989)

Bruce Wayne

While Christian Bale gets my vote as the best Batman, Michael Keaton will always be my favorite Bruce Wayne. He inhabited the persona of an aloof billionaire with such effortlessness. This is why my favorite scene in Tim Burton’s Batman has always been the initial interaction between Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) and Bruce Wayne. The moment occurs during a casino charity night Bruce his hosting at his mansion. Vicki walks off with her colleague, Alexander Knox (Robert Wuhl), and they soon stumble on a large room with life-sized war uniforms on display. Vicki and Knox playfully mock the extravagance of the items, completely unaware that Bruce is standing right behind them. Bruce finally chimes in: “Oh, sorry, Bruce Wayne,” Keaton eases out with perfect confidence. I love the way Bruce gives Vicki his full, intense and undivided attention, laughing off Knox whenever he chimes in. And watch how Keaton so drastically changes his entire body language whenever a new butler walks into the room. It’s priceless.

This scene embodies who Bruce Wayne is. Sharp and witty, a little entitled, mostly uncomfortable. Of course, Keaton was superb when he donned the Batman suit as well, but there was a specificity to his work as Bruce Wayne that I’ve always been drawn to.

Jackie Brown (1997)/Out of Sight (1998)

Ray Nicolette

It may not seem like a big deal that Michael Keaton appears as the same character in both Jackie Brown and Out of Sight, but let me put it into context. Aside from both being based on books by Elmore Leonard, these films have nothing in common. They were developed by different people, helmed by different directors, financed and distributed by different studios/production companies, and are not a part of any franchise. It’s actually quite groundbreaking that Keaton even appeared in both films and, of course, it doesn’t hurt that he’s damn good in them too.

It’s difficult to decide which Ray I like better: the hard-on cop who adjusts his package in interrogation rooms in Jackie Brown, or the kucklehead who shows up to his girlfriend’s house wearing an “FBI” tee-shirt in Out of Sight. I suppose the edge has to go to Jackie Brown, only because Keaton is given more to do. But either way, I’m so thankful Miramax and Universal agreed to put egos aside and allow such a talented actor to break cinematic ground.

The Best of the Best

Birdman (2014)

Riggan Thomson

Riggan Thomson is the one. For my money, this is simply inarguable. When I sat in Birdman last week, watching and marveling at its technical proficiency, I kept hoping that Keaton wouldn’t stray. That he wouldn’t push too far, making Riggan a caricature, or hold too much back, making him obsolete. Through some means of miraculous transformation, Keaton manages to keep Riggan perfectly balanced. He’s an absurd man with wild delusions, but a continually compelling figure. I hadn’t the slightest clue where Riggan Thomson was taking me, but I couldn’t wait to discover more of his journey.

Birdman couldn’t have been an easy film to make. Alejandro González Iñárritu is a notoriously demanding director, and the film’s unique shooting style would’ve been deeply challenging to navigate through. Despite this, Keaton gave himself over to the material, and Iñárritu’s vision, and delivered a tour-de-force performance that will remain one of his crowning achievements. I’m hesitant to reveal more, as Birdman has not received a wide release yet, but when and if this film comes your way, my advice is that you see it immediately. It’s still a little early to call, but I can’t imagine another male actor turning out a better lead performance this year. Keaton’s still got it, and if Birdman is any indication, he certainly isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Other Notable Roles

in The Other Guys

Johnny Dangerously (1984)

Gung Ho (1986)

Touch and Go (1986)

The Squeeze (1987)

The Dream Team (1989)

Pacific Heights (1990)

One Good Cop (1991)

Batman Returns (1992)

Much Ado About Nothing (1993)

My Life (1993)

The Paper (1994)

Speechless (1994)

Multiplicity (1996)

Inviting the Abbotts (1997)

Desperate Measures (1998)

Jack Frost (1998)

Live from Baghdad (2003)

First Daughter (2004)

White Noise (2005)

Game 6 (2005)

The Merry Gentleman (2008)

Toy Story 3 (2010)

The Other Guys (2010)
30 Rock (2011)

RoboCop (2014)

  

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