The Pantheon of Master Thespians

So tonight we sat down to watch yet another film from our friends at Netflix. Tonight's feast was the Grisham classic Runaway Jury, which is a fine film starring several fine actors. I was a bit upset because I had made an earnest attempt to cancel delivery of this movie due to the fact that I purchased it last week.

My wife was shocked to hear that I'd purchased it because I hadn't seen it before, and usually I only buy a movie that I know I like. When she asked me why I bought it, my answer was simple. "John Cusack's in it. I trust him. Nothing he does sucks."

So, strange tonight as I watched the movie, I ended up focussing on Gene Hackman. For the last hour I've been picking my brain, trying to remember a Hackman performance I didn't like, and I just can't do it.

And then I started thinking of other actors who were or weren't worth watching consistently, and now I'm blowing a half an hour sharing with you.

So, tonight, I list for you my
Pantheon of Master Thespians.

The ground rules:

1. Agism is allowed. I don't have to rank Erroll Flynn or Cary Grant just because my father's father liked them. I'm only listing people who I like. Your pantheon may be different, but it also likely sucks.
2. You're not allowed if all you play is yourself. Tommy Lee Jones, despite the wide variety of characters he's played (agent for secret government agency monitoring aliens; agent for government agency hunting a fleeing doctor; agent for a government agency tracking down Benicio Del Toro), he always basically plays Tommy Lee Jones. He's the same guy in the movie that he is in the Will Rogers ad playing during the previews where he is supposed to actually pretend to be himself. Al Pacino fits in the same mold. Sorry.

So, with the rules laid out, we begin. These, by the way, aren't necessarily in order.

1. Robert De Niro: Actually, he is at the top of the list. Despite some poor movie decisions over his career, how can you dispute the master of method acting? The prime examples of his expert skill are Raging Bull, Cape Fear, and The Untouchables. And, despite my bit about Pacino above, was there anything better than that scene in Heat where you finally had these two dynamos going at it, face to face, in the diner? (See Bill Simmons' discussion of that scene in his ESPN Page 2 Mailbag. The answer is, of course, no...)

2. John Cusack: On sober reflection, the one actor who's every film I'd go see just because he seems to care about his product. Starting out in quirky off-beat teen comedies such as The Sure Thing and Better off Dead, Cusack's breakout performance came in the role of Lloyd Dobler, the lovable but uninspired wannabe-kickboxer who woos the rich girl in the movie Say Anything.... My personal favorite Cusack flick is Grosse Pointe Blank, which never stops making me chuckle.

3. Bill Murray: You never would have guessed watching Meatballs that this guy would actually end up being a great actor. But after his performances in Rushmore and Lost in Translation, there's no doubt in my mind that he's learned to be more than just hilarious.

4. Matthew Broderick: Four words: Ferris Bueller's Day Off. 'Nuff said.

5. Morgan Freeman: Not only is this guy prolific (4 movies in post-production and 2 currently in production at this very moment!), but he never, never mails it in. This guy is awesome.

So what happened to Gene Hackman? Well, I was going to list him, but The Missus claims he fails under rule 2 (I'm not sure I agree; Henry Zimm was a different character for him) and I have to at least pretend to respect her opinion.

Your thoughts are welcome on this topic.

In celebration of Le Blogue's new home, which is better than it's old home, I'll be offering some delightful photos from time to time since I'm no longer eating up my own memory. This blog may actually get interesting after all.

Well, that's all for now. No links 'cuz it's getting late. But eventually I'll put something funny up.

Oh, wait, saw this today and couldn't stop laughing. I don't see nearly enough of these cases.

Portland's mustache competition? Now I've seen everything...

Play Panda Golf!

Enough already! I'm supposed to be going to bed.

Catch ya later.