2022. 8. 1. 21:03ㆍ■ 문화 예술/영화 이야기
Underrated Movies Starring A Flash-In-The-Pan Movie Star (msn.com)
Underrated Movies Starring A Flash-In-The-Pan Movie Star
The order of this list was determined by 3,526 votes on Ranker.com. The term "flash-in-the-pan" has a negative connotation, but it also accurately describes an occasional Hollywood phenomenon. Every so often, an actor becomes a big deal for a moment, only
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Underrated Movies Starring A Flash-In-The-Pan Movie Star
Underrated Movies Starring A Flash-In-The-Pan Movie Star
The order of this list was determined by 3,526 votes on Ranker.com.
The term "flash-in-the-pan" has a negative connotation, but it also accurately describes an occasional Hollywood phenomenon. Every so often, an actor becomes a big deal for a moment, only to have that moment quickly pass. This is not to say that it's their fault or that there's something inadequate about them. On the contrary, many of them are extremely talented and go on to do tons of fine work. They just don't hold on to that elusive quality of being a bankable above-the-title star. That this happens speaks far more to the overall difficulty of maintaining A-list status than it does to the abilities of the performers.
The following underrated movies indicate just how strong "flash-in-the-pan" actors can be. Each film shows the actor in a good light, giving a terrific performance in a compelling story. The reasons these films either didn't get enough notice or saw their popularity fade are varied. Regardless, they are entertaining enough to merit a rediscovery. It can be easy to mock a performer for not achieving or holding on to superstar status. Take a look at these movies, though, and you'll be reminded that skill and creativity far outweigh box-office performance.
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'Blast from the Past' (Alicia Silverstone)
You couldn't ask for a bigger breakout than Alicia Silverstone had. Clueless, the 1995 teen comedy in which she plays fashion-obsessed Los Angeles teen Cher Horowitz, was a huge hit and has gone on to become a certified teen classic. Her performance is charming, intelligent, and deeply funny. Imagining anyone else in that role is impossible. Silverstone became the proverbial Next Big Thing, but had trouble finding a character that connected with audiences the way Cher did. The actress tried to take on a more mature role with the self-produced Excess Baggage, but that proved to be a commercial flop. Playing Batgirl seemed like a smart idea, until Batman & Robin became the most widely derided Dark Knight movie of them all.
The irony is that Silverstone did lots of great work nonetheless. Blast from the Past is a perfect example. This 1999 comedy stars Brendan Fraser as Adam, a guy who was locked into an underground fallout shelter since he was a child. Freed decades later, he has to learn to adapt to a world that's very foreign to him. Silverstone is appealing as Eve, the pretty-but-uptight baseball card expert who falls in love with Adam, helping him acclimate to life above ground. Perhaps because the premise was slightly offbeat, the studio had a hard time selling the movie to mass audiences, despite two big-name stars in the leading roles. The predicaments Adam and Eve (get it?) find themselves in are often very funny, and Blast from the Past has some keen insights into how America changed between the '60s and the '90s.
3/16 SLIDES © Buena Vista Pictures
'Encino Man' (Pauly Shore)
Pauly Shore's career as a comedian hit new heights when he became an MTV VJ. He was often assigned to cover things like the network's spring break festivities. His surfer dude personality fit in well with that. Goofy humor, including frequently referring to himself as "the Weasel," made him a fan favorite for the five years he worked for MTV. Shore was so popular that the movies quickly came calling. A tendency to essentially play himself caused his career as a leading man to be short-lived, however. He's no different in Son-in-Law than he is in Jury Duty or In the Army Now.
His first notable role - and biggest hit - came with 1992's Encino Man, an unrepentantly silly comedy about two guys (Shore and Sean Astin) who discover a caveman (Brendan Fraser) encased in ice. They thaw him out, then watch as he attempts to incorporate himself into modern society. Few people would call Encino Man a "good" movie, but it's definitely built up a cult audience over the years. The unlikely combination of actors mixes with lowbrow social satire to create a picture that is quintessentially '90s. In fact, the movie's cult following stretches to unexpected places. It's been parodied on South Park and gets a hilarious shout-out in the 2022 horror movie Barbarians.
'Role Models' (Christopher Mintz-Plasse)
Christopher Mintz-Plasse came to the world's attention playing "McLovin," the appealingly obnoxious cohort of Michael Cera and Jonah Hill in Superbad. The way he embodied that intentionally annoying character was hilarious. In fact, he stole every single scene he was in. The actor went on to make a few more comedies with the Judd Apatow crew, did some voice work in the animated How to Train Your Dragon series, and even had a small role in the Oscar-nominated Promising Young Woman. Despite working consistently, nothing Mintz-Plasse did after Superbad had the same impact that McLovin did, although that's not his fault. How does anything ever measure up when your first character is that iconic? Just as Henry Winkler will always be Fonzie and Michael Richards will always be Kramer, Mintz-Plasse will always be McLovin.
One of the actor's better roles came in the comedy Role Models. Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott play Danny and Wheeler, two energy drink salesmen who, after being arrested, are forced to take part in a Big Brothers-type mentoring program for teenagers. Mintz-Plasse is hysterical as Augie, an alienated teen who finds acceptance in a live-action role-playing group. Directed by David Wain, Role Models has all the raunchy R-rated comedy you'd expect given the cast members, but there's also a surprisingly compassionate spirit to the story. Yes, it's obvious that Danny and Wheeler will become better men through their journey, but the quirky way that happens and the depth with which the movie explores it may catch you off-guard. The movie is a tribute to the kids who are different.
'Parenthood' (Tom Hulce)
Tom Hulce played the title character in Amadeus, but co-star F. Murray Abraham is the one who got the lion's share of the attention. His Oscar win helped on that count. Nonetheless, Abraham's performance wouldn't have made the same impact without Hulce's brilliantly unhinged work as the titular composer. That role came after Hulce's turn in the box-office blockbuster National Lampoon's Animal House, establishing him as an actor to watch.
Hulce had another hit in 1989. He was in the ensemble cast of Ron Howard's Parenthood, playing Larry, the black sheep of the Buckman family. He's perpetually wrapped up in get-rich-quick schemes that only put him further in debt. Larry owes a lot of money to some bookies, and has a young son he's not prepared to be a good role model for. Parenthood did very well at the box office and later spawned a television spin-off that, frankly, had nothing to do with the movie. Hulce's fine work in it tends to be overshadowed, though. People remember how hilarious Steve Martin is, the early roles from Keanu Reeves and Joaquin Phoenix, and the story's smart insights into the challenges of raising children. What Hulce does in his supporting role deserves to be appreciated. He expertly captures the vibe of that perpetual screw-up every family has.
'Only the Brave' (Taylor Kitsch)
Taylor Kitsch's good luck quickly turned to bad luck. In 2012, he starred in two supposedly can't-miss blockbusters that somehow missed anyway. John Carter became one of the most notoriously expensive box-office bombs ever. Battleship, meanwhile, never managed to convince audiences to look past its board game origins and give it a shot. The actor wasn't bad in either picture. They just failed to connect the way they were designed to.
Another movie that didn't fare well at the box office - but which is much better than John Carter and Battleship - is Only the Brave. It's based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group of determined men trained to fight wildfires without water. Kitsch is one of them, along with Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, and James Badge Dale. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the movie goes into fascinating detail about how these guys do their job, and also about the perils they face. There's a deeply emotional factor here, too, as the Hotshots face a terrible tragedy during one of their attempts to control a raging wildfire. Only the Brave gives you an appreciation for the heroism of people who take on this line of work.
'Blades of Glory' (Jon Heder)
Napoleon Dynamite was the most unlikely hit imaginable. The movie, which made a splash at the Sundance Film Festival, was acquired by Fox Searchlight Pictures, which gave it a nationwide theatrical release, despite a cast of relative unknowns. Bolstered by heavy promotion on MTV, audiences took a chance on this extremely quirky comedy about a high school weirdo (played by Jon Heder) who tries to help his equally odd best friend become class president. They liked what they saw. When all was said and done, the film earned $46 million worldwide on a budget of just $400,000.
Suddenly, Heder was a star and started popping up in studio movies left and right. None of them gave him a role quite as juicy as Napoleon, but 2007's Blades of Glory came close. He plays a disgraced figure skater forced to team up with his nemesis in order to have a shot at the World Championship. The whole film is a gloriously goofy spoof on the world of competitive skating. Blades of Glory was fairly big at the time of release, yet it hasn't maintained the same ongoing appeal that some of Ferrell's other pictures, such as Anchorman and Talladega Nights, have. It's every bit as funny as those favorites, though, and Heder proves he can stand toe-to-toe with a comedian of Ferrell's stature. Filmmakers may not have known how to take full advantage of Heder's gift for making oddballs lovable, but this movie utilizes him well.
'Ghost World' (Thora Birch)
Thora Birch had a proverbial "moment" after the release of American Beauty in 1999. In that film, which won the Oscar for best picture, she played the troubled daughter of an unhappily married couple. To her humiliation, her dad even stoops so far as to start making moves on her best friend. Birch proved to be a scene stealer, bringing so much authentic teen angst to the character that viewers' hearts broke for her. It was clear that a very talented young actress was bursting onto the scene.
Two years later, Birch made another movie that was beloved by critics, but which general audiences were more reluctant to embrace. Ghost World is an adaptation of the popular Daniel Clowes graphic novel about two teen girls, Enid (Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson), trying to make sense of friendship, romance, and the looming end of high school. Despite rave reviews, the film topped out with just $6 million at the domestic box office. It's a witty, delightfully cynical movie that earns laughs through its unfiltered look at adolescent issues. Birch and Johansson make a potent team, investing the story with real substance underneath the wicked laughs. If you felt like you didn't quite fit in as an adolescent, Ghost World will speak to you.
9/16 SLIDES © Focus Features
'The Debt' (Sam Worthington)
Sam Worthington was all lined up to join the A list. After poking around in indie films and playing smaller parts in a few studio features, he landed a lead role in Terminator Salvation. That same year, he starred in James Cameron's Avatar, which was the highest-grossing film in history for a time. While he's consistently done interesting work in a variety of genres, Worthington never became the next Tom Cruise or Daniel Craig. His name alone isn't enough to guarantee a big box-office opening.
Despite that, his talent is undeniable. To see him fully in action, check out 2010's The Debt. The story takes place in two different time periods. Worthington, Jessica Chastain, and Martin Csokas are Mossad agents tracking down a Nazi war criminal known as the "Surgeon of Birkenau" in East Berlin. They succeed in killing him, but 30 years later, someone claiming to be the Surgeon emerges. Helen Mirren takes over Chastain's role and goes back to Berlin to seek out the truth. The Debt is both intense and provocative, and the early scenes dig deep into the psychology of the agents as they carry out their mission. Director John Madden weaves deftly between past and present, showing how what happened in the earlier period impacts what happens later on. Worthington shines in his role, conveying the determination to nab the Surgeon.
'Loser' (Jason Biggs)
Fortunately, Jason Biggs has a sense of humor about himself. He's often joked about his breakthrough role as Jim in American Pie. His signature scene in that film - which causes his character a world of humiliation - is one of the quintessential teen comedy scenes of all time. It's impossible to see Biggs and not think of that uproarious moment. One could argue that it hurt his career. He works often, yet has never quite escaped the umbrella of American Pie.
The actor made an interesting attempt in 2000, teaming with Fast Times at Ridgemont High director Amy Heckerling for Loser. He plays Paul, a young man from the Midwest who gets an academic scholarship to NYU. He doesn't fit in with the more cosmopolitan students there. In fact, the only person he connects with is fellow outcast Dora (Mena Suvari). He starts to fall in love with her, but it becomes clear she has her sights set on their professor. Loser is a smart comedy about feeling like you don't belong. It has good performances, some shrewd insights, and a fun cameo from rock band Everclear. The movie got buried at the box office, as it opened when X-Men, What Lies Beneath, and Scary Movie were pulling in crowds. It's ripe for rediscovery.
'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (George Lazenby)
When Sean Connery retired as James Bond, George Lazenby was brought in to take over. There was a lot of hype about the casting, and it was reasonably assumed that playing 007 was going to make Lazenby the same kind of star Connery had become. The role marked his very first screen appearance. Then On Her Majesty's Secret Service hit theaters and things rapidly changed. Although it performed respectably, grosses were below the most recent Connery installments. Audiences had apathy toward the new Bond, leading Lazenby to be replaced by Roger Moore after only one crack at the part. Although he continues to work, he never had another role as high-profile as this one.
Most people consider On Her Majesty's Secret Service to be one of the "lesser" Bond adventures. If you can approach it without all the baggage that comes with the series and just view the picture on its own terms, it's not a bad spy flick. The action scenes are fun, Telly Savalas is suitably evil as 007 nemesis Blofeld, and Lazenby puts his own more low-key twist on the super-spy character. Even if not everything about the movie works, its shortcomings helped shape the James Bond franchise in important ways. That alone makes it work another look.
'Georgia Rule' (Lindsay Lohan)
For a time, Lindsay Lohan was one of the biggest young stars in the world. After a breakout debut in Disney's The Parent Trap, she went on to star in the massively popular Freaky Friday remake and the comedy sensation Mean Girls. It was clear that she possessed two key traits - talent and likability. Teen girls idolized her. Of course, a series of personal problems negatively impacted her career, leading to roles in terrible movies like I Know Who Killed Me that barely made a blip at the box office.
Before it got to that point, though, Lohan made an admirable attempt to show that she could deliver a mature performance in Georgia Rule. She plays Rachel, a promiscuous party girl whose behaviors are so out of control that her alcoholic mother Lilly (Felicity Huffman) sends her to live with her grandmother Georgia (Jane Fonda). Here, she gets a healthy dose of tough love, but also continues to push the boundaries to see what she can get away with. Georgia Rule deals with a lot of subjects, including alcoholism, family dysfunction, and child abuse. There's admittedly a bit too much going on at once, but seeing Fonda, Huffman, and Lohan playing off each other is consistently engaging. If you've ever doubted that Lohan has dramatic chops, this movie will change your mind. It ranks among her finest work.
'The Claim' (Wes Bentley)
In American Beauty, Wes Bentley played a character who liked to shoot home videos of weird things like plastic bags blowing in the wind. That's a tough note to hit, but he made it work, showing how that character saw beauty in ordinary, mundane things. He gave a good performance in a movie that went on to win the Oscar for best picture. Making such a big impression in one's third film can be tricky, and indeed Bentley seemed unsure whether to go the indie route, which would give him meatier roles, or take the easy payday of a studio production. As such, his filmography contains a little of both.
One of his indie efforts is 2000's The Claim, directed by Michael Winterbottom. He plays Donald Dalglish, a surveyor looking to expand the under-development railroad. His efforts cause him to cross paths with Dillon (Peter Mullan), a guy who rules a mining town and very much wants that railroad to run through it. Dillon is running from a horrific act from his past, and the arrival of this newcomer brings a lot of things to a head. The less you know in advance, the better, but the complications also include a local brothel owner (Milla Jovovich) and Dillon's grown daughter (Sarah Polley). The Claim is a subtle, quiet drama, full of good performances and complex themes. Production design that immerses you in the 1880s adds to the impact, as do the nuances of Bentley's portrayal of Dalglish.
'In the Bedroom' (Nick Stahl)
Nick Stahl's first feature film role was opposite Mel Gibson in The Man Without a Face. He garnered significant respect and was cast in a string of interesting, if not always successful, pictures that included Disturbing Behavior, Bully, and Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line. Playing the older John Connor in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines was supposed to be the thing that catapulted him into the big time. Although it performed well at the box office, that sequel didn't particularly satisfy fans of the franchise. Stahl responded by retreating to the indie film scene, only occasionally popping up in a high-profile project like Sin City.
In 2001, he appeared in a movie called In the Bedroom. At the time, it was a critical smash, even earning an Oscar nomination for best picture. It's been generally forgotten in the years since, which is a real shame because it's a potent drama. Stahl plays Frank, a grad student in love with a slightly older woman (Marisa Tomei). A shocking incident with her unstable ex-husband takes place, impacting her life, as well as the lives of Frank's parents (Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek). In the Bedroom is an impeccably acted tale of grief and anger that leaves you shaken at the end. All of the actors give finely tuned performances that help the story's themes make the maximum impact. That best picture nomination was richly deserved.
15/16 SLIDES © Fine Line Features
'Pecker' (Edward Furlong)
Edward Furlong made a big splash playing young John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. He was literally plucked out of obscurity for the role. When the film became a monster hit, he accepted offers to be in other movies, despite never having had genuine aspirations to act. Some of his choices, such as the indies American Heart and Little Odessa, were inspired. Others, such as the big-studio sequel Pet Semetary II, not so much. He also got caught in that awkward space where substantive roles for teen performers can be few and far between.
One of the notable directors who honed in on Furlong's inherent talent was John Waters, the so-called "Pope of Trash" behind outrageous fare like Polyester and Pink Flamingos. He cast the actor in his 1998 comedy Pecker. Furlong plays the title character, a young photographer whose pictures of Baltimore's seedy side end up becoming a sensation in the art world. Although not quite as shocking as Waters's best-known work, Pecker still has a healthy dose of subversiveness. It's a celebration of perversion and eccentricity, with Furlong fitting nicely into the role of a kid intent on documenting the less-than-glamorous world around him. The movie has plenty of laughs, along with a good supporting performance from Christina Ricci as Pecker's girlfriend.
16/16 SLIDES © Paramount Pictures
'Firstborn' (Peter Weller)
Peter Weller had the good fortune to play one of the most popular and enduring movie characters of the 1980s. He was the title hero in RoboCop. Paul Verhoeven's 1987 action movie/social satire was a huge hit, spawning two sequels, a TV series, and even a kid's cartoon show, which is odd given that it was a hard R-rated flick. Weller was suddenly a big deal, although he had trouble finding projects that were as commanding as his blockbuster. Shakedown and Leviathan attempted to keep him in action hero mode. They lacked the edge and filmmaking skill of RoboCop, though.
A few years before playing the robotic law enforcement officer, Weller portrayed a legitimately jeer-worthy villain in the drama Firstborn. It's the story of 16-year-old Jake (Chris Makepeace) whose mother Wendy (Teri Garr) starts dating a man named Sam (Weller). Sam is a lowlife who drags Wendy into the world of substance abuse and begins physically abusing Jake and his little brother Brian (Corey Haim). Eventually, Jake realizes he's going to have to take drastic action in order to save his family. Firstborn is admittedly a bit heavy-handed in the third act. Nevertheless, it works because Weller makes Sam such a sleazy, loathsome guy that you enjoy watching him get his comeuppance. It's a great scenery-chewing performance in a picture that, for all its lack of subtlety, completely sucks you in with its domestic drama.
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