This is the final installment of a series in which Adam Spector of Adam's Rib and I count down out top 50 film ensembles of all time. Part I is here and Part II is here and here you will find Parts III and IV. Thanks for reading everyone, it was a labor of love (Note: This post will be updated and edited as we go)
ORRIN'S TOP TEN:
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| Murder on the Orient Express |
Finally, we arrive
at . . . THE TOP TEN. First your list
Orrin. You have some staples here, half of which are on my list,
while others made me rethink old assumptions. Unfortunately, I can’t
make a strong case against any of them.
10. Chicago (2002)
– Much of the media attention with Chicago focused
on how it was bringing back the musical. But it didn’t take too long for
the actors to garner the recognition they deserved. Catherine
Zeta-Jones won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, while Renee Zellweger, Queen
Latifah and John C. Reilly all garnered nominations. Zeta-Jones’s
extensive background in musical theater shines through in her
numbers. Zellweger does not have the same chops as Zeta-Jones, but
holds attention by subverting her good girl persona. Latifah,
although she appears sparingly, makes the most of her brassy singing
voice. Reilly, as he often does, plays the everyman to
perfection. You will see him in my top ten. Richard Gere
was a disappointment, especially because the sleazy lawyer part was originally
offered to John Travolta. Not only would Travolta have fit the part
to a tee, but few actors in the last 40 years could dance onscreen as
thrillingly as he did. Gere nailed the shifty charm of the lawyer,
but you could see the director, Rob Marshall having to work around his limited
dancing ability.
Orrin’s response: An interesting alternative take with Travolta substituting for
Gere, but the part wasn’t about natural ability but rather razzle-dazzling your
way around it. To some degree, my favorite ensembles are coinciding with my
favorite films of all time, and Chicago certainly wouldn’t rank that high
(though it is a great film), but I do believe lightning really struck with this
ensemble all the way down to all the cell block tango girls (more Lucy Liu
please!) and Taye Diggs as the announcer. I also think it was no accident that
this film was credited with bringing the ensemble back because Zellweger really
conjures that kind of classic era leading lady spunk (albeit a little darker)
as do Zeta-Jones and Queen Latifah.
9. A
Prairie Home Companion -- #39 on my list. As we have
noted earlier, Robert Altman defined his work with wide and deep
ensembles. You will see another film of his on my top
How fitting that
Altman’s swan song, which hit theaters only a few months before his death, had
such a strong cast even by his high standards: Meryl Streep, Kevin
Kilne, Tommy Lee Jones, (Altman regular) Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson, John C.
Reilly (back-to-back on your list), and Virginia Madsen. And of
course Garrison Keillor playing himself. The ensemble succeeds not
through its star power but in the effortless way they all gel, as if they had
been a stock company working together for years. The radio series
succeeded through wit and warmth, but also through familiarity. Lake
Wobegon was a place we all felt we knew. Keillor’s screenplay,
Altman’s steady hand, and the immense group of actors carried over that
familiarity on screen.
Orrin’s Response: Honestly, Meryl Streep here was my favorite performances of the
entire year in any category, and it wasn’t even among her 20+ nominations. The
Streep-Tomlin-Lohan clan felt very authentically Minnesotan which went a long way
towards mixing in with the Garrison Keillor vibe. When
we discussed our first Robert Altman entry on the list (The Player), we discussed how he had a stock company of players
that served him well, but looking at how Prairie Home Companion and Nashville only have one actor in
common and how he’s made ensemble films work with entirely different cast
lists, it says a lot about how Altman can manage great ensembles regardless of
who’s in them. I wrote about Robert
Altman and the film as his last on ScreenPrism
8. From
Here to Eternity – Not on my list but it certainly could have
been. A very eclectic mix including actors with classical training
such as Deborah Kerr, largely self-taught actors such as Burt Lancaster and
Frank Sinatra, and Method-trained Montgomery Clift. Ernest Borgnine
steals every scene he’s in as the brutal Sgt. “Fatso.” Donna Reed played against
her wholesome image by portraying a “hostess” (a prostitute in the
book). One of a small number of films to get a nomination in all
four acting categories, with Sinatra and Reed winning for Supporting Actor and
Actress.
Orrin’s response: Like Grand Hotel, it certainly helps that From Here to Eternity is among my dozen favorite films of all-time or so. Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift are among the most magnetic stars of their generation, so this is a great introduction on these two. Similarly, there’s a younger generation who probably only knows Frank Sinatra as a singer or Deborah Kerr as the stuffy lady from The King and I. They would do well to see this film as well.
7. Star
Wars – When I saw this on your list, I had to pause for a
second. Star Wars is
part of my DNA, having been my favorite film since I was four years
old. I have written about it extensively: (http://www.dcfilmsociety.org/adamstarwars.htm, http://www.dcfilmsociety.org/adam0705.htm,http://www.dcfilmsociety.org/adam1212.htm, http://www.dcfilmsociety.org/adam1601.htm,http://www.dcfilmsociety.org/adam1701.htm). Yet I
never considered it an ensemble piece, perhaps in part because I focused on the
story and the special effects. Perhaps it’s also because the cast
discussions would range from disdaining the film (Alec Guinness) to playfully
joking about the film (everyone else). When I did think about the
actors, it was often on one performance, such as Carrie
Fisher. You including Star Wars made me take a different look at a film I know so
well. Guinness gave Obi Wan Kenobi the gravitas needed to make you
believe in the Force and the Jedi. The interplay among Fisher,
Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill propel the film’s second
act. James Earl Jones’s deep, threatening voice fills the
screen as Darth Vader, complementing Peter Cushing as the more
traditional villain. You never see Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Peter
Mayhew (Chewie) or Kenny Baker, but their physical performances should not
be overlooked. So, yes, this most certainly belongs on the
list.
Orrin’s Response:
I’ve had many debates with friends over whether Kenny Baker is an
actor or more of an earlier version of a motion capture stand-in, and I’m not
well-acquainted on Anthony Daniels’ involvement to know if it was just a human
with robot paint or a man in a costume, but those two do make a cute pair. But
I was really thinking about the actual live actors in the film here. I would
count Billy Dee Williams in this entry as well, but the main five or six
actors- Fisher, Guinness, Hamill, Ford, Cushing, and James Earl Jones-really
combine a great mix of old and new enthusiasm. The formula for the Star Wars
prequels and the JJ Abrams-led sequels copied the same formula-- combining
unknown and known, procuring talent on both sides of the pond—with varying
degrees of success.
6. Grand Hotel -- #34 on my
list. We noted this film earlier, which is arguably the signature
ensemble film of the classic studio era. Maybe someday we’ll get a
prequel to “Feud” about how Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford clashed on
set.
Part of the idea of a
great ensemble is the idea of balancing out the parts with a deft touch. I
think Grand Hotel is the epitome of such an effort. The storylines are all
beautifully told in their own way (whether tragic, tragicomic, or dramatic in a
life-affirming sense). It is a bit disorienting watching Joan Crawford in Feud
as a diva while watching her here as the counter-diva to Greta Garbo.
5. Singin’
in the Rain – Another film that I had to reconsider, as I
immediately think of Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald
O’Connor. But then I realized I was falling into an easy trap: just
thinking of the film as a musical, when it’s also a brilliant
comedy. Many of the laughs come from Jean Hagen as the tin-voiced
diva Lina Lamont. Not only was she very funny, but she actually dubbed her
singing voice for Reynolds who was playing the actress dubbing Lamont. Add
in Cyd Charisse and Rita Moreno (nine years before West Side Story),
and you have a strong ensemble. Maybe higher than I would rank it in
this category, but good choice.
Orrin’s Response: A good sign of your higher level of devotion to Star Wars than
me is your online post mourning Carrie Fisher’s passing whereas I felt the loss
of Debbie Reynolds significantly more. Going through her filmography or
watching her in interviews or just looking at backstage photos, Reynolds struck
me as someone who was specifically made for the MGM musical era. She struck me as a compulsive performer and I
couldn’t think of anything more fitting for her outsize personality than seeing
Singin' in the Rain become appreciated as the greatest American film musical in
history. It’s not just Reynolds but it’s a tribute to O’Connor, Kelly, and
Hagan as the archetypical sidekick, leading man, and villainess respectively.
Of course Cyd Charisse is just an added bonus.
4. Doubt (2008) –
We debated earlier about how many actors it takes to qualify as an
ensemble. If a film garners four acting nominations, it
qualifies. The best part is that many of the scenes are simple two
character dialogue. When Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn square off, you
can feel Meryl Streep and the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman playing off
each other, making each other better. The same goes for the
brilliant, understated scene between Streep and Viola Davis. The
latter got one of the Oscar noms despite only ten minutes of screen time,
because she made those minutes count. There’s not much you know on
paper about Davis’s character. Davis fills in the backstory of a
woman who has had to make sacrifices and tough choices living in a segregated
world.
3. Glengarry
Glen Ross (1992) -- #18 on my list. This film had to
have a brilliant ensemble, or it would have failed
miserably. David Mamet’s script is like red meat for
actors, and boy do they chew on it. As with Doubt, the actors’ performances build
off each other. Al Pacino had the showier role, doing monologues in
a way only he could. Alec Baldwin’s cool contempt embodying
capitalism at its cruelest, made the “Always be closing” scene into an iconic
film moment. However, its Jack Lemmon’s haunting work, as the
has-been who doesn’t realize his time is up, that has the most staying
power. James Foley’s claustrophobic direction echoes Lumet’s work
in 12 Angry Men, a film
from earlier in your list, and squeezes the most out of one of the most
talented cats ever assembled.
Orrin’s Response: With Jack Lemmon and
Alan Arkin on one side and Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey and Al Pacino on the other,
this film feels like the best of two generations meeting in the middle. Also
worth noting, a poll on best ensembles I did reveals 12 Angry Men as the second best ensemble film of all time.
2. Murder on the Orient Express (1974) -- #36 on my
list. Very timely choice with the remake on the way. As
we have discussed earlier, this is one of the times where the “all-star” cast
succeeded. The stars fit their parts, not the other way
around. Sidney Lumet offered Ingrid Bergman the bigger part of
Princess Dragomiroff, but Bergman wisely insisted that she play the nanny, even
though she has little screen time. History proved Bergman
right as she won Best Supporting Actress. Bergman’s decision
exemplifies the focus on character among the whole cast. Kenneth
Branagh’s team has some massive shoes to fill.
Orrin’s Response: I honestly have no idea why Ingrid Bergman won an Oscar over Wendy
Hiller, Rachel Roberts or Lauren Bacall, but that’s part of what makes this
film a great ensemble. It’s full of scene stealers. On top of the very solid
reasoning you provide about how the cast fits their parts to a T, it’s a great
film to introduce anyone wanting to be introduced to the classics as so many
great actors of note come here. The
other thing I want to note here is that the ensemble isn’t just about fitting a
lot of actors under a single marquee and having them live up to their
performances. It’s also about a capable lead. We can talk about Hiller,
Roberts, Bacall, Sean Connery, Michael York, Vanessa Redgrave and all the other
stars BUT this film wouldn’t be considered a classic if Albert Finney didn’t
make the lead such an engaging character to follow. When Kenneth Branagh chewed
the scenery on the extremely recent release in some parts, you had more
appreciation of the way Finney did this literary character such justice.
1. Network --
#5 on my list. Sidney Lumet again. Maybe he never
received enough credit as an actor’s director. William Holden, who we have
discussed earlier, keeps the film grounded no matter how fantastical it gets by
the end. He and Faye Dunaway have very different styles, but
this works perfectly, as their characters come from opposite vantage
points. Their scenes together manage to be romantic, funny, and in
the end sad. We all remember Peter Finch as the “mad
prophet of the airwaves” Howard Beale, but Beale’s post breakdown mania works
because Finch was also convincing as the pre-breakdown Beale, a beaten-down
shell of a once principled newsman. Ned Beatty and
Beatrice Straight only have one scene apiece, but their riveting work
completely commands the screen. Straight won an Oscar despite
appearing for just five minutes. Like any great ensemble, the lesser
known actors also distinguish themselves, particularly Marlene Whitfield as the
underground revolutionary Lauren Hobbs, and Arthur Burghardt as the terrorist
leader “the Great” Ahmad Kahn. My #1 also happens to be a 70s film
starring Robert Duvall.
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| Beatrice Straight, Network |
Orrin's Response: No disagreements here. You perfectly summarized everything I love about this film and it's cast. As I previously said, William Holden was arguably the most exciting actor of his era and this is his swan song.
ADAM'S TOP TEN:
2. Pulp Fiction (1994)-Pulp Fiction is quite possibly the definitive film of the 1990s and I’ve never seen a poll of that decade in film that has Pulp Fiction lower than three.
However, I did a poll on best film ensembles that did rank Reservoir Dogs ahead of Pulp Fiction (as you recall, my only Tarantino film in the top 50 is Django Unchained for the way the characters and actors fit so perfectly) and that makes a lot more sense to me. Pulp Fiction has pairings and concurrent stories whereas Reservoir Dogs really casts the scrappiest of character actors while also having a tighter more theatrical series of interactions between the same group of people throughout.
In a recent Hollywood Roundtable interview, Quentin Tarantino talked about directing a theatrical version of The Hateful Eight when he retires from directing, and that makes a lot of sense, because Tarantino’s stories are highly theatrical and moving his narratives away from an arena that are defined by special effects, would really do service to his dialogue. I feel like films like Diner (ironically, Tarantino got early comparisons to Levinson when he was starting out) or Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolff with group scenes can really thrive in an ensemble sense and that’s what Reservoir Dogs is.
I suppose it also makes a difference for me that I’ve never particularly been attached to any of the actors in the film. Uma Thurman seems cold and off-putting across several genres (although to be fair, I hear she takes the badass babe trope to a new level in Kill Bill).
John Travolta seems a little weird and has significantly watered down his brand by being in nearly every bad action film I saw in the late 90s and early 00s. This is significant because by I first watched Pulp Fiction in a film class in 2002 after enduring some bad Travolta films so “Travolta in an action film again” was not a great tagline.
Samuel L. Jackson is widely respected as a great character and I like him but I don’t love him the way I would, say Philip Seymour Hoffman or Paul Giamatti or Lawrence Fishburne.
Lastly, I have tons of appreciation for Bruce Willis for his taste in directors. When it was easy for him to just act in action films, he took risks to work under Terry Gilliam and M. Night Shyamalan. However, I think it’s only with Wes Anderson and Moonrise Kingdom did I feel like he was really doing something different and that was nearly two decades after Pulp Fiction
As I debated with you in Big Lebowski/Fargo and Citizen Kane/Magnificent Ambersons, I wonder if you’re conflating the better film with the better ensemble.
3. Airplane (1980)- You’re number one choice was disappointingly unoriginal but I have to give you credit for surprising me quite a bit with your fondness for comedy and Richard Linklater films in particular (I never hear you discussing that director)
This is ironic since I had extremely high placement for Airport which this film as a parody of. When watching the recent John Lithgow television comedy Trial and Error, there was a woman with a minor role (a psychic jury member) who I instantly recognized because she had such a distinctive flalr: Apparently her name was Julie Hagerty and I remember her well because she made a strong impression with Airplane. She was appealing enough to make the love story work, but she also sold the absurdity like a straight man (or woman in this case).
Honestly, I can’t remember anyone else in the film (except Leslie Nielsen and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) but I invite you to educate me on all the other stand outs.
4, Nashville (1975)-Considering no other director is as synonymous with the ensemble film, I think it’s fitting to include an Altman film in the top 5, and this film is as rich as Murder on the Orient Express (the film I consider the gold standard) with great character actors which. I could see a good argument for people calling it the greatest ensemble film ever. Is there a single unheralded actor from that decade who isn’t in the film in a meaningful way? A few people on my poll said this was the greatest ensemble film of all time and I’m not surprised.
5, Network (1976)-I had it as my #1 and you articulated the film’s brilliance so well I didn’t even feel a need to elaborate on it.
6, The Usual Suspects (1995)-This is my favorite surprise of yours in the top 10. While this film currently ranks #27 all-time on IMDB, I still feel like it’s often forgotten in the shuffle.
Like a great ensemble film, it has a lot of group scenes and group interplay between a number of actors who are all on relatively equal footing.
I was too young to watch Kevin Spacey’s films in 1995 but Damien Bona’s essential book Inside Oscar 2 talked about Spacey being rewarded for the Oscar this year because he was breaking out with four pretty high-profile roles in a single year. He was either the lead or the one with the showiest role in Usual Suspects, The Ref, Seven, and Swimming with the Sharks (similar to how Patricia Clarkson got the National Board of Review award in 2003 not just for Pieces of April, but Dogville and the Station Agent as well). Having watched all these films in retrospect, I can only imagine the cumulative effect. Even a relatively unambitious film like The Ref-in which Dennis Leary kidnaps a family and gets caught up in their melodrama-seems like high theater in Kevin Spacey’s hands.
Still, I think Spacey isn’t just part of part of a whole in what gives “Usual Suspects” it’s status as a great ensemble film and not. The late great Pete Postlethwaite does some great work here but I think it’s the criminals- Kevin Pollack, Gabriel Bryne, Benicio Del Toro, one of the other Baldwin brothers, and Spacey in flashbacks -- who does the heavy lifting.
7. The Godfather, Part II (1974) Godfather Part II stands defiantly on many Best of Lists as the only sequel. It was the only sequel to be included on AFI’s top 100 list despite the fact that Empire Strikes Back is often considered one of the 4 or 5 best films of the 1980’s and the one that really took the franchise to a deeper level. Perhaps, inclusion of The Godfather II is a way of sending a message that sequels aren’t always derivative. I’ve only seen the first and about half of the third, so I’m not in a position to comment (and bring on the “You’ve Never Seen _____! How Dare you” comments) but perhaps the best way to compare the two is to talk about the differences in cast lists.
The original has Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as the main characters with John Cazale and James Caan as the two other sons with Talia Shire, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton in big roles. Other sizable parts go to Gianni Russo, Al Lettieri, Tony Giorgio, and Abe Vigoda.
The sequel’s biggest subtraction is Marlon Brando and greatest addition is Robert De Niro as the biggest editions. Michael V Gazzo (no idea who he is) and Lee Strasberg (perhaps the best acting instructor of all time) also garnered academy award nominations. Going down further on the list, we see the great Danny Aiello (who had an extensive theater career and had scene-stealing performances in The Professional and Do The Right Thing) and Bruno Kirby who is best known for comedic rules in the 80s including a lighter take on the mob drama in The Freshman, which was ironically one of Marlon Brando’s last roles.
8. Boogie Nights (1997)-Never saw this one. But I’m about as familiar with it as one can be for not having seen the film because the characters and lines have been referenced so often. The scene in which Philip Seymour Hoffman tries to seduce Mark Wahlberg’s character (and I even know his name: Dirk Diggler) because it was played on a VH1 special and parodied by the CollegeHumor YouTube series. So as someone who’s familiar with the film in one sense and not the more important sense (having actually watched it), I can completely see the reasoning behind it. Besides, all you have to do is look at the list of cast names. The two greatest character actors of the 2000s, John C Reilly (whose comedic talents were not really known to the public until 2006 with Talladega Nights) and Philip Seymour Hoffman along with Don Cheadle and William H. Macy (who would probably land in most people’s top ten). Julianne Moore is among the singularly most talented actresses of her generation and Mark Wahlberg seems like what must have been quite a risk at the time and it worked.
I have little familiarity with Burt Reynolds movies from the 80s like Smokey and the Bandit but I’m aware he had a sizeable niche in moviedom during that time period and it must also have been a nice moment for his fans to see him get nominated for Oscar and BAFTA that year and win a Golden Globe.
9. Casablanca (1942)-Since word space is at a premium, let’s skip this one since we know it’s a classic.
10. Almost Famous (2000)-My favorite thing about this film’s ensemble is all of the hidden gems you might not have realized on first viewing. Zooey Deschannel is underpromoted here as the protagonist’s sister and, considering her reputation as the reigning queen of quirkiness, it’s kind of odd seeing a film where the Manic Pixie Dream Girl role goes to someone other than her in Kate Hudson. While Hudson does very well with the part, I often wonder if Deschannel could have run with it even more if she had the career clout to command a bigger role when this film was cast. But if I was ever convinced that a director went back into a time machine and snagged a bunch of actors who he wanted to work with before their asking prices were too high, check out all the smaller parts: We have Noah Taylor, Rain Wilson, and Jay Baruchel, Michael Angarano (The Knick), Jimmy Fallon, Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family), and even podcaster Marc Maron.My favorite performance, however, is Frances McDormand and I would even argue that, more than anyone else, she makes this film great in a way that Cameron Crowe’s later works (I wrote an essay for this at ScreenPrism here) were bogged down from accomplishing because he tends to write the same kinds of characters over and over and that includes overly flighty female characters (see Susan Sarandon’s bizarre yet forgettable performance in Elizabethtown for evidence of how he writes mother characters). As the film is semi-autobiographical, Crowe modelled the role after her mother and when Crowe’s mother visited the set, Cameron tried to keep McDormand and Mrs. Crowe from interacting so his actress wouldn’t be tainted by the real-life subject. He was unsuccessful in preventing the two from lunching together, but I have a feeling it didn’t matter, because McDormand had a pretty firm viewpoint of how she wanted to play the character in a way that seems more McDormandesque than Cameron Crowe
Lastly, it’s worth noting that good ensembles often (but not always) are anchored by a solid center. Patrick Fugit felt like much more than a child actor here and while he didn’t follow any trajectoty from child actor to star, he’s still a working actor. We could make a pun here and say he’s alrost famous, but I believe that Fugit is doing what he wants to do.
ADAM'S BIG RESPONSE:
The
Godfather at #1 might not be the most
original choice, but I stand by it. Like Network, your
#1 pick and my #5, The Godfather is a classic that’s remained
in the public discourse since its release. The Godfather remains
a master class of casting in both the larger and the smaller
roles. Brando’s performance has been parodied, even by himself
in The Freshman, but never equaled. Look past the
mannerisms and see how, as Don Corleone, Brando listens to the other actors. The
Don is constantly evaluating and sizing up who is talking to him.
The
other leads became stars from this movie, almost as a group. Coppola
believed in rehearsal and had the actors get to know each other and eat dinners
together before and during shooting. The cast has an ease and
naturalness with each other, particularly James Caan, John Cazale, Al Pacino
and Talia Shire as the Corleone sons and daughter. Pacino
gives Michael Corleone a consistent steeliness, while also evolving his
character from the outsider to the ruthless heir apparent. His
performance in the restaurant before Michael shoots Sollozzo and McCluskey is a
textbook example of conveying everything while saying nothing.
What
sets this film apart, is that every single actor who isn’t an extra makes an
impression. In the opening scene Salvatore Corsitto as Bonasera
grabs the audience just through him telling a story to the Don. The
hurt, anger and frustration illustrate why people came to the Don in the first
place. And Corsitto is only in one more scene. But he’s
not alone. Whether it’s Al Lettieri as the scheming Sollozzo, John
Marley as the crass Jack Woltz, or Alex Rocco as the doomed Moe Greene, they
all stand out. I could name ten other examples
easily. Maybe it’s not the most original choice, but it’s the
only choice for me.
I
could say many of the same things about The Godfather, Part II. Michael
V. Gazzo, G.D. Spradlin, and Lee Strasberg all create vivid characters that add
to the tapestry. Robert De Niro, as the younger Don Corleone,
somehow manages to echo Brando while also making the character his
own. John Cazale builds off what he started in the first
film. Cazale, who died young and only made five films, was so well
respected by his fellow actors largely because he was unafraid to play weak
men. Poor Fredo is not any stronger here, but Cazale explodes
with impotent rage. His “cards on the table scene” and attempted
reconciliation Michael becomes so heartbreaking mostly because Cazale finds the
humanity and even the sweetness in this pathetic character.
Your
initial criticism of Pulp Fiction was that it did not have the
same dynamic as Reservoir Dogs, or The Hateful Eight for
that matter, where you have a large group in a small space. I have
nothing against Reservoir Dogs, which could have easily been on my
list. Yes, having the same group of people interact with each other
most of the movie can certainly demonstrate an effective ensemble, but it’s far
from the only way. Pulp Fiction has many different
pairings, and while the whole cast may not be in the room at the same time, you
can say that about may other films on both our lists. Travolta may
not have had a great career for the past 15 years, but so
what? He has brilliant chemistry with both Samuel
L. Jackson and Uma Thurman, and the fact that he can dance plays
dividends in the iconic Jack Rabbit Slims scene. Christopher Walken
has one scene, which is just him telling a story into the camera, but you can’t
take your eyes off him. Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer are so much fun
as Pumpkin and Honey Bunny that you almost wish they had their own
movie. Harvey Keitel is the epitome of cool as the wolf, and you
already addressed Willis.
Still,
when my friends and I saw the film for the first time, we could not stop
talking about Jackson. He commands every scene he is in, with an
unrivaled power and intensity. As Jules, Jackson can be funny in a
conversational way. But when he has to “get in character” you can
see how Jules can dominate and intimidate through sheer
personality.
If
you do want to look at Pulp Fiction through an ensemble lens,
rewatch the Mexican standoff in the diner. The characters played by
Jackson, Travolta, Roth and Plummer are all in different places. Yet
the four actors gel perfectly, playing off each other and effortlessly guiding
the scene to where it needs to go while revealing something about each
person.
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| Source: DeathandTaxesMag.com |
We
are on more common ground with Airplane!, and thankfully
so. The film remains one of the most relevant examples for how
fine ensemble work is not relegated to “serious” movies. You
noted Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Leslie Nielsen. The latter completely
reinvented his career, paving the way for The Naked Gun. Many
others also played off their personas to great laughs. Robert Stack
and Lloyd Bridges played their roles completely straight, with Bridges laying
the groundwork for his work in the Hot Shots! movies. But
the capper is Barbara Billingsley, the mom from “Leave it to Beaver,” the
picture of white bread wholesomeness, announcing “I speak jive” and then doing
just that.
For
the sake of time and sanity, I’m not going to cover the films where we
essentially agree, although it’s interesting you focus on Deschanel in Almost
Famous. Reportedly she auditioned for the Penny Lane
role. It’s hard to argue with Crowe’s decision, given the fine work
that Kate Hudson turned in. And we could be thankful that Crowe
still saw something in Deschanel, who turned what could have been a stock big
sister character into a vibrant force. I just saw Frances McDormand
in Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri. The
maternal ferocity she brought to her character there was as if she had taken
what she had done in Almost Famous and cranked it up to
11.
Orrin,
please see Boogie Nights. Right
now. Paul Thomas Anderson is a great admirer of Altman, which
is evident in the casting and performances here. You
touched on Reilly and Hoffman. I’ll add four other of our best
character actors, Don Cheadle, Luis Guzman, Melora Walters and Alfred
Molina. Anderson got Reynolds to go to depths he hasn’t been to
either before or since. I had hoped it would be the
start of a second act for Reynolds. While that wasn’t to be, it does
not take away from his work in this film. Wahlberg was a risk as you
noted, still known more for his underwear ads and “Marky Mark” than his acting,
but he had a strange innocence that lent itself to Dirk
Diggler. You’re right about Moore, who makes average films better
and good films phenomenal. You can’t be an authority on
ensembles and not see this film.
ADAM LEARNED SOMETHING. WHAT WAS IT? FIND OUT HERE!
You
asked me what I learned Orrin. Compiling my list, reviewing yours,
and our discussion helped me better understand that there’s no one formula for
a great film ensemble. Movies with a big sprawling cast certainly
lend themselves to being viewed through an ensemble lens. That’s
even truer with directors such as Robert Altman or Wes Anderson, for whom
ensembles are a calling card. Some of your picks in particular
illustrated that even a smaller group, if talented enough and in the right
hands, can be just as memorable. Together we also showed how ensembles
in genre pictures, including comedy sci-fi and fantasy should not be
overlooked. For example, you helped me reexamine two of my
favorites, Star Wars and Back to the Future, and
realize that, in addition to the storytelling and special effects, both
featured a fine cast of actors.
As we
have covered, an all-star cast does not always lead to fine ensemble work. The
determining factor is not how famous the actors are, but how they serve the
story and the characters and how they work with each other. So many
directors have said that casting is the toughest part about making movies, that
if you have the right actors for the right parts, the other work becomes so
much easier. Working on this project with you has given me a small
glimpse of how fragile the casting process is, how one wrong selection can
derail a movie. But when done with care and bravery casting can reap
untold dividends. Thank you Orrin. Until the next
time.
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