Friday OT #1 - Breaking the Mold

[Joe4Cy]

True, but I think he's mostly known for American Psycho as the "start" of his career.

The guy has been on an absolute tear for 30 years --

Empire of the Sun
Henry V (the Kenneth Branagh version)
Little Women (the 1994 version with Winona Ryder)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (the one with Calista Flockhart)
American Psycho
Equilibrium
The Machinist
Howl's Moving Castle (as Howl in the English dub)
Batman Begins
The Prestige
3:10 to Yuma
The Dark Knight
The Fighter
American Hustle
Ford v. Ferrari

I am probably leaving a few off. There's been some misfires (e.g., Terminator Salvation) but I don't know if there is an actor at their midcareer peak with a more impressive set of films under them.

I suppose there are two others I could add where I liked Bale's performance but disliked the films --

The Big Short (I didn't really like the movie, but I enjoyed Bale as Michael Burry.)

Vice (I have never seen the point of "historical" films about events everybody knows about that are within everybody's living memory, but Bale puts in an excellent performance.)

And then there's this:

 

[Sigmapolis]

And then there's this:

Musicals. SMH.

 

[VeloClone]

Both did a lot of work before, but what about No Country for Old Men for both Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin. Seemed like both of their careers kicked up a notch after that one.

Yeah, I must not understand the question. Bardem won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his work as Anton Chigurh. There is no way that can be spun as underrated.

I'll shut up and just listen.

 

[carvers4math]

Superbad for much of the cast.

 

[Cyientist]

Yeah, I must not understand the question. Bardem won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his work as Anton Chigurh. There is no way that can be spun as underrated.

I'll shut up and just listen.

You are correct. By page 2 of the thread my mind skipped the underrated part of the OP.

 

[madguy30]

Not sure if they were breakout but a few in Wet Hot American Summer went on to do some good stuff after.

Had Kevin Bacon done much prior to Friday the 13th?

Also The Outsiders.

 

[VeloClone]

I'm going to go a different direction with this. While Robin Williams had made the transition from comedy to something a little heavier with projects like Dead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting he got little aclaim but really stretched himself with the very dark role of Seymour Parrish in One Hour Photo.

Definitely a break out of his normal casting...

 

[pourcyne]

Viola Davis in "Doubt". It was a tiny role, but she was brilliant.

 

[JP4CY]

Superbad for much of the cast.

This too:

 

[NWICY]

Sean Penn and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

For all the "serious" work he has done I always think of him as Jeff Spicoli .

 

[cytor]

Fast Times at Ridgemont high had a great cast of actors that went on to big success.

 

[Gonzo]

Not sure why I'm on a 'Happy Days' kick, but we wouldn't have ever had The Fonz without 'The Lords of Flatbush'.

 

[Sigmapolis]

For all the "serious" work he has done I always think of him as Jeff Spicoli .

People on 'ludes should not drive.

 

[somecyguy]

Does Jean Claude Van Damme in everyone's favorite break dancing movie Breakin' 2 count?

 

[Mr Janny]

Safe Men:
Severely underrated comedy about two lounge singers who are mistaken for professional safe crackers. It came out close to 25 years ago, and is criminally unheralded.

The cast is loaded, featuring younger Sam Rockwell, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Giamatti, Peter Dinklage, Steve Zahn, and others.

Fantastic dialogue and very, very funny.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Safe Men:
Severely underrated comedy about two lounge singers who are mistaken for professional safe crackers. It came out close to 25 years ago, and is criminally unheralded.

The cast is loaded, featuring younger Sam Rockwell, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Giamatti, Peter Dinklage, Steve Zahn, and others.

Fantastic dialogue and very, very funny.

You may be the only other person that I've ever heard mention that movie!

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon weren't really a thing until Good Will Hunting.

Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth I in Elizabeth.

Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone.

Sigourney Weaver in Alien.

Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver.

Christian Bale in Empire of the Sun.

Sandra Bullock wasn't a thing until she was "the Wildcat" in Speed.

Brad Pitt wasn't a thing until Thelma and Louise.

Natalie Portman and The Professional. A lot of these are child actors who grew into stars.

Meryl Streep was made by The Deer Hunter. Which is ironic because she appeared in the movie so she could spend time with her boyfriend, John Cazale, as he was dying of cancer.

I don't remember much Bradley Cooper until after The Hangover.

Bradley Cooper was in the tv show Alias which also kick-started Jennifer Garner's career.

 

[Mr Janny]

You may be the only other person that I've ever heard mention that movie!

And that's a crime, because it's really, really good. I could listen to "Vealchop" muse about shrimp cocktail and male nursing again and again.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Kirsten Dunst started out her career very young with Interview With the Vampire

 

[Farnsworth]

This too:

This was going to be my answer.