You Are No Longer Part of the System

I guess that it’s probably true that comedic roles are more difficult than dramatic roles (although I’d guess that that depends on the role) – and since almost all the actors listed here represent some of the best dramatic actors currently working, it’s not surprising that they’d all make this list. Almost all of them have comedic moments in the films they’ve been in (George C. Scott in Patton, for example – certainly not a comedy, but the scene where he’s toasting his Russian ‘sonofabitch’ counterpart is quite funny).

Also, I think it’s probably important to point out that the scripts they worked with were all great. Leslie Nielsen is hilarious in the Naked Gun movies, but was embarrassing in Repossessed, which was not a funny script. In the same way that the actors can’t rescue a bad dramatic script, they especially can’t rescue an unfunny comedic script. And that’s a horrible death, too.

I should also say at the outset, like with the Oliver Stone poll, I don’t know nearly as much about this subject as Lawdog does, or as the Uncle does. I tend to approach movies the way I approach paintings – viscerally, rather than with great vast understanding of movies and acting. Both of them are way more qualified than me to comment on this subject, and their comments on this subject are probably much more valuable than mine, if they offer them sometime in the future.

Tommy Lee Jones was on a soap opera for five years, according to the IMDB. I had no idea. Perhaps this prepared him for the comedic roles he’s played of late (I include his roles in Batman Forever and Natural Born Killers in those – that sort-of over-the-top thing). It’s hard for me to comment on his performance because I’ve never seen MIB. I’ve seen him in a number of other things, of course, probably most memorably in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opposite Jessica Lange – hardly a comedic performance, but a very powerful one.

I have a couple of other thoughts about the nominees for this poll:

• I thought Leslie Nielsen really reached his comedic stride in the Police Squad TV show and the Naked Gun movies. Also, his co-star in those movies, George Kennedy, was great, another dramatic actor playing comedy I thought very successfully.
• Speaking of Airplane!, I think all the nominees for this movie (Stack, Nielsen, Graves, Bridges) were all hilarious. Part of the fun of those movies, besides their out-and-out silliness, is seeing these actors send themselves up.
• I part ways with the vast majority of people regarding Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda – I didn’t think he was that funny. I thought he was too over-the-top and broad, cartoony, almost. Although I loved the "It’s K-K-K-K-Ken! Are you going to k-k-k-k-kill me, K-K-K-Ken?" thing.
• In some ways, I feel the same way about DeNiro. In my opinion, I think he was funniest in Midnight Run, although this particular poll was inspired by Analyze This, which I thought was hysterical. I’ll be curious to see him in a totally non-traditional role for him – playing Fearless Leader in the upcoming Rocky and Bullwinkle movie, coming out this summer.
• I had forgotten how funny the scene in Young Frankenstein featuring Gene Hackman as the blind old man was until I saw it recently. I laughed until I cried. I think he’s among the greatest actors out there. His role in Unforgiven, especially as he’s debunking the myth of Richard Harris’ character English Bob.
• I like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and I like Arnold movies. I think he’s actually very funny in the comedies he’s done. I particularly enjoyed Kindergarten Cop, mainly because it’s so funny to see the enormous Ah-nold being swarmed over by kids.

So now for something completely different – what we like to drink, alcoholically speaking. Next up – our favorite drinks!

FC

(Lawdog's additional comments)

Okay I will be the first one to take a shot at the Cat for his Kline comment. When it came out in 1988, I was a lad just graduating high school and I knew absolutely nothing about movies, acting, directing, writing, anything. I had never heard of Kevin Kline other than "The Big Chill" and I never really had seen that movie in its entirety.

However, I have to say that "A Fish Called Wanda" is one of my top five comedies all time. I am not by any stretch as knowledgeable about movies as Flatcat believes. As a matter of fact, I just like what I like, much like Flatcat does. I used to believe that I had to like whatever the "critics" liked because they obviously knew much more than I did and I wanted to be part of the "intellectuals". Maybe everyone goes through that phase. I am glad I escapsed that mindset though. If I hadn't, I would never have been able to like movies like "Austin Powers".

Anyway, Kline was masterful in "A Fish Called Wanda". When he opens the safe after the robbery and realizes George has moved the jewels, his temper tantrum makes me absolutely cackle until this day. The dialogue with Michael Palin is all brilliant, including Flatcat's favorite scene. And the sex scene with Jamie Lee Curtis intercut with Cleese's nightly ritual is an excellent piece of filmmaking.

The commentary for the drink poll will be loaded tomorrow. The new poll asks a question for which I will be very interested to see Scoop's comments since I believe Kubrick is his favorite director. What is Kubrick's best film? I wouldn't be surprised if the only person to vote for "Eyes Wide Shut" is the Gist and that is just for Kidman in that little white outfit. I thought he was going to pass out in the theater when we went to see it. We even had to leave the wives at home that night. I guess he didn't want the wife to see him with his tongue on the less than pristine floor of the theater.

Comments and suggestions to lawdogusc@hotmail.com.

Poll Topic: Most Surprising Comedic Film Performance from an Actor Known for Dramatic Roles
Tommy Lee Jones - 'Men in Black'	15.5% - (93 Votes)
Leslie Nielsen - 'Airplane'	11.6% - (70 Votes)
Kevin Kline - 'A Fish Called Wanda'	11.5% - (69 Votes)
George C. Scott - 'Dr. Strangelove'	8.6% - (52 Votes)
Arnold Schwarzenegger - 'Twins'	6.8% - (41 Votes)
Lloyd Bridges - 'Airplane'	6.6% - (40 Votes)
John Malkovich - 'Being John Malkovich'	5.6% - (34 Votes)
Robert DeNiro - 'Analyze This'	5.3% - (32 Votes)
Robert Stack - 'Airplane'	5% - (30 Votes)
Robert DeNiro - 'Midnight Run'	4.5% - (27 Votes)
Mel Gibson - 'Lethal Weapon'	4% - (24 Votes)
William H. Macy - 'Fargo'	3.6% - (22 Votes)
Gene Hackman - 'Young Frankenstein'	3.3% - (20 Votes)
Marlon Brando - 'The Freshman'	2.1% - (13 Votes)
Al Pacino - 'Dick Tracy'	1.8% - (11 Votes)
John Lithgow - 'The World According to Garp'	1.3% - (8 Votes)
Robert DeNiro - 'King of Comedy'	1.1% - (7 Votes)
Christopher Walken - 'Illuminata'	1% - (6 Votes)
Jeremy Irons - 'Reversal of Fortune'	0.1% - (1 Votes)
Total Votes: 600