Is it list-making lazy? There's undoubtedly a Buzzfeed-esque vibe to making a 'top five' of anything, but as of late I've come to the realization that I have a huge gap in my movie knowledge; I know embarrassingly little about the actors behind the role. So in an attempt to both educate myself more about what makes a *good* actor and highlight some of my favorite performances, I'm making some lists. Maybe it's lazy, maybe it's excusable, but either way it's finals week and this is where I'm at mentally.
Sam Rockwell is rarely highlighted, despite his impressive history of playing psychopathic, manic-pixie, and poignant characters, but he is one of the most talented actors working today. He started his career with tiny roles in the late 1980s, and since then, Sam Rockwell has dipped his toes into virtually every genre of film imaginable. Sci-fi, drama, romance, and comedy are all familiar ground for him. The most impressive aspect of this achievement is how adept he is at comprehending each character while still managing to put his own unique signature on the performance. It’s a spectacle in itself to watch him lose himself in a role.
Sam Rockwell is rarely highlighted, despite his impressive history of playing psychopathic, manic-pixie, and poignant characters, but he is one of the most talented actors working today. He started his career with tiny roles in the late 1980s, and since then, Sam Rockwell has dipped his toes into virtually every genre of film imaginable. Sci-fi, drama, romance, and comedy are all familiar ground for him. The most impressive aspect of this achievement is how adept he is at comprehending each character while still managing to put his own unique signature on the performance. It’s a spectacle in itself to watch him lose himself in a role.
v. Lawn Dogs "People say you're trash"
Sam Rockwell wasn't completely unknown in 1997, he'd been a wild and quirky man-crush in 1996's Box of Moonlight and Ben Affleck's sidekick in the terrible, terrible Glory Daze, but Lawn Dogs was his first lead role. As lawnmower man Trent, the odd one out in a wealthy suburb, Rockwell tapped into his more modest side to create a character you love and pity at the same time. Lawn Dogs isn't a stellar movie- the ending alone kills it- but Barton and Rockwell bring performances so raw that it's hard not to like it just a little bit.
iv. The Way Way Back "Is it a homicide?"
This scene features Rockwell's most recent performance on the list, from the indie coming-of-age film The Way Way Back. In it, Rockwell plays Owen, the manager of a Cape Cod water park called “Water Wizz”. Like in Lawn Dogs, he befriends a misfit much younger than him, but unlike in Lawn Dogs, it's all fun and games. Owen is an aimless man-child who senses that new recruit Duncan is in need of a father figure, and he takes him under his wing in order to provide the boy with a brief escape from a life that isn’t so happy. Although it may not be one of his most well-known roles yet, The Way Way Back allows Rockwell to play one of his most realistically-flawed characters to date. He is able to show his soft side, a paternal instinct that he hasn’t really exhibited in any of his prior films (the exception may be 2007 horror flick Joshua, but let's just say his parenting skills could have used a little work there). Owen is a sweet guy, but the things that make him likable- his humor and easygoing attitude- keep him in a perpetual adolescence. We’ve all met somebody like Owen. They have a heart of gold, but they’re more willing to help others than they are themselves. Rockwell’s energetic happiness is a perfect match for the character, and it’s used to great effect. Somehow, even in the funniest scenes, if you look close enough, there seems to be some lingering sadness in Owen’s eyes. It’s a true gem, and the film is a great coming-of-age flick overall.
(Oh and Lewis, the sad-sack in the Jeffrey Dahmer glasses? That's Jim Rash, the Academy-Award winning writer and director of the movie.)
(Oh and Lewis, the sad-sack in the Jeffrey Dahmer glasses? That's Jim Rash, the Academy-Award winning writer and director of the movie.)
iii. Seven Psychopaths "The shootout"
When writer/director Martin McDonagh released his second film in 2012, I was a little wary. When your debut film is In Bruges, it's going to be difficult to top that, and even though I hold Seven Psychopaths in lower regard, I still think it gets about half of the recognition it deserves. I know for sure that one of the main reasons I love this film is because of Sam Rockwell, who plays Billy, a completely unhinged con-artist turned serial-killer. The film starts out on relatively normal ground, but quickly descends into madness, scaring everyone except for Billy, the only one who fails to recognize the gravity of the situation because of his indifference to violence. There are a lot of whack-jobs in the movie, and god, it makes for one hilarious ensemble, but Sam Rockwell is definitely the standout psychopath, both in terms of craziness and scene-stealing moments.
ii. Moon "She was so beautiful"
I've said it once and I'll say it a thousand times- Moon is the movie Interstellar and Gravity only dreamed of being. It's a simplistic, low-budget sci-fi film that proves you don't need all the bells and whistles to create something great, and like the largely solo Gravity, Sam Rockwell carries the bulk of the film by himself. He plays astronaut Sam Bell, a father and husband with just three weeks left on his own in a residential lunar facility before returning home,but when he discovers he has been cloned, he confronts the primal fears of death, loneliness and the futility of life. There's nothing light about this movie. The film continues to pave a labyrinth of mystery as Bell becomes more obsessed in finding out who is real and who is not (if any of them are at all), going so far as to revive a 3rd clone. Rockwell plays these 3 roles with such distinguished subtlety, never allowing the scenes to play out as uproarious, but instead creating a mystery around each of his incarnations. They are similar enough to be the same man upon passing, but different enough to distinguish each one in the scenes that they share. Here we have Sam Bell, a hopeful, gregarious man, eagerly counting down the days when he can return to his family. And over here we have Sam Bell, a cold, dismissive misanthrope whose suspicions may be the only thing that saves them both. This performance is a difficult one to master for any actor, and Rockwell achieves a great feat in handling the work. He was unfairly overlooked for his work with any sort of Oscar consideration, but I happily acknowledge his turn in Moon as his best work yet.
v. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind "The unknown comic"
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was Oscar-winning actor George Clooney’s first venture into directing. He chose to tell the story of “Gong Show” host and producer Chuck Barris, who would eventually allege that he was a contract killer for the Central Intelligence Agency. It was a revelation that left many to question his sanity when it was originally released in his ludicrous biography, but Barris still maintains the story today. It's undoubtedly a role that requires an actor with a certain charm and talent, bordering on the line between charming and manic, and Rockwell achieves it so well, portraying both sides of this larger than life person, as a zany television personality and as a trained killer way in over his head. I'm sure that in less capable hands, this film would have been laughed off- the premise alone is far-fetched to say the least. But it almost seems plausible with Rockwell in the spotlight. He’s marvelous.
And though it's not technically a scene, I felt that I had to include Rockwell's screen test for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. He once said he learned everything he knows about dancing from James Brown, and man, can he dance.
And though it's not technically a scene, I felt that I had to include Rockwell's screen test for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. He once said he learned everything he knows about dancing from James Brown, and man, can he dance.