Most Overrated Acting Performance

[john t]

Denzel Washington Training Day
The bad cop is the easiest part to play, imo

[georgep]

Halle Berry, "Die Another Day" (Angela Bassett would have been a stronger Black Bond girl by far)

Mark Wahlberg (how DOES he keep getting these big roles???) and Warren Beatty in almost anything (except "Heaven Can Wait" and "Bulworth," where he actually attempted to PLAY his PART)

[SilentBob]

Originally posted by john t
Denzel Washington Training Day
The bad cop is the easiest part to play, imo

I have to agree on it. I thought sometimes he was over acting his character. I think it would of been better if his nomination went to someone else instead. I think Gene Hacknam should of won that year (at least get a nomination) for his role as Royal Tenenbaum. But his performance was overlooked.

[Version]

Watching Training Day again last week I thought Denzel deserved all the credit he got for the film. Great performance IMO.

Although from that year's awards I will nominate Hale Berry in Monster's Ball. It was a gutsy move to take such an unflattering role but her performance just didn't cut it for me.

I will also say Adrien Brody for The Pianist. A beautiful movie and a terrific performance. I just thought he was bested by Daniel Day-Lewis and and others last year.

[El Lancito]

Originally posted by john t
Denzel Washington Training Day
The bad cop is the easiest part to play, imo

I agree. He should have won the Oscar for Malcolm X years ago. That's his signature performance as far as I'm concerned.

[ebuzz79]

Julia Roberts in Erin Brokovitch.

[Darksim]

Julia Roberts and Renee Zelweigger in ANY movie....

[Fetch]

Anything Nicolas Cage has ever been in.

[electricsheep22]

Halle Berry in Monster's Ball...first of all, she didn't look how the part should look at all. It would have benefitted more from the casting of an African-American woman who looks, well, blacker. Her "black" dialect wasn't convincing at all, it sounded more like a white person's impression. Constantly crying, whining, screaming, waving your tits around, and beating your fat child does not constitute an award. She wasn't BAD by any means, it's just the details that prevent her from truly deserving the award, IMHO.

I'll second Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich...what the fuck did she do in that that was so amazing? It was just more of Julia Roberts playing Julia Roberts.

[Soggy Bagel's Revenge!]

Originally posted by ebuzz79
Julia Roberts in Erin Brokovitch.

I don't think any actual person ever rated this performance all too highly, so I'm not sure it counts. Everyone knows that bunch of robots called the A.M.P.A.S. just handed Ellen Burstyn's award to Julia because they wanted to see just how large the distance between the ends of her lips could get. That's right. Perverse fascination with a monstrously large smile was what prevented Ellen Burstyn from receiving her award.

[Keith]

I agree w/everyone's mention of Denzel Washington in Training Day. Yet another case of the Academy awarding someone for previous work.

[Marq]

If we're restricting ourselves to recent Oscar winning performances, I'd definitely go with Russell Crowe in Gladiator... nothing special in a pretty shitty movie. Although he was fantastic in The Insider...
Personally I really liked Halle Berry in Monster's Ball.... and I'm not sure anyone "rated" her "performance" in Die Another Day for it to become "overrated".

I'll also agree that Julia Robert's lips and teeth were awarded rather than any "acting" on her part that year. Burstyn got hosed...

[martini]

Anything Robin Williams ever did except "Popeye"

Brad Pitt in "12 Monkeys".

[nitin]

denzel washington - training day
russel crowe - gladiator
julia roberts - erin brockovich
gwyneth paltrow - shakespeare in love
tom hanks - road to perdition
nicole kidman - moulin rouge
audrey tatou - amelie
robin williams - insomnia
cary grant - north by northwest
sexy beast - ben kingsley
jack nicholson - the shining
sharon stone - casino
sean connery - the untouchables
renee zellewegger - chicago
helen hunt - as good as it gets
kim basinger - la confidential
marisa tomei - my cousin vinny
cuba gooding jr - jerry maguire


I'm not saying that any of the performance are terrible, far from it in some cases, but they're all definitely overrated IMHO. And these are just off the top of my head.

[dvdlover]

Tom Hanks - Forrest Gump

in my opinion, it's very easy to act as if someone is retarded or unintelligent. I see nothing special with what he did in that movie.

[incubus0]

Originally posted by Fetch
Anything Nicolas Cage has ever been in.

ditto

Except Raising Arizona. I thought his performance as a dim-witted near-do-well criminal was spot on.

[Dave Bowman]

Tom Hanks - Forrest Gump

in my opinion, it's very easy to act as if someone is retarded or unintelligent. I see nothing special with what he did in that movie.

I have to put in my .02 worth: First of all, I am an actor (yes, I make my living as such in NYC in Theater, Film & Tv).

And you guys have no idea how difficult it is to act in front of the camera in a principle role. I can appreciate that most of you are film buffs and understand the rigors of moviemaking.

But to say that it's EASY is indicating that you are misinformed and speaking from no expertise whatsoever. Movies are non-linear, they are shot out of sequence. Meaning that (as the actor) you have to have an extreme understanding of the character from scene to scene.

And you have to do many takes, sometimes at 4am in the morning! You think that's easy? I really get upset when people say, "oh I can do that", or "he/she can't act", etc. Don't necessarily blame the actor all the time. Sometimes it's the director, writer or the editor.

I'm not going into details, but you should pick up a book on acting or watch some of those documentaries or listen to a commentary or two to further your understanding.

Sorry for the venting, I just had to point that out.

[Frank Gunn]

sexy beast - ben kingsley

Sacrilege. Just plain sacrilege.

[ebuzz79]

Originally posted by Soggy Bagel's Revenge!
I don't think any actual person ever rated this performance all too highly, so I'm not sure it counts. Everyone knows that bunch of robots called the A.M.P.A.S. just handed Ellen Burstyn's award to Julia because they wanted to see just how large the distance between the ends of her lips could get. That's right. Perverse fascination with a monstrously large smile was what prevented Ellen Burstyn from receiving her award.

I know, the only reason I mentioned it was because of the whole oscar thing.

I guess it was decided that it would look better to have Julia Roberts on the cover of Entertainment Weekly smiling big and holding her oscar than someone who actually deserved it.

It's also sad because an oscar won't change Julia Roberts career. But it would have helped out Ellen Burstyn big time. Yes she won back in the early 70's for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, but I don't think that holds much weight today. And who knows with another oscar in hand the atrocity Ya-ya sisterhood may never have been committed.

[BADBRAD]

All of the performers you all are ragging on are top notch. Where do you get off and what acting parts have you mastered. Get a life!

[Oscar Antonio M]

Russel Crowe-Gladiator
Julia Roberts-Erin Brockovich

[Marq]

Originally posted by BADBRAD
All of the performers you all are ragging on are top notch. Where do you get off and what acting parts have you mastered. Get a life!

This IS my life.

[Frank Gunn]

All of the performers you all are ragging on are top notch. Where do you get off and what acting parts have you mastered. Get a life!

Oh, my god, he's right. I've never mastered an acting part. Fuck! There go all my arguments, right out the window! In fact, Bad Brad has just unravelled over a thousand years of written criticism! Pauline Kael, burn in blackest HELL! All you literary majors, shut the FUCK up! Because unless you can write better than Chaucer, you have no goddamned *right* to criticize!

[martini]

Originally posted by BADBRAD
All of the performers you all are ragging on are top notch. Where do you get off and what acting parts have you mastered. Get a life!

I agree with almost all of the performances mentioned as being "overrated". Especially when they have won or were nominated for awards while others deserved the award more. The people listed mostly won because the have the best press agents or play Hollywood politics better than others or show up at all the right Hollywood parties. An Oscar(tm) doesn't mean crap. And don't buy the press hype.

[martini]

Originally posted by Frank Gunn
Bad Brad has just unravelled over a thousand years of written criticism! Pauline Kael, burn in blackest HELL!

OMG, that's fucking brilliant!!!

[BADBRAD]

Originally posted by martini

OMG, that's fucking brilliant!!!

what-ever!

[Marq]

Originally posted by BADBRAD
what-ever!

like, totally!

[BADBRAD]

Originally posted by Marq
like, totally!

What a bunch of losers!

[a.bunker]

Anything with Russel Crowe- I don't see the appeal.

[Marq]

Originally posted by BADBRAD
What a bunch of losers!

Especially me!

[EnriqueH]

I got to see Gladiator in a special sneak preview, so I got to see it before all the hype. It was a great movie. I thought it was going to suck, but it didn't. However, all the subsequent Gladiator frenzy and media saturation killed it for me a bit, kinda like Jurassic Park. As for Russell Crowe's performance, it was excellent. Did he deserve to win Best Actor? No, I would've given it to Tom Hanks in Castaway.

Which brings me to Tom Hanks. I'm sick of Tom Hanks. I'm sick of hearing about how great an actor he is, and I'm sick of his getting nominated all the damn time. That said, he proves to me why he is so highly regarded with every performance. (Granted, people who said he should've been nominated for Apollo 13 and Road to Perdition are grasping at straws.) I saw Castaway, rolling my eyes at this latest Tom Hanks "powerhouse" performance as it started to unfold. At the end of the movie, I was spellbound. He was great. He really does deserve all the praise.

Most overrated performances? Hmmm. What about Michael Keaton as Batman? He was great in Batman Returns, giving a more relaxed, charismatic performance. But in the first film? He was awful. Way too much of a tightass. He had zero charisma.

EnriqueH

[georgep]

Tom Hanks was probably better in Cast Away than he has been in almost anything else save Philadelphia. But then again, like Jimmy Stewart before him, Hanks is always at his best when he's just playing himself. The rest of the time, he's just an ordinary actor blessed with some powerful scripts and direction.

Michael Keaton isn't regarded as a commercially viable lead anymore, and that's just sad considering his talent. His two performances as Batman were certainly light-years ahead of anyone else that has tried to play the Caped Crusader.

Having said that, I find Renee Zellweger and Reese Witherspoon overrated in most of their work, save Jerry Maguire and Down With Love. They're perfectly acceptable actresses, but they really don't elicit anything unique from their characters, much less anything that merits the paydays and prestige roles they get now.

[Marq]

Originally posted by georgep
I find Renee Zellweger and Reese Witherspoon overrated in most of their work, save Jerry Maguire and Down With Love

Neither of those films has Reese in it. Actually I ADORE Reese Witherspoon in Freeway and Election. I hope does some edgier fare like those... but now with the babies and all, maybe she's gone soft. Renee, I for the most part find very annoying in "real life" but un-noteworthy on film (neither good nor bad I find. though I liked her in Nurse Betty).

[EnriqueH]

I absolutely HATE Reese Witherspoon because she was so damn good in Election. I don't think I'll ever forget her characterization as the repulsive, upwardly-mobile Flick, and for that, she deserves all the hatred in the world. She was that good in Election. Witherspoon is a very gifted actress. She made a good first impression on me in "Fear".

Speaking of "Fear", Mark Wahlberg totally blew me away in that movie. I couldn't believe how good he was in the lead. I became an instant fan of Marky Mark, the actor. From there, he was great in Boogie Nights. In fact, I don't think he made a bad film, (even The Big Hit had some good points). But I felt betrayed by his non-performance in Planet of the Apes. Here he was, leading a revolution, but I wouldn't have followed his character to the bank. I'm not sure what went wrong in Planet of the Apes. All the other actors did very well, so I can't lay the blame on Burton.

Renee Zellweger, I was kinda thinking she was overrated...until I saw her in Chicago. She really deserved the nomination. Did she deserve to win? Can't say since I didn't see all of the nominees in that category last year.

EnriqueH

[georgep]

I couldn't think of anything I was really impressed by Witherspoon in at the time, that's why I didn't mention any of her films and only Zellweger's. However, on reflection, she played pretty well off Tobey Maguire in Pleasantville (but hey, we all saw that for the return of Barney Fife anyway ), and, okay, she was convincingly, overzealously creepy in Election.

But otherwise, neither Zellweger nor Witherspoon really leave that much of an impression, to be honest. To me, they just seem to be two more White blondes who market themselves well in Hollywood. But, hey, I thought the same thing about Kim Basinger for most of her career, so that's just my two cents.

I have no problem with Mark Wahlberg, except the guy can't emote to save his life. He plays arrogant well, as we saw in "Boogie Nights," but otherwise, is he really anything more than beefcake in his lead roles? (I won't even MENTION his trying to fill Cary Grant's shoes in "The Trouble With Charlie." )

[EnriqueH]

Damn, dude. I would hardly call Wahlberg's performance in Boogie Nights one-note.

EnriqueH

[Ryoohki]

The description of film buff made by Ben Affleck in Jay and Silent Bob Strike back was quite accurate. But, I'am accepting that fact :p

Originally posted by Dave Bowman
I have to put in my .02 worth: First of all, I am an actor (yes, I make my living as such in NYC in Theater, Film & Tv).

And you guys have no idea how difficult it is to act in front of the camera in a principle role. I can appreciate that most of you are film buffs and understand the rigors of moviemaking.

But to say that it's EASY is indicating that you are misinformed and speaking from no expertise whatsoever. Movies are non-linear, they are shot out of sequence. Meaning that (as the actor) you have to have an extreme understanding of the character from scene to scene.

And you have to do many takes, sometimes at 4am in the morning! You think that's easy? I really get upset when people say, "oh I can do that", or "he/she can't act", etc. Don't necessarily blame the actor all the time. Sometimes it's the director, writer or the editor.

I'm not going into details, but you should pick up a book on acting or watch some of those documentaries or listen to a commentary or two to further your understanding.

Sorry for the venting, I just had to point that out.

:p

[john t]

Originally posted by BADBRAD
All of the performers you all are ragging on are top notch. Where do you get off and what acting parts have you mastered. Get a life!

i mastered the part of a monkey in my 6th grade production of jungle book, so i feel imminently qualified to rag on any performer. acting is NOT hard work. try busting your hump on a construction site for a while

[scarredgod]

Sharon Stone in Casino...hands down my top pick.

Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut...i dont know if this performance is highly regarded but its terrible. the scene in which she is supposed to be high is laughably bad. but good for her that she has apparantly never been high before.

[AnonomusBob15]

Originally posted by Fetch
Anything Nicolas Cage has ever been in.

"Well Baby-O, this ain't exactly my ties in Yatzee."

You're telling me that Con Air wasn't excellent?

Ha.