GetListy » Robert Redford

Male BFFs in the movies

Philip Wuntch — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:21:31 +0000

Male BFFs were a movie craze even before Newman met Redford. Reality TV has coined a new word, “bromance,” for what once had the more dignified label of “male bonding.”

The new movie I Love You, Man takes bromance to extremes. Ladies’ man Paul Rudd is about to marry but discovers his lack of close buddies makes a Best Man impossible. He embarks on various “mandates” before settling on Jason Segel. But does his fiancee have any say on the subject?

Other big-screen “bromances” include:

Actors and roles they missed

Bill Sullivan — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:45:44 +0000

Being a successful actor involves more than looking good on screen and being able to bring a script to life. Recognizing a good thing when you see one is part of the package, too.

Bad luck and poor choices are a big part of Hollywood lore. Careers have been made or broken based on an actor’s inability to look at a part and envision the possibilities, or by scheduling issues that prevented a thespian from taking on a juicy role.

Some films would have been quite different had the original choice not declined, been forced out by a prior commitment, or fallen victim to a director’s change of heart.

Of course, one performer’s misfortune is another’s opportunity. Forbes has put together a list of “10 Career-Changing Roles That Almost Weren’t.” It’s some interesting stuff, to say the least.

Here are some famous films, and the actor or actress who turned down or didn’t get the chance to shine:

1. Titanic: Gwyneth Paltrow

2. Knocked Up: Anne Hathaway

3. The Godfather: Ernest Borgnine

4. Forrest Gump: John Travolta

5. Pretty Woman: Molly Ringwald

6. The Reader: Nicole Kidman

7. The Graduate: Robert Redford

8. Brokeback Mountain: Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix

9. Casablanca: George Raft

10. Raiders of the Lost Ark: Tom Selleck

To read more about these matchups that didn’t happen, and to see a slideshow, visit Forbes.

Actors who played gay roles

Philip Wuntch — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:49:47 +0000

At this point, Sean Penn ranks high among probable Best Actor Oscar nominees. The dynamic Penn stars as assassinated gay politico Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant’s Milk, which opened nationwide Nov. 26. There was a time, though, when such a role would have been considered risky. Among those who proved otherwise: Hugh Jackman. What’s this, People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive once played gay? Yes, and he was heaped with praise for it. Although Jackman’s buff performance in Australia, not to mention X-Man Wolverine, helped make him People’s cover boy, he won a Tony as gay entertainer Peter Allen in The Boy from Oz. That musical hasn’t made it to the screen yet, but if it does, you can be sure Jackman will be cast. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. Probably the movie world’s most famous onscreen gay couple, they moved critics and moviegoers in Brokeback Mountain(Watch) . But when Brokeback surprisingly lost the 2005 Best Picture Oscar to Crash, Academy homophobia was blamed. Maybe Oscar voters will anoint this year’s Penn as means of erasing that label. Russell Crowe. Six years before Gladiator, Crowe played a good-natured gay in 1994’s The Sum of Us. He and his widowed father bond while searching for appropriate Significant Others. However, Crowe was reportedly offended when he and his rock band 30 Odd Foot of Grunts played San Francisco and gays threw their underwear onstage. Meryl Streep. In 2002’s The Hours, Madame Meryl played a plain-spoken lesbian who vainly tries to keep AIDS-ridden friend Ed Harris from suicide. And near the beginning of her movie career, when handlers discourage such role choices, she played Woody Allen’s ex-wife in Manhattan. When she writes a book explaining how her same-sex relationship had been much more nurturing than her marriage, Woody’s character was not amused. Didn’t hurt Meryl’s career at all.

Top Paul Newman performances

Philip Wuntch — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:40:24 +0000

The death of celebrated actor Paul Newman Friday at age 83 leaves the cinematic world greatly saddened. But the simple, unsentimental truth is that film will keep Newman alive. His triumphs were many, and his failures were almost always honorable ones.

Many ingredients contributed to the Newman persona. Once dismissed as a Brando clone, he developed his own understated style. Civil rights activism, philanthropy and long-time marriage to Joanne Woodward all added to his mystique.

I interviewed him many times through the years. He was always gracious, even when stating that he loathed doing interviews. Around six years ago, a New York Times article contained one of the most moving passages of any Newman interview. The interviewer had a tuna salad lunch with Newman and Woodward at their Connecticut home and observed how each would know instinctively when the other wanted another chip or an extra pickle. As with many old married couples, no words were needed to communicate.

Ultimately, though, the Newman mystique boils down to good, sometimes great, performances. Some examples:

Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956). When James Dean met an early death, Newman got the role of boxer Rocky Graziano and delivered a vulnerable but tough performance. Watch for Steve McQueen, who always envied Newman, as one of the street gang. The movie compensated for Newman’s mannered debut in The Silver Chalice two years earlier.

The Long, Hot Summer (1958). The first Newman/Woodward movie collaboration met with public favor. Many women still mention how they got chills when Newman promised Woodward that she’d “wake up every morning with a smile.” Don Johnson starred in a TV version 27 years later and made you realize how sharp Newman’s performance was.

Best political films

Bill Sullivan — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:19:45 +0000

Hollywood may have a reputation for being decidedly left-leaning on the political front, but that hasn’t prevented the film industry from cranking out some interesting takes on the process over the years.

Entertainment Weekly set out to indentify some of the best-loved political films of all time. The publication combined staff choices with readers’ votes to come up with a list of 16.

Here are the first 10, with primary star:

– Election (1999): Reese Witherspoon

– The Man (1972): James Earl Jones

– The American President (1995): Michael Douglas

– The Candidate (1972): Robert Redford

– Primary Colors (1998): John Travolta

– Bulworth (1998): Warren Beatty

– Dave (1993): Kevin Kline

– The Distinguished Gentleman (1992): Eddie Murphy

– The Manchurian Candidate (1962): Laurence Harvey

– Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939): James Stewart

To see the rest, and to catch a slideshow of the entire list, check out Entertainment Weekly.

Best celebrity quotes

Philip Wuntch — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:25:46 +0000

The next couple of months we’ll find ourselves swamped with long-winded political rhetoric, some more convincing than others. So maybe it’s time to relax with celebrity quotes, some more heavyweight than others.

After 40 years of interviewing the glitterati, a few revelations linger in my memory:

Candice Bergen discussing feminism in 1979: “Whenever I go to a Women’s Lib meeting, I always walk in and say ‘Hi, guys!’ just to see how they respond. They usually just stare at me.”

Clint Eastwood in 2004, revealing the muse who inspired the strong female roles in such Eastwood films as Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River, Play Misty for Me and with Angelina Jolie looming as Oscar-bait in Eastwood’s upcoming The Changeling: “When I was a young actor, I’d rush to the nearest television set if I knew a Bette Davis movie was on. She was the driving force in all her films, and her presence was always so compelling. She had a completely feminine persona, but she was as strong as any man. I was fascinated. ”

Lauren Bacall, discussing in 1994 how much she misses husband Humphrey Bogart, “When I met Bogie, I was a total virgin in every conceivable way. He taught me everything. And since [his death in] Jan. 14, 1957, something happens at least three times each day that reminds me I will never see him again. I would love to believe that after I die, he will greet me with his arms outstretched and we’ll dance in the clouds together. But I don’t believe that will happen. I’m not an atheist. But I just can’t bring myself to believe that will happen.”

Actors who became directors

Philip Wuntch — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:22:47 +0000

Back when actors started gaining control of their careers, producing and sometimes even directing their own movies, established studio execs heaved heavy sighs and muttered, “The lunatics are taking over the asylum.”

History has proved the naysayers wrong. Then again, not always. An actor directing himself in a feature film faces temptations that tickle every ounce of ego. In the current Tropic Thunder, Robert Downey Jr. has the most interesting and controversial role. But Ben Stiller gets the most close-ups and is usually placed in the center of the frame. Stiller, you see, is director, co-writer and co-producer of the film as well as being one of its stars.

Maybe he thought Iron Man would bomb and audiences wouldn’t want to look at Downey. Or maybe he was yielding to the self-protection that’s an evil necessity in the acting profession. If so, he wouldn’t be the first. Other examples:

George Clooney has been truly democratic behind the cameras. In Good Night, and Good Luck and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, he was one of the ensemble and allowed himself no favors that his characters didn’t deserve. In this year’s Leatherheads, he had the central role but willingly shared scenes with co-stars. Considering how the movie turned out, maybe he was being self-protective after all.