Sunday, October 2, 2011

IN MY TOP TEN FAVORITE SCENE LIST

We all have our favorite movies or actors or scenes. Acting is an art form that if done correctly you don't really think about how great of an actor they are while your enjoying the movie. You just get pulled into the believability of the story. If it is done poorly, you not only know it, it destroys your ability to suspend belief and enjoy the flick, i.e. John Mellencamp, Falling From Grace & George Strait, Pure Country.
Plan Nine From Outer Space is so bad that it is actually entertaining to watch, kind of like the first few weeks of a new season of American Idol.

It's late on a Saturday night; Jojo has long ago entered slumber land. It's moments like this that have me going back through some saved DVR tidbits that I only watch by myself. No, get your mind out of the damned gutter, it's not porno. Sad to say these days that sort of thing does not rule my life anymore.
I have some scenes on there that I just can't delete. My favorite that I just watched again for the hundredth time is in the last 20 minutes of Absence Of Malice. It's the scene that takes place during the hearing of Michael Gallagher (Paul Newman) and reporter Megan Carter (Sally Field).
There wasn't a bad actor in that scene and Paul Newman? Forget about it, he was one of the best of the best. But that scene was absolutely stolen by Wilfred Brimley. One of my favorite parts of that scene is Brimley (US Assistant Attorney General Wells) chewing out Sally Fields and her lawyer about them trying to invoke their right to protect their sources and Brimley goes on to talk about the irresponsibility of people in journalism. Then he gets pissed and says, "now I want them names!"
He may have been acting but the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes probably scared the piss out of everybody in the room.
That scene reminds me of a small part Brimley played (The Post Master General) in Seinfeld when he was chewing Kramer ass off and brought him to tears, it was funny as hell.

The great thing about Brimley is in addition to having great acting chops he also has great common sense and conservative political views.
That’s a rare bird in Hollywood.
The star-struck congress love to have Hollywood luminaries come testify before their various bullshit investigative committees. I would love them call Brimley someday to testify.
Another movie that produced a great and memorable scene was from A Few Good Men. Jack Nicholson's character made the most compelling argument in that courtroom talking about the type of people who enjoy the freedoms of this nation, then questions the very manner in which it's provided. “But deep down in places they don't like to talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall”!

I know it's just a pipe dream of mine to see a Wilford Brimley testify before a congressional hearing. He's just not hot enough for those leering congressmen, also “they can't handle the truth!”.

 Sorry, I just couldn't resist that worn out cliché.

3 comments:

Rita said...

I remember those first horrible days after 9/11 and Nicholson's words kept playing over and over in my head. "You WANT me on the wall, you NEED me on that wall."

And today I was watching a BIO show about the making of Jaws. Fascinating how young Spielberg was and how over budget, over time the filming was. Dreyfus and Shaw HATED each other, not just on the film.

But the most interesting was Shaw's delivery of the recanting of the USS Indianapolis. Ranks up there with one of the best movie scenes ever.

As does Robin Williams' scene in Good Will Hunting where he talks with a young Matt Damon about knowing all about his life because he read Oliver Twist.

CnC said...

yeah the scene in the boat talking about the USS Indianapolis is my favorite I have that movie on Blu Ray, it never gets old!

CnC said...

I just watched Glengarry Glen Ross again just now for the hundreth time, damn, talk about actors! the whole movie is one big scene and nothing but amazing acting. The guys that were making the movie called it Death of a Fucking Salesman, nothing flashy about that movie, just incredible acting by the best in the business.