The Best of You

#5. Kim Basinger in L.A. Confidential, 1997… The former Mrs. Baldwin was usually called in as set dressing, an object of lusty daydreams, even the physical manifestation of a sexy cartoon. Yes, Vicki Vale herself was never thought of when it came to parts that had any sort of weight. Now to be fair, she isn’t playing that unique a part – everyone from Julia Roberts to Elisabeth Shue has played a hooker with a heart of gold -but she played it well, and brought a surprising amount of tenderness to the part. She was given an Oscar as a thank-you and promptly went back to making crap, but for a moment there Holli Would gave us a glimpse of what she was capable of.

#4. Jim Carrey in THE ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, 2004… Strangest thing: comedians often have an easier time playing it straight, than dramatic actors do being funny (spoiler alert, the rest of this list is populated with comedians). Carrey gave us glimmers of what he was capable of in THE TRUMAN SHOW and MAN ON THE MOON, but both of them felt an awful lot like Jim Carrey with the volume turned down. Oft-overacting Carrey dug a bit deeper with ETERNAL SUNSHINE, and gave Joel a sadness that we’d never seen from him before. He seemed at the mercy of Kate Winslet’s eccentric Clementine, whereas in real life he’d probably run circles around her. Carrey’s melancholy work in this movie is easily the best acting he’s ever done. That said, if THE NUMBER 23 showed audiences anything, it’s that Carrey should do more serious work – but still know when to say “when”.

#3. Whoopi Goldberg in THE COLOR PURPLE, 1985… Whoopi’s career has been spotty at best, but going back to 1985, I’d bet nobody saw this performance coming. Whoopi was thirty-year-old comedian, known for jokes that could get raunchy in a hurry, but also showed some fierce political views. She had done no major movies before it, so to cast her in the lead of a very beloved book was a risky move at best. Whoopi never faltered though, and showed some great range by starting Celie as a timid kept girl married off to a man who didn’t really want her, and turning her into a strong woman who takes charge of her house and her own life. Like Basinger, Whoopi went back to making crummy movies, but her sophomore effort was huge nontheless.

#2. Tom Hanks in Philadelphia, 1993… OK, this seems like a gimme, but stay with me. These days Tom is seen as one of the best – a trusted talent who can provide an Oscar worthy scene while taking a phone call from his agent on a day where he has the sniffles. But it wasn’t always so. For starters, Hanks was once known for making comedies more than drama. Bad comedies. Really bad comedies. TURNER & HOOCH and JOE VS. THE VOLCANO bad. Making matters worse, Hanks’ first stab at drama, THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES was spectacularly bad…so much so, that it could have qualified on last week’s miscasting top five. But in 1992, with this part, Hanks showed audiences a side they’d never seen before, and did it in a very risky and controversial film. The rest, as they say, is history. Next time you’re at a video store, rent yourself THE BURBS. Watch it, and ask yourself if you’d have seen the future Forrest Gump in Hanks’ work.

#1. Bill Murray in Everything Since 1998… OK, I’ll admit that my top choice is a cheat, but it’s the only way I could think to do Peter Venkman justice. Murray, an SNL vet, rose to fame by playing a lovable slob. Call him a John Belushi on less drugs. His work in the eighties reads like a hall of fame of silliness, MEATBALLS, GHOSTBUSTERS, CADDYSHACK, SCROOGED. All good fun, but all played by the same schlub with a thick Chicago accent. Then things got bad – very bad. Bill showed up as a conniving bowler in KINGPIN, the caretaker of an elephant in LARGER THAN LIFE, and a simple-minded spy in THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE. The Second City vet was clearly starting to call it in. That was followed by a disastrous turn in WILD THINGS. But in 1998, hope was restored. Bill played a slimy industrialist, dueling a student for a woman’s affections in RUSHMORE. Murray had left his goofiness behind, but still kept his sharp comedic timing. He didn’t stop there, following it up with CRADLE WILL ROCK, HAMLET, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, LOST IN TRANSLATION, COFFEE AND CIGARETTES, THE LIFE AQUATIC, and BROKEN FLOWERS. He’s not the first comedian to change his act, but his act now is just so. damned. good. He throws in the odd bit of silliness for old times sake (OSMOSIS JONES anyone?), but as the quiet observationalist, Murray has built up a run of great parts that help forgive those sins.

Did I forget one? Post a comment and tell me your choices for bad miscasting. Likewise, feel free to make suggestions for next week’s top five.