Films starring Patricia Clarkson that I've seen:
The Untouchables
Jumanjii
The Green Mile
The Station Agent
Miracle
Good Night, and Good Luck
Vicky Christina Barcelona
Shutter Island
Easy A
Friends with Benefits
One Day
The East
The Maze Runner
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
Best Performance: The Station Agent (2003)
There was a time about 10-15 years ago where Clarkson was one of the most in-demand dramatic character actresses in the industry. While she did plenty of excellent work during this period of her career, her turn in The Station Agent has stuck with me more than the rest. Clarkson's portrayal of a grief-stricken divorcee who develops a friendship with two other depressed loners (Peter Dinklage, Bobby Cannavale) in a small New Jersey town is grounded, poignant and above all, 100% authentic-feeling.
There was a time about 10-15 years ago where Clarkson was one of the most in-demand dramatic character actresses in the industry. While she did plenty of excellent work during this period of her career, her turn in The Station Agent has stuck with me more than the rest. Clarkson's portrayal of a grief-stricken divorcee who develops a friendship with two other depressed loners (Peter Dinklage, Bobby Cannavale) in a small New Jersey town is grounded, poignant and above all, 100% authentic-feeling.
Worst Performance: Miracle (2004)
A lot of talented actors got caught in the fray of this dull, overly sentimental dramatization of the infamous "Miracle on Ice" at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York and while Kurt Russell's unconvincing hardo take on iconic coach Herb Brooks absorbed a majority of the embarrassment, Clarkson's turn as Herb's wife Patti is still pretty cringeworthy. Clarkson's sole duty in Miracle is to provide generic "DON'T GIVE UP!" pep talks to her husband while he tries to prepare an undisciplined group of college hockey players for the imposing international stage of the Olympics, which is an insult to both her talent and the real Patti Brooks.
A lot of talented actors got caught in the fray of this dull, overly sentimental dramatization of the infamous "Miracle on Ice" at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York and while Kurt Russell's unconvincing hardo take on iconic coach Herb Brooks absorbed a majority of the embarrassment, Clarkson's turn as Herb's wife Patti is still pretty cringeworthy. Clarkson's sole duty in Miracle is to provide generic "DON'T GIVE UP!" pep talks to her husband while he tries to prepare an undisciplined group of college hockey players for the imposing international stage of the Olympics, which is an insult to both her talent and the real Patti Brooks.
Best Film: The Green Mile (1999)
Acclaimed horror/fantasy author Stephen King has provided Hollywood with a steady stream of material to work with for the past 40+ years. Of the dozens of King adaptations that have made their way to the big screen, The Green Mile is one of the select few that I would declare a masterpiece. Writer/director Frank Darabont perfectly blends mystical elements with brutal, emotionally-charged prison drama and just about every performance in the movie is nothing short of incredible.
Acclaimed horror/fantasy author Stephen King has provided Hollywood with a steady stream of material to work with for the past 40+ years. Of the dozens of King adaptations that have made their way to the big screen, The Green Mile is one of the select few that I would declare a masterpiece. Writer/director Frank Darabont perfectly blends mystical elements with brutal, emotionally-charged prison drama and just about every performance in the movie is nothing short of incredible.
Worst Film: The East (2013)
The East is one hell of an argument against the existence of "edgy" political thrillers. This film's idea of sharp, thought-provoking commentary on sociological issues is to constantly remind the audience that there's a very thin line between the immoral actions of corporations and the whistleblowing eco-terrorists that go to violent extremes to expose said wrongdoings to the world. Throw in a collection of obnoxious, wanna-be anarchist characters and you have one of the most insufferable films I've ever had the displeasure of sitting through.
Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". The next victim of my praise and ire will be "Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built" star Helen Mirren.
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