Ben Stiller

With Zoolander opening in the States this week, I believe, it's time to start a thread about George Kastanza's Dads little boy.

Ben Stiller's succession in Hollywood has been the biggest surprise of the last few years. Since There's Something About Mary he's gathered something of a cult following and Meet The Parents secured his commercial viability.

What does he exactly offer to a film? He's hardly got the Hollywood look of a superstar. His hair is all over the place, his ears stick out, his teeth are too big for his mouth. His comedic range can be switched to only two modes: angry or embarassed. The former isn't funny, the second can be. Either way, he's not an expert comedian.

It was as a director that I first noticed him. I'm a big fan of the Cable Guy. I've seen it more times than I should have. Stiller directed this and had a small, funny cameo.

The next time I saw him was in Happy Gilmore. Wearing a dodgy moustauche, Stiller was excellent as the frightening orderly in the Nursing Home. It's probably the only time I found Stiller's angry-crazy man act funny.

A guest appearance on Friends showed the bad side to this angry character. Absolutely hopeless.

Next came There's Something About Mary. Cameron Diaz really shone in this movie and Matt Dillon grabs silver in the comedy stakes - "Those goofy bastards are about the best thing I've got going." - and then Lee Evans. Stiller's performance while strong is way down the list when it comes to laughs. I guess you are rooting for him in the end though.

Mystery Men. This film is one of the best and worst films of all time. So much of it works that it's a shame that such a lot of it doesn't. Stiller is one of the things that doesn't work. He's super angry! Wow, what a useless power. It's the worst in the movie. And this in a film with a girl who throws a bowling ball.

Keeping The Faith - A little dramatic romance with comedic aspirations. It doesn't work. I'll blame Norton for this disaster though. Stiller tries hard. The film would have been better if Norton was actually the hero though and the one who ended up getting the girl. That would have led to some fun complications.

Meet The Parents - This is probably the best example at what Stiller does best. He is the loser guy who will lie himself into a corner and then tell more lies just to get out of the corner. His embarassment when caught out is wonderfully played. Unfortunately the film doesn't really work as a whole.

So what do you guys think of Stiller? I'm desperate to find out the real reason behind his success.

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Well, yeah, "Mr. Angry" has a stupid power: that's the joke. He's completely useless for the most part. Anyway, other than that, I'm afraid I have to completely disagree on almost every other point. I thought he was pretty funny in "Friends," and I thought "Mystery Men" and "Meet the Parents" were both incredibly funny...as well as clever/witty. I'm looking forward to "Zoolander," and I think I'm officially a Ben Stiller fan now.

I absolutly love Ben Stiller.It's funny to me that you didn't mention any of his more serious roles...like Permenent Midnight or Friends and Neighboors.Both of which he delivered excellent skill.I truely think he is so gifted as a comedian and as just an actor.He stands out with an odd,kind of uncomfortable,approach to humor and wit.He's not for everyone,I could see how people would find him annoying...but I love him.

hey, stiller rules... he's one of my favorites.

I liked that small comedy movie of his with Mary Tyler Moore, Patricia Arquette. Mrs. David Duchovny, Alan Alda, Lily Tomlin, etc. I forgot what it was called, though.

I'm also a fan of "Zero Effect", though Stiller isn't given a whole lot to work with there (he's still good, though).

Ryan - the film you can't put a title to is Flirting with Disaster (1996), written and directed by David O. Russell (Spanking the Monkey, Three Kings). I liked that movie too, though it could have been tighter. But plenty of good stuff there.

I think the younger Stiller's finest acting to date is definitely the strung-out self-destructive sitcom writer in Permanent Midnight (1998). He was excellent in Niel LaBute's caustic Your Friends & Neighbors (1998) as well.

As for his comedic chops, his best stuff is still what he accomplished on his short-lived FOX and M-TV sketch shows. Some amazingly funny stuff, and the FOX show (simply titled "The Ben Stiller Show") had the perfect supporting cast of Bob Odenkirk, Andy Dick, and Janeane Garofalo. Great show! It was cancelled then promptly won an Emmy for Best Writing.

I'm really looking forward to what he can do in Wes Anderson's upcoming The Royal Tenenbaums, co-starring Gene Hackman, Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, Owen Wilson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Danny Glover, etc.


*and for the record, Jerry Stiller's indellible character on "Seinfeld" is Frank COSTANZA.

jeez...my spelling is really horrendous.I'm sorry everybody...I hope it's not bugging anyone...i usually write these late at night so...I don't know...Holden's post just made me look like an arse(i meant to spell it that way)

Yeah, Stiller is pretty good. Nobody has mentioned Reality Bites. There is a line he gives in that movie to Ethan Hawke's character that blew me away. That's the first time I saw him.

I'm shocked you didn't like Mr Furious! He was the best character.

Well....what was the line? I did forget about him in that movie.I loved him and the flick...didn't he direct it...or write it? One of the two.

He directed it. He's listed as having the following quote on IMDB.com, so this might be it...though it doesn't sound like it...

When I first saw Mystery Men, I hated it, but I watched it again, and again, and it's a movie that has stupid funny parts, but still a good laugh. Stiller's character in this doesnt have a power, but says he has one just so he'll fit in, which makes it funny. Keeping the Faith I thought was very well done, very good movie, well not oscar material, but funny nonetheless. Meet the Parents, I didn't like this movie that much, I guess I haven't watched it that much, but it just didn't appeal to me.

His new movie Zoolander, should be something that his wife could have helped him with. Being a model and ditzy. Not saying all models, are ditzy, but if you've seen the trailers for this then you would know what I'm talking about. Should be a good one, gonna try and check it out tonight.

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"I was walking down the street with my friend and he said, "I hear music", as if there is any other way you can take it in. You're not special, that's how I receive it too. I tried to taste it but it did not work." - Mitch Hedberg

I agree that his "angry mode" isn't very funny. I always hated the part in Meet the Parents when he was arguing with the flight attendant. Otherwise, that movie was hilarious, especially the running joke about Focker being a pothead.

Dude, I LOVED the part on the airplane. The people in the theatre were going nuts over it. He talked just like a real person would if completely at the end of the their rope, with sentences so clumsy and disjointed that they rival the likes of PLite.

"Ok, your airline? You guys suck at checking bags."
"I am finished with the checking of the bags...conversation."

I don't know, that part just seemed so cliched to me. It seemed like something I would have found funny when I was a little kid. He just seemed to babble on and on and on and on and on... ad nauseum.

[Edited by Arthur Dent on 09-29-2001]

Meet the Parents was cliche. It was formula. Thats why you its tough to decide if it was good. It seemes good but we all no deep down that it wasnt. Stiller's a funny guy and in the right roles and films, shines. I was on eof the few people I know who thought Mystery Men was just flat out hillarious. Even in like, Heavyweights, Stiller was really funny.

LOL I'm sorry. I'm looking around for it but I can't find the quote. It is near the end of the movie. Stiller is arguing with Hawke about the girl they're battling over. Stiller starts to leave the room and Hawke says something like you don't know what she needs. Stiller turns abrupty and stares straight into the camera and says something like you couldn't possibly give her what she needs. That was one of the best delivered lines I'd ever seen. It completely floored me. Anyway, that was the first time I noticed Stiller.

Yeah he's underappriciated in the serious roles he does.I truely think he's a gifted actor, both comedies and not.

LOL. I'm sorry. I'm looking around for it, but I can't find the quote...

Do you mean, "I think I know what she needs in a way you never will"?

I'm suprised that Highway To Hell wasn't mentioned..not a big role(s), but he was funny in that too as Pluto's Cook & Attila The Hun, One of the most underrated films of all time by the way, and yet it was an excellent dark comedy..


Derrick

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