Most underated movie, actor, actress..

Just thought I'd start a thread regarding underated movies, actors and actresses.


Actors:
John Cusack: I think he's probably one of the best actors I can recall in a long time who has never been nominated for an academy award, or lavished over by either the media or dominant film critics in our society. From humor in One Crazy Summer, Better off Dead, Being John Malkovich, and 16 Candles, to serious dramatic acting in films like The Grifters and Midnight in the Garden of Evil, I think Cusack is extremely underated (especially when you consider the praise Tom Hanks is awared).

Denis Leary: I was actually surprised to see that this guy can act in the small amount of films I saw him in (The Ref, Demolition Man, Suicide Kings). Very good actor, even though it might be possible to label him as a character actor in the sense of being villianry in all his films. Nonetheless, I was astonished by his capability and impressed...not to mention he's damn funny onstage

Actresses

Jodie Foster: How the movie 'Contact' came and went without even a slight nod towards nominating her for Best Actresses is beyond my limited comprhension. Perhaps because the main character was an aethist. Nevertheless, I think she put on an amazing performance in this film, as in Anna and the King, Silence of the Lambs, and Nell. A great star who is overlooked waaay too many times by Hollywood.

Films:

I'm not going to touch this because now that I think about it, there's waaay too many movies that I myself like that never really made the sight of day. I

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What is it with John Cusack lovers?

And Jodie Foster is hardly underrated. 2 Oscars on her mantlepiece?


My favourite two actors in the world.

Philip Seymour Hoffman - if you don't know who he is, then I'm putting you on my ignore list. I mean it. From Happiness, to Boogie Nights, to Magnolia, to Almost Famous, to The Talented Mr Ripley, to Flawless, to Patch Adams - he was great in Patch Adams, for crying out loud. If you discount Twister, I don't know what happened to Phil in that one, then he has never had a bad performance.

Philip Baker Hall - If I could thank Todd Solondz for one thing, it would be for introducing me to Mr. Baker Hall. Happiness (one of the greatest performances ever), Talented Mr Ripley, Magnolia, The Insider, Boogie Nights. Wonderful.

Melora Walters - Her performance in Magnolia is the single greatest performance by an American actress ever. And she got no recognition.

Laurel and Hardy - When people discuss silent comedians, they dismiss these two. But no single comedian was ever as consistent as Stan and Ollie. I have nearly everything they ever did on DVD. And I haven't stopped laughing.

Underrated Film:

City Slickers. This doesn't get the plaudits it deserves. Its one of the greatest films ever but most would label it as just another Billy Crystal comedy. I live by one thing. What's that one thing? You're going to have to find that out for yourself.

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Joesph Gordon Levitt. The man is a brilliant actor, and the best young male actor around.

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Underated films

Usual Suspects - Not too many people I suggest this to like it. I think it's a very good twisty thriller and deserves some attention. Plus it's directed by our master Bryan Singer.

Unbreakable - As unusual as it may sound, this movie is not on a lot of people's favorite list. I find this movie to be a very good one. Besides from the great storyline, it's got a great cast.

Actors/Actresses -

No clue really

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Wow, that's Unusual that you'd say something like that because I've encoutnered the opposite when I refer this film to other people.

A movie that is a bit underated that I just though of is The Spanish Prisoner. Have you seen it? Great film. Wonderful acting job by Steve Martin in a dramatic role (another underated actor in my opinion)...

That is it right there! RIGHT THERE! Those are soooo my two favorite underated actors! Bam! you nailed it. Sorry, I'm getting a little excited. Thought I was the only one there for awhile.

Most underated movie goes too...Sliding Doors. Love it, love it, love it!

let's see......Phillip Gordon Johnson, Phillip Michael Meyers, Phillip Stewart Andrews,..........JUST HAVING' FUN WITH YOU TWO (bigval and sades) ......it's always nice to see passionate support for art and artists, bravo.
and mine goes to Madelaine Kahn...i'm sad she's gone, but she was the best, the most talented and the most hilarious actress ever.
and i'd also like to mention (again) Gene Wilder.....although he hasn't been in a feature film in a while..i've seen him on the Art and Entertainment channel in mysteries(i think he's director as well), and he's great as usual.

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"Underrated" isn't a strictly defined term, as is clear from some of the above nominees.

The way I'm going to define "underrated" films is if they are pretty universally disliked by audiences and critics alike. Here are ten films that generally were commercial failures at the boxoffice and also rejected by the critical establishment by and large, yet I consider each serious favorites and masterpieces of some order....

After Hours (1985 - Marty Scorsese)
Quick Change (1990 - Howard Franklin & Billy Murray)
Joe vs. the Volcano (1990 - John Patrick Shanley)
Pennies from Heaven (1981 - Herbert Ross)
White Hunter, Black Heart (1990 - Clint Eastwood)
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974 - Sam Peckinpah)
The Life & Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972 - John Huston)
Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas (1998 - Terry Gilliam)
The Long Goodbye (1973 - Robert Altman)
They All Laughed (1981 - Peter Bogdanovich)

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Quick Change huh? at first i thought you were talking about Shakes the Clown! hmmmmmmm ...Quick Change....a masterpiece? ..or a favorite?
i'd chime in big time for Pennies From Heaven as a great movie and i liked Joe Vs. the Volcano because it was fun and i love that giant moon rising as a dehydrated Hanks is standing on his raft.

oh, and Holden, what do you think about my all time favorite the Manchurian Candidate?....it's hardly under-rated nowadays, but i believe it was kind of swept under the rug back when it premiered in 1962.

Well, I agree with Holden.
Underrated, is another very loose term that needs definition.

2001 : A Space Oddessey -- underated by audiences.
AI -- underrated by critics [well, 50/50]
Magnolia -- underated by some of you.
La Femme Nikita -- underrated by anyone who can't speak French.

I do disagree with Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia.
You and me both loved it, which makes us more than one viewer, two viewers -- an audience. And Ebert liked it.

Almost everything by Gilliam is underrated.
Ask most people about 'Brazil" they think it's a country [which o'course it is, still....] CULTURAL PHILSTINES!!

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Ya Jodie Foster isn't under rated. I believe I once saw a special along the lines of "Hollywood Honors Jodie Foster"

Shes an excellent actress, but she gets good attention for it.

Whenever someone says under rated I always think of William H. Macy.

I also think Brad Pitt is under rated. People often give him attention for his looks, they don't realize that he is also a very good actor, especially in roles where he doesn't look good like 12 Monkeys, Fight Club, Interview with the Vampire, etc.

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I agree with Aspen: Foster is over-rated if anything, IMO. "Nell" was crap. Macy and Pitt are both definitely under-rated...good call. Spud's right, too: "Unbreakable" is way under-rated. Too many people foolishly lined it up next to "The Sixth Sense," even though the two aren't meant to duke it out. I puke everytime I hear "blah blah blah...and an ending that falls short of the standard set by Shyamalan's previous film." Are you kidding me?

Anyway, I'd put Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on there, too. Just like Pitt: yeah yeah, they're handsome guys, but let's not let that overshadow the fact that they're good actors, and quite funny, too. Edward Norton used to be under-rated, but a lot of people praise him these days, so I don't think he qualifies anymore.

I don't think so...since when do the Oscars have a pro-religious slant? Maybe I'm missing something. Anyway, the movie itself was refreshingly fair on the issue of religion. She says "waste of space," which to me implies some kind of purpose/use for that space set forth by someone higher. In addition, in the end, she's asking people to believe her, despite having no real evidence in her favor. Her friend (the priest dude) takes her word for it...he believes her on faith. In the end, I got the impression that the movie was taking a neutral stance. Plus, Occam's Razor is a load of crap.

yeah, underrated as it's been used here is sorta sliding along the line between "underappreciated" (teenyboppers/trendfollowers have no clue but run the media field with their preferred pretty faces and blockbuster movie focus) and someone who does great work but 1) gets no attention from the teenyboppers/trendfollowers and 2) hasn't gotten much official recognition in the vein that they should (a smashout performance only gets some mild talk and usually no awards or one here and there and some positive reviews) and because of this remains #1 and has a select following.

This USED to be Kevin Spacey and Ed Norton. Obviously not anymore.

I don't, however, think Jodie Foster is OVER-rated. She gets her just due. Most good/great actors make a mistake SOMEWHERE ... it's the overall that matters by the time you keel over. She hasn't yet but the majority of her work is still quality acting. I haven't even seen Nell. Now, to judge her on whether SHE was good IN a bad film is an entirely different argument, my dear Chris.

i agree that La Femme Nikita is underrated. my boyfriend fell asleep on it the other day and I was just ... hurt.

I disagree about John Cusack because these boards alone prove he ISN'T underrated. I think he's slid into the appreciation factor and owns both mainstream and discerning viewers' approval. We can see it by the timing (several in a few years) of his recent works and their reception. He's the Romantic Ironic Comedy It-boy and, my dear sades, all of America owns him now.

My People:

Jean Reno (i forgive him for Les Visiteurs and most particularly for the American version)

Steve Buscemi - ah yes. ah yes.

And, from m'dear Sades fav film - Sliding Doors. Now i actually wasn't moved by the film and can't stand Gwyneth "Pink Slip" Paltrow, but I DID near fall in love with John Hannah by the end of that one.

well, like I raved the other day - Emma Thompson.

Tim Roth

I can agree with Denis Leary - though he's starting to get typecast. I can't tell yet if that's because he has a limited repertoire or that's all Hollywood wants to give him. In which case he's not a great actor or a very good one just good at one thing - being himself with some mild alterations to fit the film.
Holden - I adore your sig of the moment!

i'm sure there are others just can't think of em at the moment. braindead.

Ah...John Hannah...didn't all of us girls fall in love with him? Didn't we all?

yes. how could you not?

I'm a guy and I fell in love with him.

James: Cheer up. Remember what the Monty Python boys say.
Helen: "Always look on the bright side of life"?
James: No, "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition."

I'm sure more boys fell in love with him in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Me, I'm with that Gerry character: I'd choose Jeanne Tripplehorn over Gwyneth Paltrow too.

Sure, that makes sense. Gwenth is all sweetness and light...Jeanne plays this royal bitch. Yeah, who'd want sugar when you can have spice?! Question is, would Holden sustain a woman like that? Hm, Hm, Hm...I would loooooove to know.

Of the female cast of Sliding Doors, I'd have to say one Virginia McKenna took my fancy. She played James' Mother I think.

I'm really into these May-December relationships.

Off topic. Anyone else fond of Harold and Maude?