Favorite Kevin Spacey Movie

Aaaaah, I see. Sorry, Sades.* I wouldn't click onto a Yahoo poll for love or money. It is definitely NOT the type of site I frequent.

*but now who isn't specifying exactly what they are posting about.

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Holden-Hmmm...I don't know if I should embrace you or smother you with Granny's pillow. *One of two things would do you in.Suffocation or toxic perfume from the late 1800's. It's kind of a love/hate relationship.

just watched SWIMMING WITH SHARKS...really liked it for a while but then it seemed to lose something and i'm not sure what all the ending is suggesting...??? i would have liked to see someone other than Whaley play "guy"....but spacey is good...seemed to be having a ball playing such a sleazeball.

What do you mean you don't know what the ending is suggesting? Do you mean the specifics of what happened in the plot?
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When Dawn (Michele Forbes) arrives and Guy (Whaley) is given the choice between love and his career, he opts for the latter. Guy kills her, then he and Buddy (Spacey) concoct the story that she was the one who did the torturing and Guy saved Buddy's life. Buddy and Guy both get promotions, the end.


Is that what you were unclear on or something else?

i mistakenly thought spaceys character was giving up his career - that "guy's" torture had somehow made him human again and all he wanted to do was "wrap christmas presents" (and wear baseball caps/be more downto earth, etc.). now, i see that guy's last comment about wrapping christmas presents is symbolic of their "choices" and their collusion.
okay, that clears that up..thanks.

Patti...did you like the movie as a whole? Despite your confusion about the ending? I thought Spacey's performance was great. Can anyone have more sarcasim in his gaze than him? Well...I do, but you don't get the pleasure of seeing that.

Ha Ha Ha, i'm sure spacey has nothing on you sades! actually i think my mom is the inventor/master of sarcasm, but that's not something i laugh at. as for spacey in SWIMMING... i'm still digesting it...i liked it a lot, but something's bugging me and i thing it's the whaley dude, and some implausibilities (even though it IS a movie) such as Dawn revealing herself to be such a lovey-dovey, homebody. and that she fell for Guy...it didn't seem truthful..i thought she was playing him the whole time. i guess i may be missing the subleties - was she playing him at first and gradually peeling away harsh layers of her bitchy exterior?
while Guy was simultaneously toughening up? that makes sense.
i cleared up a bit of confusion about the ending with Holden's help...i feel stupid for not realizing Guy "chose" to off Dawn instead of his boss. I REALLY LIKE THAT, and maybe even more so because i didn't catch on. DUHHHHHHHHHHH!
anyway....spacey was great, is always great, and next i'll check out MIDNIGHT IN THE..... even though i figure i'll be disappointed in the movie as a whole...i'll do it to watch our friend kevin.

Midnight in the...is not my favorite Spacey movie. Not because of his performance of course, the movie itself is like *yawn*. Maybe if you haven't read the book it would be better. I don't know. You should see it just so you can tell me about what you thought later. Have you seen Glenngary Glen Ross. If you have, amen. I f you haven't...see that one first. You'll have a new respect for so many of the actors that star in it. Check this line up out: Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Spacey, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin, and Alec Baldwin...impressive cast 'eh?

GGR, is a phenomenal film and the cast is great. I am not a big fan of Ed Harris, though. But he cannot even dent the movie as a whole. Pacino is amazing and the script is possibly Mamet's best.

mamet is kinda' like a modern day tennessee williams....very intense- even hard to watch because of the powerful emotions/performances. i did indeed see GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS and it knocked me up side the head. the actors were excellent and well-cast. when an actor can make you feel great pity (et.al.) for his character he's done his job. but these types of movies are ones i usually find myself not wanting to watch a second time.
i liked Mamet's HOUSE OF GAMES; didn't he put Joe Mantegna on the map? and isn't he (Mamet) married to the female lead, Lyndsey Crouse? (i might be pulling that last one out of my b***, BUT, i did used to be up on celebrity info - thank god my People subscription ran out years ago.) i think Mamet has written a good deal more screenplays/plays than those he's written and directed.....maybe Holden can help me out on that one??
And back to Spacey, i love him, love him, love him. i think it's time to watch THE USUAL SUSPECTS again soon.

David Mamet was married to actress Lidsay Crouse when she starred in House of Games. She also had a key role in one of his first film scripts, Sidney Lumet's The Verdict with Paul Newman.

David Mamet is currently married to singer/actress Rebecca Pidgeon, who has starred in his last three pictures The Spanish Prisoner, The Winslow Boy, State & Main plus his upcoming Heist with Gene Hackman, Delroy Lindo and Danny DeVito.

Yes, he is indeed responsible for giving Joe Mantegna his first starring roles in film. Mantegna had starred in many of Mamet's stage productions before House of Games and Things Change. Another Mamet favorite from the stage who he puts in many of his films is William H. Macy. Macy has been in eight of Mamet's screen productions, Mantegna in five. Another familiar face is magician/actor Ricky Jay (seven productions).


And yes, Mamet has written scripts for many films other than those he directed or adapted from his stage work. Some of the most noteable are The Verdict, The Untouchables, Wag the Dog, Hannibal, The Edge, Hoffa, and The Postman Always Rings Twice re-make starring Nicholson.

good to see my memory isn't complete toast - thanks..i'm beHolden to ya'
now, William H. Macy is showing up all over the place and i like him.

I believe so...ever see Homicide. It's a Mamet film. William H. Macy is in it;so is Joe. I didn't like it too much, check it out though and tell me what you think.

I was watching an interview with PT Anderson once and he said at NYU film school he had an assignment to write a page of script with no dialogue that still defined a character. Apparently he took a page straight out of Hoffa, which hadn't yet been put to screen and submitted it. He got a 'C'. I think that's great. By the way, Anderson subsequenlty dropped out and used his tuition to make a short film. It worked out for him and his fans. I love Mamet. The man is a friggin' genius. Except for casting his wife in House of Games. The movie was shaky to begin with but she really stunk it up. Things Change, Glengarry Glen Ross, Spanish Prisioner, Ronin... These are some dope flicks!

Just for the record. I thought Ronin stunk.

Sades -- did you see Spacey on"Actor's Studio"? Did you know he can also tapdance?
very nice.
Love,

Jozie

As far as the 'movie' goes, I'd have to say it's a close tie between Midnight In The Garden of Good/Evil and The Usual Suspects. As far as his acting goes, I'd have to go with American Beauty. I didn't really care for that movie as much as I thought I would've simply because I think it was overhyped to me before seeing it, and the ending made no sense at all whatsoever in being plausible.

By the way, I just re-watched 'The Ref' (which I saw when it originally came out in 1995) because I was a Denis Leary fan, and surprise...Kevin's in it!

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Jozie- Of course I saw Spacey on actor's studio you silly girl, would I have missed it? IF I WERE DEAD! He was charming as hell wasn't he?

Anton- The Ref was not all that bad. Leary is one of my favorite comics...cynical(spelling?)humor has a huge place in my soul. I like David Spade and Norm McDonald for that reason as well.

Just gotta say: welcome to MovieForums, Anton!

Ah-Ha...I welcomed him fir-irst. Neener, neener... Ah, just foolin'. Where is everybody?! It's saturday morning for pete's sake! Wake-up and play! Whaaaa!