Great Movies Almost Ruined By A Single Performance (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

I am not certain where this thread is going to go and how many films and performances we can come up with...

I have been thinking about a film that I only saw once, thought it was absolutely terrific, but ultimately due to a single performance, I am not in a hurry to ever watch it again.

That movie would be BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S

Mickey Rooney ruins that film with his role as Mr. Yunioshi. It's not just over-the-top bad, but it's so offensive by today's standards that I feel sorry that the performance exists on film, let alone a film of this caliber.

I am just wondering if there are any other great films out there that are almost ruined by a single performance. This was the only one I could come up with off the top of my head.

 

[Rob W]

Keanu Reeves - Bram Stoker's Dracula (and Winona ain't much better with her high-school drama club English accent.)

 

[Tino]

Sofia Coppola in The Godfather 3

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Marion Cotillard in Inception

 

[Walter Kittel]

In the original Die Hard from 1988 I always found Paul Gleason's Dwayne T. Johnson character so unremittingly stupid that it was distracting. Comedy is no doubt subjective, but his character simply did not work for me. Thankfully he was only featured in a few scenes and I did enjoy McClane's rejoinder about sexual congress on National television, so I suppose it wasn't all bad.

- Walter.

 

[Tino]

In the original Die Hard from 1988 I always found Paul Gleason's Dwayne T. Johnson character so unremittingly stupid that it was distracting. Comedy is no doubt subjective, but his character simply did not work for me. Thankfully he was only featured in a few scenes and I did enjoy McClane's rejoinder about sexual congress on National television, so I suppose it wasn't all bad.

- Walter.

This was exactly Roger Ebert’s complaint about the film too.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Tino, I do remember Ebert's critique. Smart fella.

- Walter.

 

[Sam Posten]

Sean Connery in Dragonheart

 

[mark brown]

Glen Campbell in True Grit!

 

[Worth]

Katie Holmes in Batman Begins, Andie MacDowell in Four Weddings and a Funeral, Ryan O’Neal in Barry Lyndon and the aptly named Stephen Lack in Scanners.

 

[Sam Favate]

Obviously, I do not agree with this, but if my father were in this thread, he’d say Star Wars/Carrie Fisher. He did not like her in that movie. When I’d beg him to come see it with me again and again, he’d say “I would, if it wasn’t for you know who.” I confess I never understood it.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I must have a very low threshold for this issue, LOL... not that I don't get most/all the complaints (at all) of course...

_Man_

 

[Malcolm R]

Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace.

 

[mskaye]

I am not certain where this thread is going to go and how many films and performances we can come up with...

I have been thinking about a film that I only saw once, thought it was absolutely terrific, but ultimately due to a single performance, I am not in a hurry to ever watch it again.

That movie would be BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S

Mickey Rooney ruins that film with his role as Mr. Yunioshi. It's not just over-the-top bad, but it's so offensive by today's standards that I feel sorry that the performance exists on film, let alone a film of this caliber.

I am just wondering if there are any other great films out there that are almost ruined by a single performance. This was the only one I could come up with off the top of my head.

Harvey Keitel in Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ. Not a great movie btw. but still marred.

 

[jayembee]

Katie Holmes in Batman Begins, Andie MacDowell in Four Weddings and a Funeral, Ryan O’Neal in Barry Lyndon and the aptly named Stephen Lack in Scanners.

I liked Holmes fine in Batman Begins. But I was happy to see the character recast for The Dark Knight. Maggie Gyllenhaal had the gravitas to play the character in that film; Katie Holmes didn't.

 

[Matt Hough]

Sofia Coppola in The Godfather 3

You beat me to it. She is horrendous in the movie. Oh, if Winona Ryder had only stayed!

 

[Midnight Mike]

George Lazenby in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Almost. It’s still one of my favorite Bond films, and I watch it often. But every so often during the film his performance takes me right out of it for few seconds. Considering his complete lack of experience he does an admirable job, but still…

 

[mskaye]

George Lazenby in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Almost. It’s still one of my favorite Bond films, and I watch it often. But every so often during the film his performance takes me right out of it for few seconds. Considering his complete lack of experience he does an admirable job, but still…

i actually thought of this earlier. i know its borderline heretical according to some posters.

 

[DeanR]

Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now....

 

[Jeffrey D]

Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace.

I wonder if he’s in any other films.