What is scenery-chewing? (1 Viewer)

[Gary->dee]

Forget Pacino in "Scent of a Woman".

What about Pacino in Scarface? He chews up the scenery, spits it out and dances on it in that flick! Which is why it's such a great movie. He takes his performance to the next level and beyond.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

A result of his fine work on Bosom Buddies!

 

[Michael Reuben]

Well, I did say "best known".

But there's a serious point here. Truly great actors make thoughtful choices about when to rein themselves in and when to go over the top. The same Al Pacino who everyone likes to cite as a scenery-chewer also turned in a masterpiece of quiet performance in Donnie Brasco and a similarly understated turn in Insomnia.

M.

 

[Citizen87645]

Gary Oldman in The Professional. Again, not a criticism, since the character is supposed to be a pretty weird one.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

"You... are my #1... a-guy!"

 

[Matt Czyz]

Willem Dafoe in The Boondock Saints is all about the scenery-chewing, especially near the end.

"There was a FIREFIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!"


...sniff...brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Thank you! I thought I was the only one who felt that way!

The one thing I've never understood about people's objection to what they call "overacting" is that they assume that "going over the top" never happens in real life. I've always figured the objection comes because going over the top seems "un-natural" to them; but if you look around your everyday life, real people truly behave that way in the world (like Pacino's characters or whatever). Do you think every real person is always soft-spoken and understated? No way.

 

[Julian Lalor]

The classic scenery chewing performance is Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest, where she played another greater chewer Joan Crawford (eg, the queen of hyper-vulgarity in her later years, beginning with the hilarious Torch Song). Even her cheekbones over-acted. It was so over the top it stopped her career dead (although the equally ridiculous Eyes of Laura Mars probably helped).

If you want to see an entire cast chew the scenery have a look at Showgirls - although, I'm not sure whether Elizabeth Berkely is chewing the scenery or having a seizure for the entire length of the shoot.

 

[chris winters]

how about brian Cox in Troy. "You are all gooonna DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE."

 

[Ruz-El]

John Voight In Anaconda, a performance so chewy, he get's puked up by a giant snake to chew some more!! Spoiler alert!

Just kidding, but seriously, scenery chewing to me is an actor so completely over acting a part, that it draws attention to itself. As such:

Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet : nope
George C. Scott in Dr. Strangelove : nope
Al Pacino in Scarface : yup
Jim Carry in everything but sunshine: yup

Which brings us to Crispen Glover: Does he chew? He's unforgettable in every part he's in, completly drawing attention to every role he's in, yet he always play weirdos that draw attention to themselves. A mystery of the universe that may never be solved.

 

[Ocean Phoenix]

When I hear the expression "scenery chewing", I think of Khan from Star Trek 2. With his accent, tone of voice, and body language, he made everything he said hypnotically entertaining. When I watch a character in a movie and every thing he says or does (and the way he says or does things) grabs my attention (in a good way or a bad way) I consider it scenery chewing.

 

[Gary->dee]

I agree, I think Ricardo Montalban chewed up the scenery. He did a great job as Khan.

The thing is though is I don't see this kind of behavior or rather intensity as necessarily being something negative. The terms might have derived from a criticism of actors, but the way I look at it, in a lot of cases an actor chewing up the scenery is inhabiting their role and embracing it so much that you forget about the actor and only see the character they're portraying.

For example, Pacino in Scarface. He became his character so much so that it's hard to imagine anyone else in that role. Same way with Montalban as Khan. Or Chistopher Walken, he can chew up the scenery by using his intense acting skills to get dialogue across without a lot of bravado. The Gold Watch segment of Pulp Fiction comes to mind. You become captivated by the story his character tells of men sticking a watch up their ass.

 

[Jeff Pounds]

I don't think "chewing up the scenery" always has to do with overacting. I think there are actors that can chew up the scenery with very understated performances.

The best example I can think of is the Dennis Hopper interrogation scene with Christopher Walkin in True Romance. As a contrast to those two performances, Gary Oldman also chewed up his scenes in True Romance in what could be seen as overacting.

Also, Kevin Spacey chews up the scenes as Verbal Kint in The Usual Suspects without overacting, IMHO.

 

[RobertW]

glover didn't chew any scenery in the Charlie's Angels movies.

 

[Brandon Conway]

In defense of Jim Carrey, comedies that center around extremely wacky characters are SUPPOSED to have the main actor chew the scenery. Ace Ventura better chew the scenery, because, well, that's what Ace Ventura does.

Jim Carrey doesn't chew the scenery in ESotSM, as mentioned by everyone, but he doesn't do it in The Truman Show either, until his character calls for it. And how can anyone portray Andy Kaufman who went through life chewing the scenery without doing the same?

Honestly, Carrey has had some average performances (The Majestic), but he's never done anything but what the role required. Or would you rather have Ace Ventura meloncholy and reserved?

 

[Rob P S]

John Malkovich in Con Air.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

You guys are applying your own defitions to a term that existed long before any of you were born. "Chewing the scenery" is always a bad thing and the term is always a used as a very serious criticism (except by those who simply don't know what the phrase means.) There is no such thing as "good" scenery chewing. If it is good, it isn't scenery-chewing. If it is scenery-chewing, it isn't good.

The origin of the term is a comic exaggeration - shorthand for an actor who does anything to call attention to himself, up to and including biting and chewing parts of the set. Someone please tell me how this can be a "good" thing.

Montalban was "big" and theatrical in Khan. His approach was much broader than those of us raised on the post-"Method", post-Brando and Dean school of contemporary film acting are used to. But he didn't chew the scenery. (He did make a light snack of several lesser actors, but that's another matter.) The entire performance was controlled, and the character of Khan himself was a self-conciously theatrical man, always "on", always acting the lead role in an unending drama playing out in his own mind.

What scenery-chewing moments are to be found in Khan (and luckily they are only moments) are all provided by Shatner, notably his "Khhhhaaaaaannnnnn!" scream.

If you want to see true scenery-chewing, try watching Richard Harris in the Bo Derek "remake" of Tarzan the Ape Man. Peter O'Toole can also tend in that direction, when unrestrained by the right director. Sadly his MacBeth was never captured on film or video. The production closed early and O'Toole's was one of the all time bad performances in the history of theater, a true legend. You can probably get a flavor of it from O'Toole's peformanc as Bad Actor Alan Swann in My Favorite Year.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

That simply isn't the case. Yes, in what Woody Allen has called "the comedian's picture" (which is a different animal than an ordinary comedy) the comedian plays essentially a variation on his stage persona and all sorts of schtick, anachronisms and other "breaking the fourth wall" stuff is permissible. But that doesn't equate to scenery-chewing of the Carrey type. Look at Allen's early films, or any of Bob Hope's flawed, but very funny efforts. Apart from The Jerk you won't find much scenery chewing in Steve Martin's career.

The only film where I found Carrey's approach remotely apt or plausible was The Mask, where he actually was playing a cartoon character for most of the picture. Ace Ventura was written to give Carrey room the chew the scenery because that was the direction he was going in and he was turning into a bankable star. With another actor it could have been just as funny in a totally different, low-key, way.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Johnny Angell]

Remember the outtakes in the end credits of "Liar, Liar"? Where the female attorney accuses Carey of being an "over actor".

Lest this be taken as criticism, I own this movie and laugh out loud everytime I watch it. I think I'll watch tonight!

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Gary Oldman in Leon: The Professional:

"EEeeeeeevvvvvvveeerrrrryyyoooooooooonnnnnnneeeeeee eee!!!!!!"

Jon Voight in Anaconda is a great example, as is Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest. How about Travolta in Battlefield Earth? Too easy.

Gene Hackman in The Poseidon Adventure. Jeremy Irons in Dungeons & Dragons. Sean Penn in I am Sam. Robin Williams in Patch Adams.

Pacino gets a shelf all to himself: Scent of a Woman, Scarface, The Devil's Advocate, City Hall, The Recruit...