I remember how a lot of people disagreed with me on Jeremy Blackman's performance (wasnt impressed) back on the pta board, but how do you guys feel about Michael Bowen's (stanley's dad) performance? Personally, I wasn't impressed and couldnt understand why he would be included in such an amazing cast. Any thoughts?
Oh, just a side question: does anyone else here think that if Jeremy Blackman's character in Magnolia would have lived with Barry Egen's sisters in PDL he would have definately been called "gay boy"?
ouch. well i have to disagree w/ u on both accounts. i thought michael bowen pulled off that sleazy, money hungry wannabe balding actor thing perfectly. as for jb, the kid's got game. i was most impressed on my first viewing of the film (geez that was a long time ago) that whenever we cut to the kid he was able to hold his own with all these other professional actors. there r some movies with bad kid acting that kinda takes u out of a the movie for a bit, however usually we just accept the fact that they are kids and don't get too shook up about it (i.e. the kid who plays the little leo dicap in Gangs I thought was pretty bad). Jeremy, on the other hand, had some tough scenes to do for a kid his age and pulled them off pretty damn well. Richard and Julia were a riot too.
I don't have such a big problem with JB anymore, he's ok for me, but that dad just sucks for me. I mean, its obvious that he's sleazy and money-hungry and all that, but he's just not interesting. He's not interesting to look at, he's so dull with no character on his face. even if you're playing somebody like that you should still be able to make it interesting.
and just the way he acts, moves, and delivers lines is just really dull and boring for me. granted, he may not have had the best lines, but jesus, do something with them!
I feel that just because an actor is able to communicate to an audience what he's like (the whole abusive money hungry fucker type) , that doesn't make him a good one. I mean, thats just what decent actors do, they let people know what kind of a part they're playing. But the great ones can take parts like that and still do much more with it. I dont know if that made much sense.
WHAAAAAAAAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT????!!!!!
What you're saying REALLY doesn't make sense at all.
And those two were perfect. you can see it all in Stanley/Jeremy's eyes. that's all I need to say about Jeremy, but Rick's money hungry sleeziness IS what Michael Bowen did with that role....I mean, that is what the role called for, but he brought.....dammit, now you're making me not make sense.
They Were Perfect!
Jesus, does everybody have to say everything in PTA's work is perfect?
In my defense, I was just saying
You know who I always notice as doing an excellent job in Magnolia? From the very first time I saw the movie, I thought for some reason that he was just absolutely incredible...
The guy who played the doctor who prescribed the liquid morphine for Earl. I think his name is Michael Murphy?
One of my very favorite shots from the movie is the quick zoom in on his hand as he writes the prescription.
I can't put my finger on it, but his brief performance in that part was just awesome to me.
Quote from: EL__SCORCHOJesus, does everybody have to say everything in PTA's work is perfect?
well that's just silly.
Quote from: XixaxYou know who I always notice as doing an excellent job in Magnolia? From the very first time I saw the movie, I thought for some reason that he was just absolutely incredible...
The guy who played the doctor who prescribed the liquid morphine for Earl. I think his name is Michael Murphy?
One of my very favorite shots from the movie is the quick zoom in on his hand as he writes the prescription.
I can't put my finger on it, but his brief performance in that part was just awesome to me.
yea i agree. he sure does give an authentic performance. i mean, he really acts like he works at Hospice and PTA just went over to the local Hospice branch in L.A. and picked the best looking employee.
Quote from: EL__SCORCHOJesus, does everybody have to say everything in PTA's work is perfect?
i found the following to be imperfections in the films of pta:
sam jackson in Hard Eight, too cool for school.
dixon's inability to talk properly, tho i guess he's sposed to be a baby.
NOW am i allowed to say something is perfect?
cos if so, i'd like to assert that JB was perfectly drowning in an empty space and his dad was played perfectly cold and hard enuff by michael bowen.
i thought he was great
and i always wondered why he was cast
because he was like a early 80's teen slime ball guy in a lot of movies
then he went away
then i saw him in jackie brown
my point is did he just try and have a comeback, or did pta and qt cast him based on his old work
Quote from: XixaxYou know who I always notice as doing an excellent job in Magnolia? From the very first time I saw the movie, I thought for some reason that he was just absolutely incredible...
The guy who played the doctor who prescribed the liquid morphine for Earl. I think his name is Michael Murphy?
One of my very favorite shots from the movie is the quick zoom in on his hand as he writes the prescription.
I can't put my finger on it, but his brief performance in that part was just awesome to me.
Michael Murphy is the lawyer. He's amazing, too. His best work though is in Nashville.
I'm not sure what the doctor's name is, but he plays a priest in Autofocus, and he's pretty solid. But yeah, I agree, in that scene he's just great. When he stops and goes "... are you listening?".
Quote from: SoNowThenQuote from: XixaxYou know who I always notice as doing an excellent job in Magnolia? From the very first time I saw the movie, I thought for some reason that he was just absolutely incredible...
The guy who played the doctor who prescribed the liquid morphine for Earl. I think his name is Michael Murphy?
One of my very favorite shots from the movie is the quick zoom in on his hand as he writes the prescription.
I can't put my finger on it, but his brief performance in that part was just awesome to me.
Michael Murphy is the lawyer. He's amazing, too. His best work though is in Nashville.
I'm not sure what the doctor's name is, but he plays a priest in Autofocus, and he's pretty solid. But yeah, I agree, in that scene he's just great. When he stops and goes "... are you listening?".
I'll third this. He seemed so confident in the role that I was assuming he was someone well-known that I wasn't recognizing. Other directors should snap him up.
Quote from: XixaxThe guy who played the doctor who prescribed the liquid morphine for Earl. I think his name is Michael Murphy?
Are you talking about the guy that played the young pharmacist and Sir Edmund William Godfrey?
His name is Pat Healy, and Greg had an exclusive interview (http://www.ptanderson.com/featurefilms/magnolia/articlesandinterviews/healycigsandcoffee.htm) with him a while ago.
No no no. The doctor who talks to Linda. The first major Linda scene in the film. You know: "hospice can help him, etc..."
Quote from: SoNowThenNo no no. The doctor who talks to Linda. The first major Linda scene in the film. You know: "hospice can help him, etc..."
Yeah, I actually recognized Pat Healy in another film-
Ghost World- but the morphine doctor guy, never saw him before (that I know of). Or since. I bet he's been on a lot of TV, though, is my feeling. Lots of solid actors who somehow didn't make it big in the movies do a lot of TV.
Michael Bowen in the "go to bed scene" :arrow: brilliant.
That and his delivery of "I'm sorry I squeezed your arm a little there buddy. Hey. Love ya."
I think he did a great job with that character.
Quote from: redlumMichael Bowen in the "go to bed scene" :arrow: brilliant.
Thank you. That's just about my favorite scene of the whole movie.
( 2nd only to Linda in the drug store )
I also liked his scene talking to the other game show parents, where he describes how to be "subtly abusive". And when the others completely miss his point, he becomes totally focused on the TV.
i think i saw him in pearl harbor, cuz when i saw it i recognized him from magnolia, as i recall
^ pat healy