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because his work is about as overblown as the award's namesake, Cecil B. DeMille. Don't get me wrong, Harrison Ford has a nice screen presence and certainly doesn't come across as being an egotistical asshole or someone who's real wrapped up in himself. I just don't think he can act to save his life, and when he tries, it doesn't seem to work.I think Ford's success is more due to the appeal of his own personality than any actual acting ability. I haven't seen nearly as many of his movies as the average person probably has, but his overacting in films like Witness, Frantic, and Return of the Jedi has always stuck in my mind. He was especially horrible in Frantic. Arggh!
Todd,
Iconoclast
Follow Ups:
but he does have a larger-than-life screen presence owing to the fact that he starred in a few "high profile" movies (you know which ones...) Ford may not be the greatest actor in the world, but he is at least, fun to watch. To my mind, Michelle Pfeiffer is the same way. I'd rather have that than watch a critic fave like William Hurt who I need to use toothpicks in my eyes to prop them open with.
agree with your observationsI recall watching the Jack Benny TV show. You have to have seen it to get this but if not, imagine the Johny Carson show where he comes out to do the monologue:
he starts and his side-kick, let's say Ed, comes out and observes how tired Jack looks and how he should take a vacation. Jack is warmed by this kindhearted gesture and begins to melt, but excuses that he couldn't leave the show with all the work and who could he get to "stand in" for him.
well little does Jack know but he's been set-up. Ed brings out a dummy that looks exactly like Jack and stands it next to him on center stage. The dummy is posed in the classic Jack Benny stance, with one arm across his chest supporting the elbow of his other arm, which is up with his hand on his cheek. If you've ever seen Jack Benny you've seen this pose.
Jack is taken aback, flattered, but beginning to suspect something. He compliments the gesture but dismisses it by saying, kindly and good-naturedly, but with just the vague hint of unease, perhaps even a slight contempt, that a dummy certainly couldn't replace him.
At this moment Ed flips a switch on the back of the dummy, and the dummy Jack turns his head to the side while extending the forearm and hand that once was on it's cheek--another classic Jack Benny pose and gesture.
Jack goes berzerk. Ed leaves the stage with the dummy slowly alternating between poses while Jack dances around the dummy trying to hold eye contact while it swivels it's head, all the while complaining and critiquing it with a frothing insanity that only Jack Benny can muster.
It is a classic moment in comedy, and the dummy is by far the best actor.
Long live the Harrison Fords, the Kevin Costners, etal. Without them, how would we recognize the great artists?
petew, I Loved your homage to Jack Benny.It's amazing how much he's forgotten today, but all people have to do is turn on "Frasier" and watch Kelsey Grammar and see how he is just one big affectation of Jack Benny...right down to the mannerisms, and comic timing. I wonder if he has given credit where credit is due ?
I hadn't realized it, but now that you make the point I see it clearly. And all this time I'd thought Mr. Grammar so brilliant (well, he is that).It's a shame we don't see enough of the old masters anymore.
Did you catch the Mark Twain thing on PBS? I loved the bit where Twain comes out to do his monologue and says nothing.
You have to be born with that kind of comic brilliance.
Where is Hal Holbrook? Is his Mark Twain monologue still available?
In a recent interview, Kelsey Grammer talked about how he specifically "does" Jack Benny at moments during the show. He pointed out that his manerisms are often a number of other people as well including Betty Davis.
Harrison Ford is a solid actor. Maybe not the most masterful at characterizations, but what he does have is soul and likeabilty.Costner is a lifeless, monotonic, incompetent bore.
I enjoyed his "Polka with Porquepines" because the cinematography was so beautiful, and the supporting actors so gifted, and understand that he fought hard to get it made the way he wanted it done.Don't understand the facination with "Field of Demons" though.
The wife loves it, and I can't stand the thought of it.
I suppose I liked "Dancing with Dogs" because he gets the crap beat out of him. That was cool. Too bad he didn't die, slowly and painfully, as his audience does.
"Tin Cup" seems to be about a perfect matching of acting requirements and Costner's abilities as an actor. I must admit, I kind of enjoyed that film. Kind of a souffle; nothing memorable.These days, I don't think he's as "bankable" as Ford.
akk, and I have no interest in golf at all, but was entertained by the story...perhaps by comparison, it was the cameo by Don Johnson that made Costner seem palitable
To claim Harrison Ford is not a good actor is like saying Mozart or Bach is not a good composer!Get real!
Actually, I have enjoyed some of Mr. Ford's films, but to me a great actor is someone who can play a wide-ranging variety of characters, and get those little subtle details right. That argument can be made for some American actors, but unfortunately not Mr. Ford (of course, this is my opinion).
v
Yes, I absolutely agree,but neverless,a very sympatical figure,that despite of his overacting I always look at ,with pleasure.
*:Gasp** you mean the one actor that is so totally wooden you could use a Department store dummy as a stand-in and not notice the difference; with all the dramatic delivery and timing of a talking clock (not to mention the humour of a corpse) actually WON something?
How much did he pay for the Tin Cup?
"Harrison Fraud"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Sorry, I couldn't even type that with a straight face.
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