MovieChat Forums > The Apartment (1960) Discussion > Jack Lemmon's OVERacting...

Jack Lemmon's OVERacting...

posted 15 years ago by robertodelamar
99 replies | jump to latest

The Apartment is the first movie I have seen with Jack Lemmon.

Lemmon is clearly overacting throughout the whole movie (in almost every scene).
Maybe this was normal for the 60s, but seriously, the farce looks almost like a sitcom. I.e: "Bewitched" TV show from the 60-70s where the male character does the same overacting (as Lemmom in The Apartment), but appropriate for a TV show.

I guess Jerry Lewis was overacting in his movies as well in the same period, but his was a deliberate method that was part of his comedy routine, ditto for the way Woody Allen effectively overacted through the 70s and 80s.

But Jack Lemmon was trying (and desperately failing) to do both drama and comedy. It was as ridiculous as that awful Rodney Dangerfield OVERacting in that film Back to School, where you are supposed to first cry at directors cue and then to laugh and then to cry again.

[–] exmodel 15 years ago

Wouldn't have it any other way.

You must be too used to cool, collected, and overly sarcastic leads to see the entertainment in a sort of unrestrained and scatterbrained character.

[–] jemimakahn 15 years ago

Sure, his acting would lean towards the broad from time to time but there were always such terrific moments of truth in his performances - in his more silent moments - that there's no denying his immense talent. His surprise and hurt when he sees the cracked compact mirror and realises Mclaine is the boss's girl, that's real. And the little details he would bring to a performance were unique. I'm glad someone mentioned "The China Syndrome", "Missing" & Glengary Glenross". I remember seeing him in the play "A Long Day's Journey Into Night" (with Kevin Spacey) and wow, nuff said.

[–] stuffic 15 years ago

Sure, his acting would lean towards the broad from time to time but there were always such terrific moments of truth in his performances - in his more silent moments - that there's no denying his immense talent. His surprise and hurt when he sees the cracked compact mirror and realises Mclaine is the boss's girl, that's real. And the little details he would bring to a performance were unique.

That statement is why Lemmon is one of my favorites. I couldn't agree with you more, jemimakahn.
Sure, he was a little over the top during the COMEDIC moments, but most comedians do "overact" to get the laugh. Actually, he almost under-played the dramatic scenes, IMO.
It's interesting how two people can see the exact same thing, yet interpret it completely differently. I would have never in a million years described this performance as overacting.

"You cannot self-blackball!"

[–] robertodelamar 15 years ago

jemimakahn,

I was in no way, "denying his immense talent".

I was simply saying that his talent was misused in this movie.
His acting routine detracted from his relationship with Fran.

I am not a movie critic who evaluates acting talent, but a simple person who likes to watch interesting films.

[–] IzzyTree 13 years ago

I too was thinking about that moment where he saw the cracked mirror and realized Fran was his boss's girl. His face completely changed. It was amazing. I loved that moment. He didn't just realize he'd been on a fool's errand, trying to win her heart; he also seemed to immediately realize what this meant for HER. He seemed to realize all of a sudden what HER situation really was, and how awful it was for HER. Anyway, that's what I got out of it.

I loved his face in that scene.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] gittes98 15 years ago

jack Lemmon was an amazing actor. Very few of his colleagues could switch from out and out comedy to serious drama with such ease. With the exception of Days of Wine and Roses, most of his filmic output during the 50s and 6os was comedic. However, Lemmon did have a tendency to overact at times especially in his 'look-at-me I'm a serious actor' turn in his Oscar winning Save the Tiger and to nauseating effect in Tribute, a performance that is almost unwatchable today. In many of his later roles, his mannerisms became more noticable, particularly an annoying habit where he points to himself, that show up in every movie he made from the 80s on. However, when he got a role such as The China Syndrome or his dazzling, stand-out performance (in a movie full of stand-outs)in Glengarry Glen Ross, Lemmon could be possitively mesmerizing. As for The Apartment, he underplays this role beautifully, relying on facial rather than physical mannerisms to convey the character. If one was to pick his three best performances, my choices would be Some Like It Hot, comic brilliance at its best, Glengarry Glen Ross, his crowning dramatic role and The Apartment where he straddles the fine line between both.

"If you're gonna make something up John, make sure that it helps. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut."

[–] mikejones0184 15 years ago

robertodelamar - I completely agree. In fact, his over-the-top performance depiciting what it's like to have a cold is the very reason I stopped watching at the mid-way point. I went to IMDB to learn how the film ended, I was enjoying the plot. His performance, for me, was unbearable. I've seen many other films with Lemmon, and I am generally a fan. Although I also found him difficult to watch to Glen Gary, but I think that is a testiment to his performance, in that he was supposed to be a bit unlikeable, whereas I just grew tired of his constant use of nasal spray in this film.

[–] jackboot 15 years ago

mikejones0184 ~ his over-the-top performance depiciting what it's like to have a cold is the very reason I stopped watching at the mid-way point.

If you bailed when he had the cold you really missed the important part of the story and really, the whole point. You didn't see half of what was worth seeing. Really, you could skip the opening bits and tune in for the serious turn in the plot, if you really didn't enjoy his comedic acting, but to say that you tuned out at that point where he had a cold, is to say that you didn't really see The Apartment at all. You can't formulate an opinion based on that small amount that you did see. You missed the point.

My take on it is that he seemed to be playing a comic part in a comedy that was also wrapped around a serious drama. There was tremendous humanity in some of the more serious moments in this story. His performance during those moments was towering. Some of the straight comedy stuff might not be for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoy watching him work. I can't get enough. I relish seeing him in those moments too.

[–] OimachiOmori 15 years ago

most old movies are overrated and most actors in old movies are overacting

[–] f-u-b-a-r-12 15 years ago

The words Jack Lemmon and overacting do not belong in the same sentence. Jack is one of the best actors to have ever lived and his performance in the film is a testement to how good he was and if you can't see that then you are an idiot.

"It's a hell of a thing killin a man, you take all he's got and all he's ever gunna have"

[–] jackboot 15 years ago

f-u-b-a-r-12 ~ The words Jack Lemmon and overacting do not belong in the same sentence.

I'm with you, f-bar, I couldn't have said it better myself, although, you did use the words, "Jack Lemmon" and "overacting" in the same sentence yourself!! :-)

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[–] mloessel 15 years ago

I'll take Jack Lemmon's overacting over much of the garbage acting I've seen in today's movies. Jack Lemmon set a standard of acting that is most likely used in many Acting Studio classes. I can imagine a C.C. Baxter using his conveniently located apartment as a means of climbing the corporate ladder. Baxter is competent and accommodating. Lemmon seemed very comfortable as Baxter and the final scene w/McClaine (spelling) is the perfect ending to a movie that was spinning in many directions. They both acknowledge their feelings for each other and finally enjoy a wonderful evening together as the new year begins.

[–] maz89 14 years ago

I disagree. One of the things that made the movie great for me was Jack Lemmon's very convincing performance.

What's the difference between Santa and Tiger Woods?
Santa quits after 3 Ho's

[–] MovieMusings 14 years ago

I found Lemmon to be excellent in this movie, and a great counterpoint to Fran, for a few reasons.

But, let me illustrate just a couple of typical nuances that I found absolutely authentic.

- when he's trying to reschedule all the managers bookings on the phone, he actually LOOKS UP the phone extensions the first time he calls, and then stops to try to recall each extension when he redials to confirm. I absolutely HATE the "Hollywoodism" of people who pick up the phone and always know the number they are calling off by memory. This littlest bit of authenticity lends such credibility to the attention to detail, whether by Wilder's direction, or Lemmon's ability to not skip that beat through the whole scene.

- he does actually talk to Fran when he confides that he shot himself in the leg. That emotional connection was critical as a foundation for their eventual budding relationship ("Bud", something that is about to bloom into beautiful splendor, right?) The key word was that he ought to become a mensch, a human being. Neither of these two people were "seen" by the people around them. They had to find and "see" each other as real fragile people that actually do have more strength. Fran's frank tough dame outer facade hid a fragile inner person who sought suicide; while Bud's milquetoast willingness to be manipulated gave way to a pretty strong guy willing to (finally) stand up for himself.

Together, they became human, and they brought that to each other, in a way.

At the end of the day, Wilder's genius would not have permitted Lemmon to go over the top if in fact that's what he was trying to bring to the table. What we got is, most likely, exactly precisely what Wilder wanted to bring to the screen for us.

That ability to bring that is what the other poster's comments speak to with respect to the awards and acknowledgements that Lemmon earned through his career. He's a great actor, and this film is just another example of it.

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I'm trying real hard to be the shepherd.

[–] kris_taylor81 14 years ago

ive got to say i understand the OP. Lemmon's acting style in those days irritates me, much in the same way i find it hard to watch Dustin Hoffman. Just something in the mannerisms i find it diffcult to sit through. It's my problem, but there it is.

This doesnt go for Jack Lemmon after around 1970, though. I think he deepened as an actor later in his career and lost some of the tightly wound-ness (?) of his performing style.

His performance in Glengarry Glen Ross is one of my all time favourite performances by any actor - nobody can swear like Jack!

[–] MovieMusings 7 years ago

He was awesome in Glengarry Glen Ross!

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Trying real hard to be the shepherd.

[–] zhu_bernard 14 years ago

I believe Lemmon is overacting. It's almost Chaplin style. I LOVE IT!

[–] timlin-4 14 years ago

Lemmon is kind of annoying, but in this film his character is totally unsympathetic, which makes him unbearable.

[–] ameckert2000 14 years ago

I completely disagree. This role is extremely challenging. It doesn't call for some crazy, quirky performance. It calls for someone to be a "regular guy" who also does comedy, and drama and everything else. The scene where he is being cute and charming to Fran by showing off his hat and trying to impress her, then his reaction when he sees the broken mirror all in a span of two seconds? Brilliant. Subtle. We feel his heart break into a million pieces, and him lose so much respect for this woman he really thought was sweet and innocent, with just a look. Amazing.

This scene we see the drama. At the beginning there is some light comedy, him getting a cold, all the phone calls to arrange a schedule for the apartment, there is little hint of the real drama that comes up later in the movie.

And, maybe I'm alone here, Wilder has MORE then four masterpieces. Look how iconic his films are!

The Seven Year Itch
Sabrina
Some Like it Hot
The Apartment
Sunset Boulevard
Stalag 17 (which is another brilliant mix of genres: comedy, drama, mystery, war, etc.)

And the others that I haven't had a chance to see yet.

Just my two cents.

[–] 14 years ago

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