Epically pitiful acting performance. Thank God the rest of the cast raised the bar.
shareAgreed which is why I think someone like a young Ben Stiller would of been a better casting choice instead of Keith Gordon who was far better in Christine then he was in this film.
shareWhen I watch this movie now it reminds me sooooo much about why they replaced Eric Stoltz in "Back to the Future:" he was just playing way too straight and serious. They needed a touch of irreverence. In fact, Michael J. Fox would have KILLED this role. It's making me hate that he wasn't the lead now. THIS IS AN EPIPHANY.
Hahahaha.
It's one of my top five favorite comedies ever regardless.
Wow. MJ Fox would have indeed been great in this, but they would have had to expand his role. This was a Dangerfield vehicle, and to get someone as hot as Fox was at that time would have required a re-write.
But yeah, that would have been amazing.
Straight and serious is what he needed to play. He was a shy guy that was failing at everything and was overwhelmed by his charismatic father.
Fox is a great actor, but he might’ve been to over-the-top for this role.
The role didn't need to be played as 100% straight and serious, he could have shown flashes of being a funny and likable guy when he wasn't feeling squashed. Enough flashes that you'd see why the funny Downey character was friends with him.
But I suppose that Dangerfield didn't want anyone else in the film being funny or charming, which does make me wonder how he felt about Downey's scene-stealing.
I thought he did a superb job. Keith Gordon is a terrific actor who brings a unique energy to his films. He also delivers his lines crisply with a certain conviction that I like. He elevated Christine, an otherwise mediocre film by a still-reeling-from-The-Thing John Carpenter, to something very watchable and entertaining. His transformation from the meek victim Arnie to a hotrod drivin' arrogant bastard in Christine was impressive. The one criticism I do have of his casting in Back to School is that I don't see him sharing even a tiny strand of genetic code with Rodney Dangerfield.
shareOddly enough, Christine is about the only film, besides Back2School I remember seeing him in. Other than that, I really don't recall him being in many films.
shareHe was good in the Brian DePalma film "Dressed to Kill." The only other movie I can recall offhand seeing him in is Jaws 2, where he played teenage sharkbait (one of the few that appeared to have brains).
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