am I the only one that was just cringing at every line John Malkovich's Tom said? I just hated his delivery! When I read the play(I think it's been about a thousand times by now) that is not the way I imagined Tom AT ALL! he has absolutely no emotion, especially when he's talking to the audience.
shareI thought he brilliantly played Tom. I figured that anybody living with an annoying mother and a sick sister, while trying to find a place away from home would be drained of all emotions. I thought he did an excellent job.
shareYeah, would rather have seen Johnny Depp.
Frankly, I would just rather see Johnny Depp do ANYTHING.
"Coming Soon, to a theater near you --- Johnny Depp is the leader of the free world, in the true story of the rise to power of George W. Bush in "Bushwacked"...
"wouldn't be prudent"
"we have to fight them over there so we don't have to fight them OVER HERE!"
"Brownie, your doin' a helluva job (these are the laced ones right? hea hea hea).
Now there's a movie I'd love to see, Johnny Depp as George W. Bush.
Really? I loved it. I loved that it conveyed an emptiness..he just said everything so callously and without really exaggerating. I always viewed Tom as beng a very depressed, withdrawn fellow and I think he nailed it.
shareI unfortunately agree about Mr. Malkovich. While he is a very interesting actor, he is usually more miss than hit. In Paul Newman's extremely-faithful-to-the-source-material-but-way-off-in-casting-choices-version of Glass Menagerie, I believe all the actors to be more of a curio than archetype.
John Malkovich is, as I said, interesting, but he is, in my opinion, in the same mold as William Shatner; weird. But as the Shatman is strangely likeable, often overlooked as good (when you get past the cosmically deranged iambic pentamiter) while being weird, Malkovich is just weird. Never likeable in the sense of "wouldn't it be fun to hang out with (insert-Malkovich-character name HERE)?".
"Eye have....thingzinnn meye pocketseyeeee....havethingzup...my sleeeeeeevebut...eyeyammmtheeee....oPPositeofayyyy stage magishiunnnnn..."
Malkovich looks the part, but his interpretation of Tom is as if he not only "went much further" than the moon (as directed by his equally weird mommy Amanda), but that he jumped off the ride somewhere and hoofed it around the Andromeda system before coming back to Earth and telling us about his 'memory' play.
Woodward acts as if some piece of wood became animated for a couple hours...stilted and overreaching for a goal while simultaneously being extremely schreechy and irritating. And poor Karen Allen, looking about 15 years older than her tormented character of Laura, and coming off about as sympathetic as a lamppost. And James Naughton...I mean, James Naughton?? He must have divorced a wife of at least 10 years and then become a gentleman caller? I had the most sympathy for the damn unicorn that lost his horn.
It's too bad this wonderful, WONDERFUL 20th century classic hasn't found a proper home on the screen. But then, perhaps it's supposed to remain in it's only house...the stage.
schizophrenique, yes he made me feel a tremendous amount, because of how emotionally beaten he was, and the way John portrayed him.
Very true to life.
His performance was softer and less bombastic than others. I didn't love it,
but I respect him for playing Tom in a different way.
Malkovich kicked ass as Tom.
Jaywalking is RAMPANT!!!
~ Barney Fife