MovieChat Forums > Cape Fear (1991) Discussion > Jessica Lange Is AWFUL In This Film.

Jessica Lange Is AWFUL In This Film.

posted 14 years ago by ChairmanOfTheBored
48 replies | jump to latest

I loved this film, thought De Niro played a great over the top psychopath, thought Nolte was a surprisingly convincing flawed protagonist, and it was cool to see Scorsese lend his touch a traditional commerical thriller.

However, Jessica Lange is utterly cringeworthy in her role and is the wink link in an otherwise impressive cast (not least of all the brief but compelling cameos by Peck, Mitchum and Balsam). I've seen other performances by her and I know Lange is more often than not a very good actress with some truly excellent performances, but she is beyond bad in this movie. She overacts every scene she's in and half her role is shouting. There's no subtlety her performance, every one of her lines is delivered in an overexaggerated format, and the "I DIDN'T LET HIM OUT" scene is just laughable in an otherwise taut, intelligent thriller.

I'm A Lead Farmer, *beep* - Lincoln Osiris

[–] RainAndTangerines 14 years ago

At times I felt like turing away when Jessica was on screen. Her performance was over the top and completely cringe worthy. I have seen her in films before and thought she was wonderful, in Tootsie, for instance. That was not the case in Cape Fear. The way she kept breathing excessively and the pace in which she spoke was almost enough to drive me mad.

[–] JMFOX 14 years ago

She acted like she was drunk all the time?

[–] wylierichardson-966-922691 8 years ago

We never actually saw her with a drink in hand, so they didnt seem to be going for an 'alcholic' vibe with her role. The movie seemed to want to suggest 'fraying marriage', which is why her and Nick Nolte are often shown arguing. That is my take on it.

[–] Elder_Yautija 13 years ago

I always thought she did a good job, as she was depicting an anxious and insecure woman, a carachter that many people will find annoying. So, yes, if you dislike her in this movie and feel like looking somewhere else, and if the way she speaks makes you nervous and irritates you (as it does me), then I guess I have a point.

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] chefjoseph 14 years ago

Both Nolte and Lange are excellent. "Overacts" ...great analysis.

Obviously, you know nothing about the art of acting.

[–] cocumaluzzi 14 years ago

I didn't think she was that bad although I'm not a huge fan of short-haired broads. Juliette was her usual "cringeworthy" self though. God she sucks. And yeah, now that I think about it I guess Jessica sucked pretty bad too. God I hate short-haired broads!

[–] monty_106 14 years ago

Yeah, I agree; she was a pain in the arse. She was like an overly-enthusiastic 5 year old trying to get someone's attention. What was up with her breathing? It was like she was enduring an incessant asthma attack for the entire film. Her eyes kept rolling around all over the place as well, like she was having some kind of seizure. Weirdo.

[–] Brandos_Bitch 14 years ago

She overacts at parts,but other times shes excellent,imo.

[–] Shawshanked 8 years ago

Sorry, sport but screaming at the top of your lungs, excessively crying and breathing as loudly and heavily as possible counts as overacting.

[–] dsgoorevitch 14 years ago

What was she supposed to do? The writer had it all wrong. The Nick Nolte character had to be both cold and controlling to make the women do what they did. And he was neither. And it was partly Nolte's fault for not being able to decide who he was but it was mostly Scorcese's fault. Women are not his strong point. He knows nothing about them and I think this is obvious about him looking at his other movies. Lange is a superb actress when given proper lines and direction. "Frances" was really something, for example.

[–] MisterHex 8 years ago

And it was partly Nolte's fault for not being able to decide who he was but it was mostly Scorcese's fault. Women are not his strong point. He knows nothing about them and I think this is obvious about him looking at his other movies.

I've always thought the same about Michael Mann, who never really wrote or portrayed women very realistically in his films. More than a coincidence that Mann and Scorcese specialize in male-dominated crook movies ...

[–] Towelie_Towel (1697) 4 years ago

Nolan is another example.

Although Nolan is just making blockbuster movies, so he doesn't relly use a character development in them.

[–] sut6432 (2830) 4 years ago

mostly Scorcese's fault. Women are not his strong point. He knows nothing about them and I think this is obvious about him looking at his other movies.

Nobody knows anything about women. They are enigmas that can jump from one personality to the next without batting an eye. They are the most complicated creatures ever to exist in the universe. A mystery that will never be solved by any man. The smartest men simply know to step aside and say “ok dear” when confused by a woman’s actions and thought process, while on the inside thinking “My god, why the hell is this person acting this way? How does this make any sense?” 😂

[–] arman0612 13 years ago

What? I thought she was amazing, a wonderful performance, I really liked how her character was a little crazy and very weird and she had some funny scenes at the beginning. I also think she played the scenes where she was scared in a very convincing way and her tears were amazing as well, one of the best performances I've seen by her.

[–] MachoManRandySavage 13 years ago

I also thought she was great. She was playing a woman who was not in a good place. Her nerves were shot, she was angry at her husband. She was supposed to be high strung and over the top.

[–] Sandor_Szavost 13 years ago

I think Lange did a very good job, better than Nolte anyway.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] torential 12 years ago

So, in a thriller that features a psychopath who commits heinous crimes, it's the actress playing the distraught wife that sends shivers up and down your spine, is it?

[–] tightspotkilo 12 years ago

I've NEVER thought Jessica Lange was all that. Well, other than her first film, King Kong in 1976, where she was basically eye candy. Way way WAY overrated as a "serious" actress. So her stinking up Cape Fear is pretty much par for the course for her.

Get the facts first - you can distort them later!

[–] jeanniemotherof3 12 years ago

I thought of the main characters in this film, well, the only one that was decent was De Niro of course, he's always superb, but this film just doesn't really cut it for me.