I have not seen him in anything bad, yet--has he ever done any stinkers? Like Pacino, Hoffman the elder, and DeNiro, he is the master of the "memorable scene". When you think of "Happiness", what's the scene that first comes to mind (other than the final, jarring shot of the family dog)? Hoffman talking dirty to Laura Flynn Boyle, from his tiny cubicle at work.
"Boogie Nights"? The scene where he awkwardly comes onto Mark Wahlberg.
Even in his miniscule role in "Almost Famous", he manages to etch a memorable film image--when he explains women and life to the main character (played by Patrick Fugit.)
Anyone who has watched him on film knew it was only a matter of time before he "broke through." I think "Flawless" was his first starring role and, not surprisingly, he hit a triple off the wall.
Trivia note: I may be mistaken, but during the credits, I think Schumacher inserted something of a "blooper reel", where Hoffman breaks character momentarily and teases DeNiro on his method. . . "Say. . . do you think you could drop that jaw any lower?" Hoffman teases. "No," DeNiro mumbles, then, "but, then, you have more experience in that area than I do." The two of them chuckle a bit, and you can also hear other laughter coming from off camera. Has anyone else noticed this?
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