MovieChat Forums > Chrystal (2004) Discussion > Billy Bob, PLEASE, stick to this type of...

Billy Bob, PLEASE, stick to this type of film !!!

posted 18 years ago by Kimberley717
8 replies | jump to latest

Honestly, the man is a talented actor; This is a good movie, but he insists on doing garbage like Bad(der) Santa & Bad News Bears. WHY ??? Those 2 movies were trash. I am almost ashamed to say I saw them. I like Billy Bob & I respect him as an actor, but I am starting to question his choices. :-}
I could understand wanting to be involved w/a remake of the Bears, but the remake that was produced sucked & was trashy. Bad Santa was stupid & full of F bombs. I traded it (the DVD) away the day after I watched it; disliked it that much. I'm not offended by bad language, but come on, there's a certain point where it's ridiculous & you know it's being forced.
Get back to actual acting Billy, stop going for shock value & a quick buck.

[–] bama1111 18 years ago

Seldom do you see a really good actor who doesn't make a Bad Santa or Bad News Bears kind of movie. Personally, I thought Bad Santa was pretty funny but only because of the "no redeeming social value" persona that Billy Bob brings to it. I'm not sure if I would have liked it as much without him in it. He plays characters like that occasionally and does it well.

As for this movie, he also has a "quiet" character element that allows him to say a lot without speaking. He's a tortured soul who's haunted by the sins of his past. And Lisa Blount is really good too as Chrystal. It's a sad, sweet story.

Emperor: Tell me how he died.
Captain Algren: I will tell you...how he lived.

[–] david32112 18 years ago

Gotta pay the bills as it were. Most actors take crappy commercial movies just to make money so they can afford to be in movies like this one. Brando made a whole string of them just for the cash.

[–] drusucks 18 years ago

David, you are a douchebag.

"$1 for eternal happiness? I'd be happier with the dollar."

[–] zubzwank 18 years ago

I think Davis is right. BBT takes commercial roles for $ so he can
make the films he wants the rest of the time. See: John Cassavetes
(Rosemary's Baby, Dirty Dozen, The Fury) as an exemplary example of
this type of career.

[–] photoseller 17 years ago

David is right on the mark, Billy Bob is one of my favorite actors, and I have have most of his movies, I do not have bad(er) santa as it is unfunny and pure garbage, when this man does films like Chrystal, Slingblade and others he is among the best in hollywood, but sometimes a person has to do the so called commercial hollywood trash to make money for more personal films (like this one) he and Lisa are born and bred Arkansas people, and their teaming up for this film was magic, I hope both of them have more of the same in them for future films.

“Do not fear death... only the unlived life.” - Natalie Babbitt

[–] roguestout 17 years ago

David, you are a douchebag.

WTH kind of a reply is this?
He hit the nail right on the head.
Movies like Slingblade and Chrystal have outstanding artistic merit, but I don't imagine they bring in the type of up front check that the commercial Hollywood garbage movies do.

**********RogueStout

[–] sniktawt 16 years ago

Bad Santa did not suck, Bad News Bears was a mistake, and Mr. Woodcock on the other hand did suck, and BBT did say he's done with the commercial comedic stuff and going back to story heavy roles like this one.

[–] Edward_de_Vere 13 years ago

The first films that I saw Billy Bob Thornton in were Sling Blade and A Simple Plan. He gave a great performance, and both (particularly Sling Blade) were quality films.

I can't say that I've cared for much of anything that he's done in the past decade (mostly mindless, commercial schlock), with the exception of Chrystal, where he returns in full form to the southern Gothic style that made so many people notice his early work.