MovieChat Forums > The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) Discussion > The greatest 60 seconds of acting ever? ...

The greatest 60 seconds of acting ever? (SPOILERS)

posted 15 years ago by dan_brit_abroad
225 replies | jump to latest

...when he's told he's got the job, and he tears up in the office til he goes nuts in the street. It's the most emotional piece of acting I've seen for ages.

But is it, as the subject line says, "The greatest 60 seconds of acting ever?"

There are some more famous, more memorable 60 seconds from some legendary actors.

- "I coulda been a contender..." Al Pacino, Raging Bull
- "'Do I feel lucky?' Well, DO you, punk?" Clint Eastwood, Dirty Harry
- "Take it off. Take it off." Brad Davis, Midnight Express
- "As God is my witness, I'll never go hungry again!" Vivien Leigh, Gone with the Wind

BUT are they great examples of ACTING, or are they just SHOUTING and GESTURING wildly? Something any of us could do.

I invite you to submit your favourite 60 seconds of acting.

THE RULES
- It must be a SHORT SCENE (around 60 seconds or less)
- The excellent acting must come from ONE ACTOR, not an ensemble. If there are many excellent examples of acting in one scene, choose only one actor you feel performed the best.
- It is the ACTING that we're assessing, not the popularity of the scene.

Let's give it a go then.

[–] uroshvasiljevic 15 years ago

*beep*

[–] l_haines 15 years ago

Don't laugh, but Scrubs Season 5, episode 20 "My Lunch". John C McGinley (Dr Cox) is superb at the end of the episode, I actually sobbed and had to remind myself that it wasn't real! It left my boyfriend quite quiet too (he doesn't cry - that's the closest thing!). Absolutely brilliant acting from him.

[–] dan_brit_abroad 15 years ago

Just remind me again what happens there?

I love Scrubs, but I can't remember what happens at the end of My Lunch.

Is that the one where he "kills" 3 people?

[–] l_haines 15 years ago

Yeah, that's the one. It's the part where the third person dies. Breaks my heart every time! X

[–] IrishLumog 15 years ago

There is a really brilliant scene in "The Fresh prince of bel air" where Will Smith asks the uncle whhis father doesnt want him. It was one of the most surprising scenes that I ever saw, because it was so emotinal and came at the end of the fresh prince. Look it up on youtube, Well worth a look.

[–] flooxer 15 years ago

In Ghostbusters, when Ray (Dan Aykroyd) turns around slowly and replies to Peter (Bill Murray)"It's the Stapuft Marshmallow Man." That scene brings a tear to my eye every time I see it. Simply masterful acting from Dan Aykroyd.

[–] iconoclast-2 15 years ago

This short speech by George C. Scott in "The Hospital" always sticks in memory.
The delivery is intense.
----------
Herbert Bock: It is all rubbish isn't it. I mean... transplants, anti-bodies, we can produce birth ectogenetically, we can clone people like carrots, and half the kids in this ghetto haven't been inoculated for polio. We have established an enormous medical entity and we're sicker than ever. We cure nothing! We heal, nothing! The whole goddamn wretched world, strangulating in front of our eyes.
---------------------

[–] FireRises 15 years ago

Jaws Quint's Town Hall or USS Speech.

[–] KillerMoose23 15 years ago

Hmm, Let's see.

Marlon Brando is Apocalypse Now at the end
Someone mentioned Sounder...I remember watching that and it being emotional..good call
Many others have been mentioned already and I am sure there is more that I cannot think of haha.

Life is a journey, not a destination.

[–] tudormon 15 years ago

Ok acting yes, but I'm always amazed how quickly people here jump on "the best"... terminology.

For me, it's...

What does Marsellus Wallace look like?

... and the rest is history, so to speak.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] dan2o 15 years ago

first off-

-to the OP, excellent topic:)

-to the IMDB users here- excellent way to keep on topic and not flame one another!

-BrnXbmBr2- nice recognition of Mickey Rourke- that whole movie was phenomenal, but that scene in particular was wrenching

-IrishLumog- I don't care how many times I see that ep. of Fresh Prince, when that scene comes on, I'm practically bawling like a baby (though I do think the history between Will and Uncle Phil adds tremendously)

As for my recommendations? How come not one single person has mentioned A Few Good Men? Take your pick of most scenes but to narrow it down, and avoid the infamous scene, I'll go with either "lunch with Col. Jessep at Gitmo" (does Jack not just give you the creeps there?) or the "Hal? Hal? What did we do wrong? scene near the end" with James Marshall and Wolfgang Bodison. Of course as a bonus, we have any scene where Demi rips into Tom, even though he's one of my favorite actors:)

For another movie- who here remembers "Shane, come back!"

[–] cceeoojj1 15 years ago

Toshiro Mifune in Seven Samaurai-- when he's ranting about the farmers and how they're not telling the whole truth and then when he rescues the child in the burning orphanage-- Outstanding in any language............Al Pacino has several nods here,.. "Say Goodnight To De BAD MAN!" from Scarface-- "I'm In the Dark Here!" from Scent of a Woman -- but my favorite from Al is the opening courtroom scene in Carlito's Way --Sean Penn has some great scenes in that one too.-- furthermore and in keeping with the thread as much as possible-- Liam Neeson's last scene in Schindler's List-- Alec Guiness's self-realization at the end of Bridge on the River Kwai----Denzel Washington in Courage Under Fire -- Billy Bob Thornton at the end of A Simple Plan--- Brad Pitt at the end Of SE7EN-- "No! You Tell me. You tell Me, What's In the Baaaox!

[–] kuzya-23-477484 13 years ago

Ok, this is 2 people acting, but you can take your pick and any 60 secs in that scene. The final breakfast scene in Revolutionary Road where Kate and Leo are saying 1 thing but you can read completely the oppostire in their eyes.

[–] marhefka2000 15 years ago

What a great idea for a message board. There are so many. Without giving it much thought, I'll list my top three.

1. Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny. The scene in the courtroom where he cracks and reveals his many neuroses.

2. Schindler (Liam Neeson) in Schindler's List. The scene near the end where Schindler gave a speech to the German guards the same day the Germans surrendered. It was something like this: There all here. You can kill them all. Or you can go home as men.

2a. Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's List. His "Today is History" speech.

3. Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) in The Aviator. The speech to the Senate Committee.

Many others: Amadeus when Salieri was telling his story to the priest.

McArthur when Gregory Peck was in the cab with a Russian diplomat. He said that if one Russian soldier ever sets foot in Japan, then YOU (the diplomat) will go straight to jail.

From Here to Eternity when Burt Lancaster, while breaking a beer bottle said, Oh, so you want to fight, come on Fatso.

Casablance had several by Hunphrey Bogart. One was Of all the gin joints in all the world, why did she have to walk into mine?