MovieChat Forums > How Do You Know (2010) Discussion > The Worst Performance of Nicholsons Care...

The Worst Performance of Nicholsons Career

posted 13 years ago by ojdidit123
8 replies | jump to latest

Now I would like to start off by saying I am about as big of a Jack fan as there is out there but this performance was just awful..I didn't hate the movie or the character either I just hated his performance. I don't know what is too blame more the script, james brooks, or Jack himself but I put it on brooks because he should've at some point told Jack to take it down a notch. Jack goes over the top alot in his roles most of the time but never has it been this annoying and unfunny. Wouldn't be surprised if the razzies come calling

[–] CalvinJarrett 13 years ago

ojdidit123, I agree! I came on here looking for just the post you wrote to see if I was being too hard on him. I also didn't know if it was more a fault of the writing than anything else. They didn't really give him any lines. That scene in the hospital I thought was where they were going to make him shine (make him really funny), but instead it was awkward, clumsily put together, and unfunny. I too typically enjoy Nicholson. I know he has a tendency to kind of play 'Jack Nicholson,' but usually that works for the roles he's given. I don't think his style of acting and brand of humor translates well to playing a father. It does when he's playing a husband or lover. Think Something's Got to Give with Jack and Diane Keaton. While it might not have been a terrific movie it was a terrific role for Nicholson to play. I did like him in About Schmidt, but that worked because he started out as a hen-pecked husband and that helped shape his character on the odyssey contained within that movie.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Backlot_Manager 13 years ago

He was terrible in this, or maybe we could say that not even Jack Nicholson could save this abortion of a 120 million dollar film.

I've loved Jack since way back before I had whiskers. He's liberally spread across my DVD library. Easy Rider. Five Easy Pieces. The Last Detail. Chinatown. Tommy. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The list goes on and on, all the way through The Bucket List. Even as an old fat man, he can save almost any film, and make it enjoyable, like he did with As Good as it Gets and Something's Gotta Give. This was awful. If I hadn't been dragged to it by a woman with free passes (and I still only went because I thought Jack might add value), but I was sorely disappointed.

Like Krusty the Klown, they backed a truckload of money up to his house, how could he say no?

[–] mystroSam 13 years ago

I don't get why people are acting like he was an integral part of this movie. So what if his performance was kinda meh, he was barely in it. He was fine for what he had to do.

[–] LostSok0523 13 years ago

I thought he was superb. The final scene (spoiler!!!) where he sees his son get the girl...the the implications for himself...was outstanding.

That he was over-the-top added some spice to what was largely a very restrained movie.

I loved almost every minute of this film. It was Brooks best since As Good As It Gets. By far.

[–] jesika231 13 years ago

I wonder if this movie would have gotten better reviews if over 100 Million hadn't been spent making it? I see a lot of people and a lot of reviews rate this film bad and 7/10 of them mention the high cost.

Not trying to argue here either,just wondering.

[–] LostSok0523 13 years ago

"I wonder if this movie would have gotten better reviews if over 100 Million hadn't been spent making it?"

I had no clue about that, and I liked it, so...maybe? I'm not sure why people should care.

Hell...50 million probably went to Jack. lol

[–] Backlot_Manager 13 years ago

"I wonder if this movie would have gotten better reviews if over 100 Million hadn't been spent making it?"

That's a good question. After all, it's just a RomCom. No expensive special effects, no CGI work needed. No sets blowing up like an action blockbuster. Whenever I see a mediocre film with a mysteriously-high budget, I reflect on the fact that I've seen well-made, enjoyable films of the same genre made for a very minor fraction of that budget.

Name a few cheap RomComs that you really liked. Here's one to get you started:

My Big Fat Greek Wedding - Budget: $5 mill