MovieChat Forums > Million Dollar Arm (2014) Discussion > Will this movie make Jon Hamm a bona fid...

Will this movie make Jon Hamm a bona fide movie star?


I realize he has had some good movie roles since "Mad Men" started, but he has been primarily a supporting actor. He was funny in "Bridesmaids" and appropriately dramatic in "The Town", but he was not really the lead in those flicks. "Mad Men" has only one year left and it is time for Jon to posture himself for the post-MM era. It will be interesting to see if this movie does that.

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For me… Hamm is unsavory.

He isn't nice to look at at.

His voice is a little "trying to hard to sound manly".

His acting chops are pretty standard fare.

And, a little bit of typecasting is thrown in there for good measure; I've never enjoyed a character he plays.

Not to mention this movie looks like Jerry Maguire meets Moneyball.

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Isn't nice to look at? What?

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He's not a person I enjoy looking at. His face is unpleasant to me. While there are many out there that probably find him dreamy, I find him… not dreamy.

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MarkOftheV, I don't find him unsavory, but yeah, I don't get the appeal. And your acting and voice comment is spot on. I find him very unconvincing as a '60s man in MM. The way he smokes a cigarette is the most annoying of all. If you've watched a lot of movies from the '50s & '60s, then Hamm falls seriously short. He definitely tries too hard to be gritty. And he just doesn't have enough charisma for a long career as a leading man.

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This movie will confirm what most people know, that is Hamm pretty much can't act and won't be a movie star.

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I do agree.

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No. I think this movie will HARM his career. I'm sorry, but this looks embarrassingly awful.

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Only way this guys becomes a star is if he learns how to act. A face job wouldn't be a bad idea either.

It is not a person's fault because they succeeded. It is a person's fault if they failed.

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I love him in Mad Men as Don Draper, but unfortunately, I don't think this will be the movie project that makes him a 'movie star'. He probably earns a lot of money because of this film, though, so I can see why he made the choice.

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The movie biz could use a new leading man in there. But I don't think it's Hamm, I mean him. Nothing memorable about his film roles. No pop.

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From what I've seen in Mad Men so far, he is actually a hell of an actor.

Now of course when you look down at the comments some of the persons just made, it might not look like it. But if you read the comments, and then try and see how it is relevent to the fact this man is an actor, not a model, nor is he suppose to look how you want or sound how you want, well you can start to see how he could be a great actor.

Also to the person who said he doesn't act accordingly to a 50-60s person in Mad men because well that person has seen lots of movies that take place in the 50-60s, I'd like to ask the said person if he or se actually lived in the 50-60s..

This remains my opinion, but I believe he has a lot of depth to offer!

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This ^^^


"If it doesn't make sense, it's not true." -- Judge Judy

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I don't think so. His character didn't really come across as likeable (even though he was supposed to be) and I think that is more a failing of Hamm than the writers. That quality plays well in a period show like madmen, which is fairly chauvinistic, but not so much in contemporary society. Contrast his performance here with Brad Pitt's role in Moneyball. Which character did you identify with more? You don't have to respond. I know what the answer is.

“There are no ordinary moments. There is always something going on.” – Peaceful Warrior

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Not yet. He is a solid supporting actor in the 2nd or 3rd billed slot, but his major films have him playing 'Don Draper' in different occupations.

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Mad Men is a very good show and Jon Hamm is excellent playing Don Draper on television but Million Dollar Arm will not make Jon Hamm a lead actor in movies. While it is a good movie it does not have the reviews or the strong box office to make him a star. He does not seem to have connected with critics or general audiences. Maybe his next film he will do that successfully. His success as a television actor does not seem to have translated to Jon Hamm being a movie star. He is more of a supporting or character actor right now.

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It will be interesting to see if this movie does that.

Probably not. I really enjoyed the movie but Hamm's acting and constant presence was actually one of its weak spots. I thought he looked fine (not fine, just fine for the part) but I'm a straight guy so I wasn't going there to gawk at him.

Otterprods, to keep those aquatic Mustelidae in line.

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