Jack Nicholson Coming to Town?
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flickgrrl
Jack Nicholson Coming to Town?
Carrie Rickey, Film Critic
"The Untitled James L. Brooks Project" -- the romantic triangle starring Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd set to start shooting here in mid-June -- is negotiating with Jack Nicholson (who won Oscars for the Brooks films Terms of Endearment and As Good as It Gets) to play the role of Rudd's father. According to Variety, Nicholson would replace the notoriously noncommital Bill Murray, initially slated to co-star.
As you no doubt know, in the untitled film Witherspoon is torn between businessman Rudd and ballplayer Wilson.
Brooks has a good track record of eliciting restrained performances from wild men (think Adam Sandler in Spanglish; and the unbilled Nicholson as a magisterial Dan Rather-type anchorman in Broadcast News.)
Diabolical Jack (The Shining, Batman, The Departed) doesn't age well for me. I prefer unflappable Jack to flipped Jack. My most cherished performances of his are Easy Rider, The Last Detail, Chinatown, Reds, the Brooks movies and Something's Gotta Give. You? Tell me why.
Should I ice her, or should I marry her? PRIZZI'S HONOR gets my honors for Jack. Carrie.— garyk- where exactly are they shooting at?— jtap1981
- GaryK: I love that line! (And that performance, edgy-quizzical, like his wardrobe of a lemon-yellow sportsjacket with black shirt.) Jtap: Will advise.— carrierickey
- For no particular reason: "The King of Marvin Gardens," "Five Easy Pieces," "Carnal Knowledge," "Chinatown" and ... "The Little Shop of Horrors"— Pash
- I still like him in one of his first serious films, Five Easy Pieces (first top billed role maybe?). I think you get a chance to see unflappable Jack in scenes with Susan Anspach, wildman Jack in Sally Struthers scene and oil field scene, flipped Jack in the diner, frustrated Jack with Karen Black, bemused Jack with the hitchhikers and tortured Jack in the scene with his dying and speechless father.— John Brumfield
- No mention of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"? An Oscar winning performance if there ever was one!— rjernee
Comment removed.- "You Can't Handle The Truth!" Col. Nathan Jessup in A Few Good Men. Jack stole the show.— socialgrace
Alexander Payne + Jack = my personal fave performance, minus a very naked Kathy Bates of course! As Good As It Gets being a close 2nd...— theJOJ- Comment removed.
I like him in Ironweed. Underrated movie/performance.- Chinatown is great, but I love Jack in The Last Detail the best. I can think one other film he made here. Can anybody else think of a Philly-set movie with Jack?— movieirv
- I liked him in Mars Attacks, but yeah where will this be shot?— wolfburn
- My favorite Jack Nicholson films are Chinatown, The Shining, As Good As It Gets and Something's Got To Give. The first two are each profound meditations on the nature of good and evil and metaphysics. The latter two are tender character studies and Nicholson simply makes you believe in the reality of the characters he's playing. Oh -- and he really is great as Col. Jessup.— ccjroberts
- Comment removed.
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