Last week, when visiting this year’s Oscar nominations, I was dumbfounded by the complete absense of ‘Moon‘ from any nominations. It’s no secret that I loved that movie, and the more it gets ignored, the more I love it. In my state of furious typing, I couldn’t help but look back over Sam Rockwell’s resume and remember some of his better roles. While not infallible, when Rockwell’s on point he can steal the show, and the following films are some of my favourites.
Lawn Dogs (1997) – Before Mischa Barton sold her soul to the devil and starred in the garbage that was ‘The O.C.‘, she was actually a promising young actress. She and Rockwell, along with the always off-putting Christopher McDonald, starred in one of my absolutely favourite films of recent decades. Entirely unique, unpredictable, and surprisingly visually fantastical, ‘Lawn Dogs’ should have been seen by more. Rockwell shines here, but with modesty. He plays a character that is viewed as simple by the self-involved, country-club folk around him, and as such, his acting is beautifully subtle. He doesn’t get in your face and steal scenes; he simply plays it with a steady sense of honesty that grabs you and makes you empathise and root for his character from the very beginning. This is one of the first Sam Rockwell movies I had ever seen, and it stands as one of my favourites.
Safe Men (1998) – This may not be a critical favourite, but my roommate and I rented it on a lark and were pleasantly surprised by what we found. This marked the first time that I remember having seen Sam Rockwell or Steve Zahn in anything, and as it’s impossible to find nowadays, I’m going off of memory here in defending its merits. As two singers mistaken by the Jewish mafia as safecrackers, Zahn and Rockwell had perfect chemistry together. Add in Mark Ruffalo, another personal favourite, and the always impressive Paul Giamatti, and you have the perfect formula for my frustrated 10-year attempt at tracking it down on DVD (I rented it originally on VHS and have been unable to find it in any digital format).
Galaxy Quest (1999) – If you lived in North America at all during ‘Home Improvement’s’ run, you’re probably wondering why in the hell I would ever recommend a Tim Allen movie. I’m not. I’m recommending a surprisingly hilarious movie that just happens to star Tim Allen in the only role I can think of where he doesn’t instantly deserve death threats. A sci-fi parody of what happens when washed up Star Trek-like stars stumble into a real intergalactic dilemma, the ensemble cast here is superb. Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman play their roles pitch perfectly, but the true laughs for me stemmed from two men in particular: Tony Shalhoub and Sam Rockwell. Shalhoub has an offbeat-ness that truly makes him one of a kind when it comes to delivery, and he is fantastic throughout this one; almost as fantastic as Crewman Number Six. Sam Rockwell is absolutely hilarious as Guy, the crew member with no last name, destined to be the first to die on any expedition. Do yourself a favour, put aside your hatred for Tim Allen (it’s hard, I know) and watch ‘Galaxy Quest.’ You’ll be surprised, entertained, and not disappointed.
Heist (2001) – Ok. This choice is a little biased. I’ve always been a fan of anything written by David Mamet. If he’s directing, as well, then the chances are pretty damn good that I’m going to like it. ‘Heist’ is no different. Rockwell, solid as always, is a bit different in this one, as his character is never welcome whereever he goes. With Mamet automatically comes Rebecca Pidgeon and Ricky Jay. While Pidgeon never lasts long in my memory, Ricky Jay again proves that he was born to deliver Mamet’s lines. It may not be a Rockwell showcase, but it’s an entertaining movie that I recommend nonetheless.
Welcome to Collinwood (2002) – While the Russo brothers are certainly not the Coen brothers, their attempt at something like the Coen’s was at least entertaining. There’s no shortage of talent here, as this remake of ‘I Soliti Ignoti‘ (1958) boasts not only Sam Rockwell, but an ensemble of fantastic character actors including Luis Guzman, Isaiah Washington, Patricia Clarkson, William H. Macy and the amazing Michael Jeter in one of his last roles. You may remember Clooney from the commercials, but he’s not in it very much. At some points muddled, this one is best watched without too much expectation. It’s too easy to draw comparisons to films that do some of the same things a little better. This one does a lot of things pretty well, but the joy is seeing some of these amazing actors interact and work off of each other.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) – Here you have a movie written by the brilliant Charlie Kaufman, directed by George Clooney, starring Sam Rockwell and Michael Cera (as the same character but at different ages), in a movie based on the supposedly true story of Chuck Barris’s double life as host of ‘The Gong Show‘ and international CIA hitman. If that premise isn’t enough to make you watch it tonight, then let me tell you that it isn’t as good as it sounds; it’s BETTER! Rockwell actually won awards for this film and they were well deserved, as were Clooney and Kaufman’s behind the scenes recognition. I don’t want to ruin anything about this movie, as I just hope that you see it. The day after seeing it, I picked up Barris’s autobiography that served as the basis for this film and it is just as bizarre and gripping – a fast, easy and unforgettable read.
Sure Rockwell has done his share of paycheck work (see ‘Charlie’s Angels‘), but he always brings an interesting and entertaining angle to everything he does. Today marks the first day of previews for ‘A Behanding in Spokane,’ a new Broadway play starring Rockwell and Christopher Walken, and I can’t wait to go see it next month. If you’re looking for a good weekend filmfest, watch ‘Lawn Dogs,’ ‘Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,’ and then rewatch ‘Moon’ (I’m assuming that if you’re reading this, you’ve seen it at least once). After that trifecta, start planning your March 7, ’cause if you’re like me you’re going to do anything BUT watch the Oscars. I’d rather read the results the next day, than sit through four hours of awards that will contain Sandra Bullock and will not contain Sam Rockwell. What is wrong with this world?
– Pig
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