Greetings,
There are good ways and bad ways to start a year. Well, it seems that the Encore Channel has gone for the good by, this month, spotlighting Clint Eastwood. And, therefore, I have become a bit inspired.
If there is one thing I know for sure, it is that we are hard pressed to find anyone in Hollywood who can be defined as humble. We do get one every now and then, and one of them is Clint Eastwood. Anyone who, at the height of his career, would agree to not be paid for doing something is clearly not someone who thinks he is king of the world. More on that little anecdote later. I can agree that Clint Eastwood has had ups and downs, both personally and professionally, but I happen to believe that he has certainly earned every ounce of respect he has gotten. He has even earned the respect that has yet to be paid to him. And he has earned a top ten movies list from a blogger named - me! I will most likely one day write one of my official tributes to him, where I can delve deeper into his life, but for now, we'll stick with a discussion of his greatest accomplishments as an actor, in my opinion. Yeah, there will be surprises here, as some of my choices are not too obvious, and some may say there are glaring omissions. But different things make different people happy. So, if you're feeling lucky, punk, keep reading.
#10. In the Line of Fire - In this film, Clint plays an aging Secret Service Agent named Frank Horrigan. He is still haunted by the fact that he was one of the agents guarding JFK the day of his assassination, and now the new president is being threatened, bringing up those ghosts. Now, Clint was very good in this, but he was very helped by a great supporting cast. We had John Malkovich at his evil best; Mr.Brady the Second, Gary Cole; one of the greatest Law and Order-ers ever, Fred Thompson; a post-Steel Magnolias and pre-The Practice Dylan McDermott; and even the man himself, Tobin Bell. Wow, I'd be pretty cool, too, if I had these guys hanging around. And I should point out that this is actually the last film Clint was in that he didn't direct, until the recent Trouble with the Curve. But how about we don't talk about that thing? Moving on.
#9. Escape From Alcatraz - Okay, it's "based on a true story" time. Clint plays another guy named Frank here, who has escaped from so many prisons that he is now being put into Alcatraz, an inescapable prison. Or not, considering the title. Again, we had a really strong cast, something you need for a movie like this where you are essentially rooting for the bad guys. Gotta loves films that torture us like that.
#8. The Beguiled - Yeah, here's thing about this movie. It's not what you might call traditionally good. It didn't do well when it came out, and it was heavily criticized. I can see why. And, yet, I find this movie extremely entertaining. Clint plays this Civil War soldier who ends up wounded and recovering in this all girls boarding house where pretty much all the women fall in love with him. Well, love, lust, whatever. There's a shock. Of course, this all leads to several, let's say, shenanigans. I mean, we get people falling down stairs, poisonings, turtle murder. That's right. Turtle murder! As a plot point! Now tell me that doesn't sound intriguing. Some critics say that this emasculated Clint. Maybe a little, but I think it was just different for him. Good or bad, though, it's a hoot.
#7. Gran Torino - What is it about Clint Eastwood that, no matter how despicable of a character he portrays, we still like him? Even a crotchety, old racist. Now, I have heard people refer to his character here as "kind of a racist" No. No "kind of", okay? He was a full on bigot. Just because he may have changed over the course of the film does not change what he was in the beginning. That aside, I think this film is quite powerful, and I consider this one of the best acting roles of his career. He proves that just because a person is getting older does not mean they have to lose their skills.
#6. Unforgiven - Could I be more obvious? Of course, this makes the list. A lot of people would be quick to say that this is one of the best, if not the best, of Clint's films. It was nice to see him back into Westerns, something he hadn't touched upon in seven years. And it also marked the first time he was inundated with Oscar nominations, two of which he won. Though it's obviously not my favorite, I'd be fine saying that it was his masterpiece. Oh, and what the heck! Shout out to Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman. You guys rock!
#5. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly - I believe some people would say that it was "The Man with No Name Trilogy", consisting of A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and this one, that really thrust Clint Eastwood into super stardom. Of course, he was known before due to his role on Rawhide, and for better or worse, uncredited or not, he had appeared in about a dozen films before. But, of all three, this is definitely my favorite. Everything seemed to come together with this one, and it is extremely well-made. Even if it is just a "spaghetti Western" Yes, it would appear that these types of movies, while popular, were not very respected in their time. But, over the decades, most critics have come to appreciate the art of these films, particularly this one. It's about time.
#4. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot - I know that Clint has a lot of young fans. They certainly know of his recent work and some of his more notable past successes, but I bet there are a few that may slip through the cracks. Sadly, I think Thunderbolt and Lightfoot may be one of those. That's terrible, because this movie is fantastic. It's kind of a buddy/crime movie in which Clint stars alongside Jeff Bridges (yay!), in a role that garnered him his second Oscar nomination. Many people thought Clint should have gotten one as well for his role, since they really needed each other to be so great. Oh, so I guess Jeff and Clint would be the equivalent of Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano, respectively, in There Will Be Blood. And I will deal with that travesty on this blog one day, but I digress. Point is, this movie is just excellent, so watch it.
#3. Million Dollar Baby - So, in 2005, Clint Eastwood had been a star for about fifty years, thirty-five of those as an acclaimed director. And yet, somehow, I heard stories that he was having trouble getting funding for this new project. I guess they thought he hadn't proven himself yet! Good for us, though, he did get this film made, and if it proves one thing, it is that money really doesn't need to have a huge effect on how good a movie is. What you need is a great cast, director, story, all that can create perfection. And whilst this movie may have a flaw or two, it keeps you engaged and, most importantly, makes you feel.
#2. Play Misty For Me - Remember when I said that I found Clint Eastwood to be a very humble man? Well, this movie, the story of it and the production behind it, is concrete proof of that. A little back story. This is the first film Clint directed. He had a deal with Universal as an actor at this time, and when this film was about to be made, he asked to be the director as well. They agreed, but they were not going to pay him anything outside his actor's salary. And Clint was fine with that. It's as though he felt the chance they were taking on him was payment enough. You see what I mean? Anyway, the plot of this film is that Clint is playing a DJ who hooks up with this chick, played phenomenally by Jessica Walter, but he never calls her back. Oh, come on, dude. She gets a little stalkery, to say the least, but understandably so. And this is where his humility spilled into the story. Does he not get how incredibly hot he was at this point in time? Did he not know that no woman could be with another man after him? Seriously, it's like he's Ralph de Bricassart and every woman in the world is Meggie Cleary. Okay, I should stop on this subject right now. Anyway, it's a superb film that should absolutely be seen.
#1. Dirty Harry - Be honest. I bet a lot of you thought that, because I'm a girl, another certain film would be my favorite. Oh, no. Nothing better than Dirty Harry. What can I even say about this movie that hasn't already been said? It's amazing, fun, exciting, memorable, quotable, and it even has a psycho nerd villain. For what more could any of us ask. And, not to mention, we get probably the coolest character ever committed to celluloid in one Inspector Harry Callahan, Badge Number 2211. Yeah, that's right. I know it. There is just no way I can think it possible for anyone to not enjoy this movie. Unless you're a criminal, then you'll most likely just be freaked out, hoping and praying that there are no actual cops like this guy. Good luck.
And there you have it. This was difficult to make. Clint has had a long and illustrious career full of many successes. But you know, one day I may go the other way and do a bottom list, if you will. That should be easier. I'm talking to you, 1976 to 1984. Still, as I look at his life as a whole, all the good and the bad and, oh, alright, the ugly, I believe we can learn a lot from Clint Eastwood. Whether it's using the great things he has done as an example of how we should be or being warned through the mistakes he's made, he certainly gives quite a bit to the world. I do love this man, and I am very grateful for him.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
