# Mediocre movies salvaged by one great performance **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538 "2011-02-16T03:15:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/21 "2011-02-16T18:29:06Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Pretty much everything I’ve ever watched that had Glenn Close. It seems like either she picks movies that feature her acting ability, or movies are made just to create a backdrop for her amazing solo performances. I would guess that she’s on screen over 70% of the time in all her films. Hey! John Lithgow was nomiated for an Oscar for his portrayal of the transsexual Robert Muldoon in _The World According to Garp_. _Fatal Attraction_ hasd vecome a classic, and the title entered our lexicon. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/22 "2011-02-16T18:46:34Z")
A mostly forgettable 2006 film called _[The Last Kiss](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434139/)_ includes riveting performances by Tom Wilkinson and Blythe Danner as a couple facing their crumbling marriage in quiet desperation. Unfortunately, they do so in the shadow of a cliched and predictable A-plot about Zach Braff in a love triangle. Blech. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/23 "2011-02-16T19:03:35Z")
_Ghost_ had a fairly interesting screenplay, but was almost ruined by the abysmal leads. Whoopi Goldberg’s performance made the whole thing bearable. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/24 "2011-02-16T19:33:44Z")
Grumpy Old Men was an okay movie, but Burgess Meredith was hilarious! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/25 "2011-02-16T19:34:47Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > I dunno… I thought Bill Pullman was pretty good as the President. > > ETA: Jeff Goldblum was pretty one-dimensional, but Judd Hirsch as his father was very funny. > > HIRSCH (forming a Jewish prayer circle): Here, come pray with us. > > SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: But I’m not Jewish. > > HIRSCH: Nobody’s perfect. I love the exchange between air-sickness sufferer Goldblum and his hasn’t-spoken-to-G-d-since-your-mother-died father Hirsch as the former is getting ready to go into space to save the world: Hirsch _[handing Goldblum two air-sick bags]_: Just in case. Goldblum _[handing Hirsch a Torah and a yarmulke]_: Just in case. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/26 "2011-02-16T19:36:00Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > _Ghost_ had a fairly interesting screenplay, but was almost ruined by the abysmal leads. Whoopi Goldberg’s performance made the whole thing bearable. She was definitely the best thing in that movie. Especially when she’s chanelling Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore leans in for a kiss - I leaned over to my friend and said "Look, Demi’s going to _make_ Whoopi. Still my worst pun by several orders of magnitude. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/27 "2011-02-16T19:41:39Z")
Christopher Walken in _Balls of Fury._ The movie as a whole was pretty terrible, but Walken was hilarious in it, and pretty much singlehandedly makes it worth watching. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/28 "2011-02-16T19:50:48Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > Christopher Walken in _Balls of Fury._ The movie as a whole was pretty terrible, but Walken was hilarious in it, and pretty much singlehandedly makes it worth watching. We just saw it, and it _was_ pretty awful, but Walken is his usual can’t-look-away oddball self in it. Certainly a highlight. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/29 "2011-02-16T19:54:56Z")
If I can have two, I thought John Malkovich and Steve Buscemi were both rather good admit the woeful pile of monkey feces that was Con Air. Malcovich because he seemed to me to be laughing at the whole movie. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/30 "2011-02-16T20:03:05Z")
_The Boondock Saints_ is a terrible movie, but Willem Dafoe as the cross-dressing FBI agent is pretty entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/31 "2011-02-16T20:04:28Z")
I’m not sure what I think of the _Harold & Kumar_ movies, but Neil Patrick Harris (as himself) sure steals the show. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/32 "2011-02-16T20:19:21Z")
> [@villa](#): > > If I can have two, I thought John Malkovich and Steve Buscemi were both rather good admit the woeful pile of monkey feces that was Con Air. Malcovich because he seemed to me to be laughing at the whole movie. Nick Cage deserves some credit for “Put the bunny back!” ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/33 "2011-02-16T20:31:43Z")
Bill Murray in _Meatballs_. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/34 "2011-02-16T20:35:07Z")
> [@villa](#): > > If I can have two, I thought John Malkovich and Steve Buscemi were both rather good admit the woeful pile of monkey feces that was Con Air. Malcovich because he seemed to me to be laughing at the whole movie. Malkovich was probably also laughing at the fact he was getting a dump truck load of money to be in that piece of crap. ---
**Author:** ![Tixenfleaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Tixenfleaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tixenfleaz)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/35 "2011-02-16T20:38:20Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Philip Seymour Hoffman was an awesome bad guy in Mission Impossible 3. A tough as nails unflinching criminal. Wasted in a Tom Cruise action flick. > I would have loved to see him use this character as a non-literal Penguin in the next Batman film. Just a vicious bad guy who’s alias happens to be Penguin. Agreed. When the internet rumor mongers started pushing him as the Penguin, that was the performance I flashed back to. I think he would’ve made a fine Nolanesque Penguin. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/36 "2011-02-16T20:39:21Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Pretty much everything I’ve ever watched that had Glenn Close. It seems like either she picks movies that feature her acting ability, or movies are made just to create a backdrop for her amazing solo performances. I would guess that she’s on screen over 70% of the time in all her films. For a great example see the remake of the Stepford Wives. Close is the only good thing in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/37 "2011-02-17T12:58:55Z")
Chloe Moretz in **Kick-Ass**. Christopher Mintz-Plasse was pretty good too, but she _carried_ that mediocre movie. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/38 "2011-02-17T13:10:23Z")
Levon Helm in **Shooter**. Only one short scene but it positively crackles. Mark Wahlberg was okay but pretty much everyone else sucked. Danny Glover phoned in his entire villain performance and Michael Peña as a mumbling shuffling idiot is the least convincing FBI agent this side of Mary Gross and Rebecca De Mornay. ---
**Author:** ![dawson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@dawson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dawson)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/39 "2011-02-17T13:11:56Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > I’ll probably be the only one, but I agree wholeheartedly. When I read the title this was the first movie that came to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538/40 "2011-02-17T13:22:37Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Speaking of Arthur, the recent King Arthur movie with Clive Owen would have been entirely forgettable if it wasn’t for the magnificent performance of the main bad guy. Nope, it was entirely forgettable even with him, because I can’t remember who the bad guy was. > [@Krokodil](#): > > Chloe Moretz in **Kick-Ass**. Christopher Mintz-Plasse was pretty good too, but she _carried_ that mediocre movie. Are you high? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mediocre-movies-salvaged-by-one-great-performance/571538.md?page=3)