Watched The Rookie last night. Certainly not the best movie that Dennis Quaid’s ever done, but I’m a sucker for a feel-good story, and I love baseball.
What struck me about this one, though, Was Dennis Quaid.
I guess, in the back of my mind, I’d always enjoyed his work, from Tuck Pendleton in InnerSpace to Jerry Lee Lewis in Great Balls of Fire to Jim Morris in the Rookie to Remy in The Big Easy.
But I’d never realized just how much I liked his acting ability until just last night. He’s easily got to be in my top ten most underrated actors list. He just has a style about him that seems so…natural. He’s one of the few actors I can watch without thinking about them rehearsing, and behind-the-scenes, etc. In short, he makes me forget that I’m watching a movie.
In all honesty, I haven’t seen him as Doc Holliday in Wyatt Earp. I opted for Tombstone with Val Kilmer.
But I have the utmost admiration for Dennis Quaid. The only problem I have is that I keep waiting for him to play Harrison Ford’s brother in something. The strike me as being very similar in acting styles, and they could pull off being related.
I like Quaid for much the same reasons – he comes off as very laid-back and relaxed, and that’s a joy to watch. Of course, my two favorite movies of his aren’t exactly cinematic masterpieces, but I love 'em anyways.
If there was one truly egregious oversight in this year’s Oscar nominations, it was Dennis Quaid’s performance as the conflicted, tragic gay husband in Far From Heaven. It was sad and haunting and brilliant and easily the best work of his very solid career.
I’ve been a fan since Great Balls of Fire, and he’s certainly improved - and improving - with age.
Quaid was just amazing in “The Rookie.” Frankly, he should have got an Oscar nod for THAT film, but mid-May Disney flicks don’t get that sort of thing.
I agree - he’s very underrated, at least in some ways. They must like him in Hollywood, though, because he gets a lot of work.
I was friends with his little sister, Brandy Quaid, in college. I like him as an actor but what stuck out in my mind was that she was always talking about him and how good he was to her and what an all-around nice guy he is. He paid for her entire tuition and living expenses because their parents were jerks about it for some reason (not that he didn’t have it but still).
I completely agree. I was totally sucked in by The Rookie (baseball + Dennis Quaid = Gundy movie) and have loved him in pretty much everything I’ve seen him in. Plus, GOD what a smile!
I think the problem is with the scripts he chooses, or his agent. He has been in some really terrible movies over the years. Nothing he has been in since Enemy Mine requires him to take too much risk, acting wise. I think someone should put him in something where he can really shine. Enemy Mine was a wonderful film, but the direction and execution took away from the great acting by both the alien and himself. I hope he gets something good really soon, since I think he is very talented.
Dennis Quaid was the first person I ever wrote a fan letter to. I was in 8th grade, I believe, and I fell in love with him in The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia with (of all people) Kristy MacNichol. Betcha never heard of it. It was a pretty lousy movie, but Dennis was very cute and charming in it. Plus he sang! He played a carrousing bar singer named Travis Childs. I even bought the soundtrack. Kristy MacNichol sings, too.
I know, I know.
Anywho, sadly, my words of endearment were returned to me. I had sent the fan letter to the record label and they didn’t know who he was. Idjits.
Had it not been returned, I’m very certain mine would have been one of the first fan letters he ever got because it was before he was discovered. And to think I could be framed somewhere in his house.
"Dear Mr. Quaid,
You are the cutest thing I ever saw next to Barry Gibb.
Love Always,
Lisa"
And you know, 30 years later and he’s still a doll!
Another reason to like his performance in The Rookie: Quaid had never played baseball before being cast in the movie!! They had to hire a coach to teach him how to throw and catch. I saw him talk about it on “Regis and Kelly” or some show like that when he was promoting the movie.
I thought it was interesting, not just because he was so good in the movie, but mainly because I thought everybody (especially guys) knew how to play baseball!
Anybody ever notice that he has the exact same triangular smile as Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes? (The previously-mentioned Thing Called Love video being a perfect example.)