Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler That one, perfect role....

OK, I'm supposed to be wrapping up my HT today, and writing that big long article with the tons of pix that I've been promising…. So I'm going to try to keep this short yet explain my thoughts.

No, I'm not talking porn, and out of deference to our kind hosts here, I hope you won't either…at least for THIS thread!

OK, to be serious:
I've always had a fascination with charisma and beauty. I'm not sure if it's a photography/video production thing, but sometimes I'm very aware of a woman (or man, even) being caught perfectly at the right moment in their career, maybe with the right role in a movie, for example. It might be someone who has had a series of successful moments, but one just seems to "click". Sometimes, it can be a still photography session as well.

Again I'm being serious: There was a photo shoot of Charlize Therron several years ago in Playboy that I thought was amazing. Not at all porn in any form, the photos were reminiscent of 1940s and 1950s-era Hollywood. I've never seen her look so good. I can't throw out the issue; the photos to me are the quintessential moment of capturing timeless grace and beauty.

I can fall in love a little bit through photos and roles such as these.

More on-topic to this forum, I usually see examples of this in movies:

**Marisa Tomei in "My Cousin Vinny". She's had good roles, but this one takes the cake. I couldn't believe she wasn't a native New York Tuff-Chick when I saw her interviewed after. A well-deserved Oscar.

**Maria Conchita Alonso in "Moscow on the Hudson"

**Annette Benning in "The American President" (by the way, another "Guilty Pleasure")

**Emmanuelle Seigner as the French waif in "Frantic"

**Kathleen Turner in "Body Heat"

Anyone have any other examples of a role when someone was at their "hottest"? Anyone else fall in love a little during a 90 or 120 minute period?

(Hey, sorry, it's another snowy day here in NH, and this will keep you busy while I write that other post!)

I fell in love with Marissa Tomei, in My Cousin Vinnie. She DESERVED the oscar for that performance. Absolute perfection. Unfortunately she hasn't really had a role worthy of her talents since. She had a small role in "What Women Want" with mel Gibson, and showed the same magnificent spark, but she just wasn't on the screen very long.

Agree also with Annette Benning in "The American President." In the same vein, I also loved "Dave" with Kevin Kline who had the perfect role as Otto in "A Fish Called Wanda." I can still hear him calling "A**hole." .

Should I mention the obvious?
Rex Harrison in "My Fair Lady;"
Robert Preston is "Music Man" or "Victor/Victoria."
Audrey Hepburn in "Roman Holiday." (Her first movie, for cripes sake!)
Katherine Hepburn in..............oh take your pick -"African Queen," "Lion In Winter," etc., etc., etc.
Gregory Peck in "To Kill A Mockingbird."
James Cagney in "White Heat."

I have to stop now, cuz I gotta make a trip to the library. It's a good thing, or else this post would be 2 pages long. I am a consumate film buff, with particular interest in the 1930s and 1940s films. They are the ones I grew up on watching on TV in the 1950s. I still love them to this day, watch them over and over and over, and yes, Turner Classic Movies is my favorite channel.

Sean Connery in "Hunt For Red October"

Robert Redfored in "The Natural" and "The Horse Whisperer"

Robin Williams in "Popeye"

James Stewart in "Shenandoah"

Gary Cooper in "High Noon"

Barbra Streisand in "Funny Girl"

alright, this'll betray my sci-fi/fantasy love here but...

Harrison Ford - Han Solo (Star Wars)

Mark Hamill - The Joker (Batman-The Animated Series)

Christopher Reeve - Kal-El (Superman, duh)

Bruce Campbell - Ash Williams (Evil Dead flicks)

Humphrey Bogart - Philip Marlowe (The Big Sleep)

Alec Guiness - the whole figgin D'Ascoyne family (Kind Hearts and Coronets)

yeah, i know. pretty mainstream flicks (mostly), but can you REALLY see anyone else playing those parts and making it as good or believeable?

Hey, you guys keep picking, ummm, guys.

I'm talking about Hot Chicks here! Look at my list then look at yours! Don't you get it? I started this thread to get recommendations for movies with Hot Chicks. There wasn't any deep meaning to anything I posted above. That was just to get past the censors. Harrison Ford? Sean Connery? NO!

Give me a role like Christie Brinkley in Vacation, Dammit!

You guys scare me... Kansas City is off!

I can't imagine ANYONE else in any of bogie's roles. From the amoral Rick in "Casablanca," to Charlie in "African Queen," to Fred C. Dobbs in "Treasure Of The Sierra Madre." Who could have done those roles better?

Can you believe that Ronald Reagan was the first choice for Rick in Casablanca. Meaning no disrespect to Reagan's acting ability (I enjoyed a lot of the movies he made), he couldn't hold a candle to Bogie as Rick. It just would NOT have worked.

Where to start?? Here are the first two that pop into my head.

Kate Beckinsale in Underworld. Leather, accent, & fangs - humanuh!!
Phoebe Cates in Fast Times.

In reply to:

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Phoebe Cates in Fast Times

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See? THAT'S what I'm talking about!

I'll have to check out the Kate Beckinsale one...

Sorry, but I have another one with a guy. Not only my favorite role of all time, but a great movie to boot.

Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday in Tombstone. He was just awesome in that movie. The script writers gave him some great lines, which certainly helps as well.

"I'm your huckleberry"

I can hear him deliver that line right now. A truly good preformance.