seriously though, watched this the other night. Was very captivated by dennehys portrayal of the good natured bartender who gives advice to mr webber. I felt it was one of the stronger characters in the film, even better than his performance in FIST, and quite frankly, I could have used more dennehy. Am i alone?
shareIt's a very cool performance. He embodies the Perfect Waterfront Lounge Bartender. But no, I don't think we needed more of him; what's there is just enough to keep you coming back -- like a bartender should.
"Follow those who seek the truth. Beware of those who find it."
I don't know why but Brian Dennehy always reminds me of Ernest Hemingway. I wonder if he's ever played him?
shareDead ringer, not just physically but demeanor-wise, too. Why nobody ever scripted a decent Hemingway biopic for him is a mystery.
"I never had a latency period."
Dennehy is great, I admit. In this and in many other things I've seen him in.
But his career took a serious nosedive when it was revealed in 1989 that he had lied about his military service. He said he was a hero--that he had fought valiantly after having been wounded in combat in Vietnam. When in fact, he never saw action. He never left Japan, where he was stationed from 1959-1963.
The offers came less and less there for awhile and what he did get offered wasn't usually very good. Mostly movie- of- the- week TV stuff. My grandfather, a WWII vet who fought in the Phillipines, never watched another thing with Dennehy in it again after learning this.
Dennehy went back to stage acting in NYC and did quite well there. He won a Tony in 1999 for Death of a Salesman. He's an excellent actor. I agree.
But he may never get the chance to play Hemingway on screen, as a result. Hemingway was himself a war veteran, some would say a hero, and I don't think Hemingway's family would want Dennehy to play him. I believe they still own the rights to most of his work.
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"Dennehey has made 75 movies since 1989. How did his career go into a nosedive?"
Because a LOT of those movies are potboilers made-for-tv. In comparison to his earlier work, the discerning movie-goer might see it as a drop in his standards as far as what roles he took, and his performance in them. This is only in terms of on-screen work. I know nothing of the theatre work he's done.
I'd say Brian's ability to fool people into believing he was a war hero makes him a better actor, not a lesser one.
Regardless, in this film he had me thinking he was a friendly bartender, and that's good enough for me.
Loved, loved, loved Brian Dennehey in this movie...cast totally against type in a refreshing change of pace for him...he had never done a character like this before and hasn't since. A very laid back, breezy, and completely charming performance.
shareThat's funny! I had forgotten the Brian Dennehey was in this! What's really funny is that years later, in Tommy Boy, he would marry Bo Dereks character as Tommy's father, although for a very short time.
sharethanks for noting the tommy boy bagofants - wouldn't have thought of that. remember that horrid dancing at their wedding?
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Dennehy and Dudley were both bleeping brilliant in this movie. "Just east of Cognito" is one of the funniest lines in any movie.
shareHe just sort of took over that scene. Some of my favorite bits:
- Directing Dudley Moore to the local pusher/dealer when asked where he could get some amphetamines.
- The look on his face when Dudley Moore is just downing the booze like it was going out of style.
- His firm, yet friendly "Hello, Sam!"
He was also great in First Blood.
Just watched this movie and knew I recognised Donald from somewhere, it was in fact 'Rambo; First Blood' where he played the evil sheriff Teasle.
I liked Dennehy's character in 10 though, he was a pleasant kind of guy who could have easily been anyone's best buddy.
I'm watching "SKIN DEEP" and have paused it. It's the companion piece to this film Blake Edwards made "10" years later. Yes, Dennehy is excellent in his bartending role here. I loved "10" and everything about it gets better when you reach that stage in life George does in this film. But I wanted to point out something about celebrities and movies.
If you really enjoy a celebrity then never look at their personal life. Especially if you're very political. Many won't watch a star's movie if they have done something in real life that they think is not acceptable. I try not to watch the news and TV is mostly a thing of the past.
Streaming and DVD, USB movies only. "10" years ago I made the decision. But I just wanted to share my opinion on knowing real life vs. fantasy. Just enjoy the performers for making you laugh, cry and playing it great like Brian Dennehy does.
At one point I thought Dennehy was going to kiss Moore when they were sitting so close together at the bar.
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