MovieChat Forums > Defending Your Life (1991) Discussion > Rip Torn, seriously should have been Osc...

Rip Torn, seriously should have been Oscar Nominated

posted 8 years ago by TheFearmakers
4 replies | jump to latest

I mean really, from the way he says "Big Bear" alone...

He's an underdog in the afterlife but smarter than the "little brains" and Rip's performance lies somewhere in the middle, and he's so brilliant...

To me, his character really Supports the film, even better than the too-good-to-be-true romance with Streep... He is no match to the really good lawyers and his fight to win the case is, to me, as entertaining as Brooks's seemingly doomed plight to movie forward...

It started with Jack Palance in City Slickers that light comedies were nominated... Well, actually, comedies have before but that one really opened the door for something other than Epic Out of Africa types to get noticed...

Rip obviously would have not won but a nomination would have made complete sense to me, for this... underrated comedy masterpiece...

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[–] scarlettsdad 8 years ago

I agree completely, and am surprised he wasn't. Jack Palance won because he was basically getting a lifetime award. Maybe one day Torn will get one of those, too. I thought he was terrific in "Dodgeball" as well.

[–] ecarle (14979) 7 years ago

SPOILER

(Looks at envelope with court's decision on Brooks, opens it, reads the note):

Torn: So...how'd you like the food here, great wasn't it?....(pause, sad face) You're going back.

Great acting.

[–] Tabbycat (878) 8 months ago

I was told we weren’t doing that anymore.

[–] CalvinJarrett (462) 8 months ago

I'm 7 years too late, but how is Rip Torn (Bob Diamond) "no match for the really good lawyers." He has a client who - let's face it - largely lived his life in fear and has a whopping nine days to contend with. He had bad facts, but the art of being a lawyer is playing up whatever favorable facts you have and playing down the unfavorable. Diamond did this in spades!