MovieChat Forums > Jake Gyllenhaal Discussion > He's Trying

He's Trying

posted 3 years ago by cyberbob (3488)
18 replies | jump to latest

With all due respect

Can anyone think of a leading actor with a longer streak of well-reviewed films who has simultaneously not received any meaningful awards consideration?

It almost makes me respect him more. He's punching above his weight most of the time. He will never win an Oscar, but he will certainly keep trying. Maybe when he's middle-aged he'll actually accomplish his mission or something

No matter what, his career is unique and interesting. He's always trying so hard but mostly he's just showcasing how limited his range is. He's an acting underdog

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

He's not an underdog, he's the acting elite.

Awards are meaningless. Box office numbers are what matters.

[–] cyberbob (3488) 3 years ago

Is he actually a box office success tho?

Southpaw, Everest, Nightcrawler, Life Nocturnal Animals, Stronger, Wildlife, Velvet Buzzsaw, Sisters Brothers

Mysterio is his most mainstream performance in like 7 years. He is elite in his image, but his career gross is midget small so far

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8707) 3 years ago

Everest made over $200 million and nearly quadrupled it's budget in box office receipts so you can't call it a failure. It should've done even better, though. That movie is awesome and only got a fraction of the attention it deserved. It only made $43 million domestically but should've cracked $100 million stateside easily. Why audiences didn't turn out in bigger numbers will always be a mystery to me.

Nightcrawler is also a great movie. It didn't do massive amounts at the box office, but owing to its low budget, it also quadrupled it's production costs.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

I saw Nightcrawler in an artsy theatre that plays independent movies. It was pretty crowded.

[–] cyberbob (3488) 3 years ago

Everest was an ensemble film and Gyllenhaal was certainly not the lead

I like most of his movies, I'm not questioning his role selection

And I wasn't being sarcastic in my OP. I really do like him a lot as an actor, I just think that he's spent quite a few years chasing a type of validation that he won't get any time soon unless he pulls off some Hail Mary

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8707) 3 years ago

Indeed. I mostly just wanted to take the opportunity to sing the praises of Everest. I really do like that movie and think it's underrated.

As for Jake, I'm not sure that we'll ever see him nab his Oscar, but then again, the Oscars are a fucking joke now so it's more of a dishonor to get one than an honor.

[–] cyberbob (3488) 3 years ago

I liked Everest a lot too. It's not often you see all of the big stars of a picture die slowly. I like almost all of Gyllenhaal's movies. One upside of him choosing lots of mature, mid-budget films is that I get to see one of my favorite actors doing the types of movies which I enjoy the most

And I agree that the Oscars are a joke. I think the last time I truly liked the Best Picture winner was whenever The Departed won

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8707) 3 years ago

There have been plenty of films that have earned Oscars in recent memory that I liked well enough--The King's Speech, Spotlight and Argo for instance--but there's no question that the quality of BP winners has declined substantially from earlier eras.

Just think, in the 90s we were getting films like Unforgiven, The Silence of the Lambs, Forrest Gump and Braveheart. Or in the 00s, we had winners like Gladiator, The Lord of the Rings, The Departed and No Country for Old Men.

Today's crop of movies just aren't shit in comparison. The art form is regressing. It's like they're out of ideas and more interested in pushing politics than in making entertaining movies.

[–] cyberbob (3488) 3 years ago

Oh yeah, I liked Spotlight. Although, years ago (as you mention) it would have only been a contender but would probably not have won. Argo and King's Speech were solid, but I won't be rewatching them unless I'm REALLY bored and out of options

Yeah, it has regressed. No Country For Old Men was the last genuinely badass movie to win. And it has undoubtedly been in part due to politics. I'm not the type to rant about SJWs, but in this case it became a very real demand with the Oscarssowhite BS. It's been impossible not to notice the increasing amount of black nominees among all categories

I'm not necessarily against it, as long as they're good. Steve McQueen's Widows was BAD ASS. One of the best movies I've seen in the last 5 years. But it didn't get a nom. Instead we get boring Oscar bait Drama noms, which has always been a thing, but now they just happen have more black people in them

And yeah, the 90s and 00s were mostly awesome. It's funny nowadays reading the news every year after the Oscars and it's always the same headline of a new record for all-time lowest viewership

[–] TandyMan (11096) 3 years ago

I think he'd be huge if the Hollywood scene was like it was back in the 80s thru the early 00s. It's just a different world now and Jake is kind of a dinosaur.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8707) 3 years ago

A dinosaur how?

[–] TandyMan (11096) 3 years ago

Handsome white man.

[–] MartyDeniro (4171) 3 years ago

I think being nominated for an Oscar qualifies as "meaningful awards consideration." And I think he'll definitely get one at some point.

[–] cyberbob (3488) 3 years ago

Yeah he got a nom for Brokeback Mountain. And I really think he should have gotten one for Zodiac. It was not a flashy performance, but he played the character so well. That is, IMO, the type of role where Jake shines the brightest. When he's playing an idealistic dork. He was excellent in Bubble Boy and October Sky. It's just that as he's gotten older he's gotten pretty buff and he's a handsome dude so he won't get offered a whole lot of "dork" roles. It was also that that helped him get his nom for Brokeback, playing the more sensitive, affectionate person opposite Heath Ledger

He has the looks of a Brad Pitt but he doesn't want to play Brad Pitt-type roles but he's not really at his best playing the kinds of roles he DOES seem to want to play (edgy and brooding)

[–] MartyDeniro (4171) 3 years ago

Plenty of time, especially when you're a guy. And his resume fits the arc of someone who'll get a statue for some role down the road, where he is less deserving than for past roles. Ask Gary Oldman.

[–] kungfulord (957) 3 years ago

I think Prince of Persia hurt his chance of become a big budget movie actor like Keanu Reeves, Will Smith, Matt Damon, even when i think he is more talented than Reeves and Smith and at the same level at Damon but definitly is not as charismatic as neither of them and dont jump at my troat im a fan of him i think he is great very talented actor but i dont think he have the appealing to become as mainstream as the ones that i mentioned

Prince of Persia happen in a moment were i think big producers start to consider him as a possible box office star so give him this chance but it wasen't a good project i watch the movie mostly for Gemma Arterton and him but the movie suck ass the bigger problem is when an actor fail as a lead in his first potential franchise, studios stop considered put him in big projects, i think he should have wait for a better big budget project with him as a lead

But that been said i dont think that should be a problem no every actor should be Harrison Ford to feel acomplished big budget movies, mainstream recognition is not that important if you are talented and working in project that fullfill you

[–] [deleted] 8 months ago

The guy earned all the respect he'll ever need for Nightcrawler.

[–] AviAAksenazi (666) 8 months ago

This