MovieChat Forums > The Apartment (1960) Discussion > Jack Lemmon's OVERacting...

Jack Lemmon's OVERacting...

posted 16 years ago by robertodelamar
99 replies | jump to latest

The Apartment is the first movie I have seen with Jack Lemmon.

Lemmon is clearly overacting throughout the whole movie (in almost every scene).
Maybe this was normal for the 60s, but seriously, the farce looks almost like a sitcom. I.e: "Bewitched" TV show from the 60-70s where the male character does the same overacting (as Lemmom in The Apartment), but appropriate for a TV show.

I guess Jerry Lewis was overacting in his movies as well in the same period, but his was a deliberate method that was part of his comedy routine, ditto for the way Woody Allen effectively overacted through the 70s and 80s.

But Jack Lemmon was trying (and desperately failing) to do both drama and comedy. It was as ridiculous as that awful Rodney Dangerfield OVERacting in that film Back to School, where you are supposed to first cry at directors cue and then to laugh and then to cry again.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] intexor 13 years ago

I agree that the acting in these old movies, especially comedies, is very different than how it would be done today. And I'm not sad it has changed, because I'm not a fan of the blatant overacting either. It's like they fear the audience will not understand which emotion the character is going through if the actor doesn't portray it as a caricature. Big shame.

[–] OpenMindedObjectivist 13 years ago

yea, not a really good performance from "Lemmon",

but certainly a good one from "McLaine"...

[–] franzkabuki 12 years ago

When he does straight comedy, yes, there can be some excessive and annoying face pulling sometimes. And I do prefer Lemmon in a more serious mode. Generally though he was good in The Apartment - although, again, more effective in the quieter scenes.

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] ABetterDay 12 years ago

I mostly agree with your assessment. I've never been a Lemmon fan but this is not a great film.

Remember When Movies Didn't Have To Be Politically Correct?

[–] GuyOnTheLeft 12 years ago

His early manic ways were great in the comedic "Out-of-Towners" though. And in his later years, he learned to dial it back for dramatic roles, as Ebert points out in a review of "The Apartment" that references his greatest role:

"Glengarry Glen Ross contains probably Lemmon's best performance. His aging, desperate real estate salesman is deserving of comparison with anyone's performance of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, and it is interesting how Lemmon, who famously began with directors asking him to dial down and give "a little less," was able here to hit the precise tones needed for the David Mamet dialogue, which is realism cloaked in mannerism."

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See a list of my favourite films here: http://www.flickchart.com/slackerinc

[–] fortunate1 12 years ago

I think Lemmon succeeded in 'dialing it back' in "Save the Tiger" as well.

[–] rmiikku 12 years ago

When I first saw the movie I used to really like it. Much more dramatic than now that I rewatched it today. Its really cute and just so sweet movie. Just think about how sweet of a story Jack Lemmons suicide story was.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] fortunate1 12 years ago

Beautifully and sincerely expressed, TWYA; thank you.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Trax-3 12 years ago

What does it matter whether it's over or underacting as long as it is done well? Whatever he did here he did well.

As far as I care there is no over or underacting just good and bad acting. I'll take a good example of one over a bad example of the other any day.