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.

[–] maxskyfan-9 12 years ago

I have seen this film a number of times and overacting never entered my mind. I don't think he was desperately failing to do anything well and it sounds like you are talking about some other film. If anything the acting is one of the things that make this a great and enduring film. That is not something you can use to label many other films with--the ones that only earn their 15 minutes of fame after millions of dollars of advertising campaigns and are simply forgotten afterwards and then never heard of again. I am sure there are countless boards on IMDB with very little chatter whereas this film was made ages ago and it still has action.

[–] mackjay2 11 years ago

Well put, maxskyfanb-9. I'm not even a Jack Lemmon fan, but I love his performance in this film. It's perfectly played for humor, humanity and pathos. Not just in his line deliveries but in numerous facial expressions throughout. Lemmon's subtle playing off of MacLaine during her recovery sequence is a good example: the way he encourages her about Sheldrake, even though he wants her for himself and knows Sheldrake is a louse. And all the reactions he has to the sleazy execs who use his apartment: wonderfully timed and delivered. A big reason this film is still loved by many today is the depth of Lemmon's and MacLaine's performances. Billy Wilder achieved an amazing thing with this movie, balancing comedy (subtle, adult comedy, utterly unlike 'Some Like it Hot') with serious, adult situations and their emotional consequences. The supporting cast is also top-notch as is the cinematography and the musical scoring. Imho, 'The Apartment' is Jack Lemmon's finest hour

[–] mike-2309 10 years ago

I think Lemmon did as good a job as he could with the script he was handed. The script is also what makes the character not just the actor and I think that could have been better than it was to keep the tension in command despite the spots of humorous relief.

[–] jjmn 10 years ago

I don't think you know the meaning of that word.

[–] aciolino 10 years ago

There it is. . . .dumbest thing I've read.. . Ever.

[–] truther 10 years ago

I'm watching it now and came here to see whether anyone else thought Lemmon was annoying. Yeah he's a great actor but there've been half a dozen scenes already where I wished he would calm down. He's got the mannerisms of a stage actor, where everything has to be exaggerated so the people in the audience can see what he's doing.

[–] Fully_Loaded 10 years ago

Couldn't disagree more
Love this movie and Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine
my favourite alltime movie
love how his neighbours all thought for sure he was a bigtime player

[–] hammer4 10 years ago

I think Lemmon gave a good performance in a difficult role. In many respects he had to carry the film. The emotions ranged from low comedy to near tragedy.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] bedrock1960 9 years ago

As one of my teachers told me, "there is no such thing as over-acting - there is right acting and wrong acting". I've never heard it stated better. What Lemmon is doing is perfectly suited to the character.

[–] hammer4 9 years ago

I don't agree that there's no such thing as overacting (it's a type of "bad acting"). However, overall my opinion is that Lemmon gives a good performance in a good film.

It is a tricky business to mix drama, pathos, satire, slice of life and broad comedy. I believe this film was groundbreaking in making the attempt, and when all is said and done they did well.

I will point to the nearly 100 thousand IMDb ratings for a 55 year old film as one significant measure of its enduring worth.

[–] jeangabin1 9 years ago

Admittedly Lemmon's character is painted in somewhat broad strokes but it works for the film and emphasises some wonderful subtleties in other parts. I would urge you to revisit the scene where C.C. Baxter is explaining Fran's suicide attempt to Dr Dreyfus, but casting himself as the villain in order to cover for Mr Sheldrake. His self-loathing and shame at each "revelation" is beautifully done, and the kind of acting you'd never see on "Bewitched"!