I know, I know... that's a pretty heavy question. But I think that it is certainly one of his five best, and I would be more than willing to go out on a limb and say it is his very best work to have not received any award recognition.
What say you?
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I've seen him Midnight Cowboy, Little Big Man, Straw Dogs, All the President's Men, Straight Time, Kramer vs. Kramer, Rain Man, Dick Tracy, Sleepers, Wag the Dog, I Heart Huckabees, Meet the Fockers and Finding Neverland.
Straight Time is his best out of these. Rain Man, Kramer, Midnight Cowboy, they're all classics and iconic performances that he is remembered for, but Max Dembo was so bad and real in ways that I'd go with it. The opening scenes with him and M. Emmett Walsh as the parole officer, that's a great piece of acting, it's like he's shrinking in his chair when Walsh picks on him.
I also wondered why this wasn't nominated. But the Oscars are so weird, we all know it. Out of the performances that were nominated that year I've only seen Voight and DeNiro, who both in my opinion were rightly nominated, altough Hoffman's work might be a little bit better in my opinion. But he did get vindication the very next year. Jeremy Irons says it's all about timing, as when he won the Oscar he thought Dead Ringers was the work, even though he got it for Reversal of Fortune.
Yes.
I had to watch this movie maybe ten times (over 30 years) before I even could look at it as a performance. The first nine I was simply sucked into the reality of his character.
Not to take anything away from Mr. Hoffman, but the supporting performances here -- from a rogue's gallery of the finest American supporting actors -- also rank as their best. Look closely at Emmet Walsh's unmannered, effortless acting. You'll have to, to even notice his technique. Watch his physical actions -- the way he pushes his glasses up, the furtive glances. The first interview scene between him and Hoffman is as good as film acting gets.
death of a salesman
shareHaven't seen Straight Time in ages... I don't know if it is Dustin's best performance, but it's definitely my favorite.
"Now what kind of man are YOU dude?"
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I've just ordered Straight Time on dvd and I'm looking forward to seeing it. The discussion is which performance by Dustin Hoffman is the best. I've seen Midnight Cowboy, Straw Dogs, Lenny, All the President's Men, Marathon Man (which everyone seems to forget), Kramer vs. Kramer. My favorite performance is probably Lenny along with All the President's Men and Marathon Man. Can't wait to see Straight Time though.
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This is Hoffman's best performance. His worst performance was in "Tootsie." He can't do comedy. Straight Time is one of the best crime films ever made. Period.
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All those films you mentioned bombed. "Straight Time" and "Midnight Cowboy" are his best performances. It's not his fault "Straight Time" bombed; the studio never got behind it to promote it properly. Also, he and the director had a falling-out. I saw "Straight Time" in Westwood when it was first released and it was (and remains) a brilliant though underrated movie.
@amorone
Hell, yeah, he can do comedy---he's part of the reason TOOTSIE was so funny and wonderful to watch in the first place. He's always been a good comedic actor and very likeable, so this role in STRAIGHT TIME was a big stretch for him---especially since he's not known for playing bad guys. I like how realistic the film was---but then it was a '70s movie, so I expected that. Very much an overlooked '70s gem---nice to see it getting some notice and props from other viewers who liked it.
It will always be debatable as to what is Hoffmann's best, but his amazing and disturbing performance in STRAIGHT TIME is definitely my personal favorite.
"It's a personal favorite" - Michael Madsen in 'Reservoir Dogs'
I don't know about which his best performance is. He's pretty much always stellar. But as far as best all around movie: I think that would be "Lenny".
My attempt to list the best movies of all-time: http://www.themoviecanon.blogspot.com
off topic, several years later ...
just saw this and want to thank you for the link to your blog - some of my favorites and a lot that i've never seen, and am looking forward to finding. you've been bookmarked :)
I think it's hard to beat his performance in Lenny. But he was spectacular here. I like to think that when he won an Oscar a year later, his peers in the Academy were thinking about this performance and of a way to make amends.
This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.
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