MovieChat Forums > The Mosquito Coast (1986) Discussion > Andre Gregory was Horrible as the preach...

Andre Gregory was Horrible as the preacher

posted 12 years ago by SampanMassacre
2 replies | jump to latest

When actors play a role in which they are letting everyone know that the character is not a good person... This is a sign of bad acting. Andre Gregory is far better at telling 2 hour stories at a dinner table than being a character-actor. His preacher was so over the top and so cartoonish that it took away from the film. I realize that religion is Hollywood's go-to villain, but any actor playing a film's antagonist shouldn't SEEM as if they're doing so, or it ends up feeling like a contrived set-up.

[–] tyrexden 11 years ago

I disagree, on 2 points...

If the character is truly supposed to be bad, its quite acceptable in Hollywood to make him such, with zero redeeming qualities. A bad person whose sole plot point is to be an antagonist, serves no purpose to have a grey area. His purpose is to antagonize. period. point. blank.

But my 2nd point is that my first point is not even relevant because the preacher in this film is not even SUPPOSED to be truly bad... You initially take Harrison Ford's side, but as the film wears on, you realize Harrison Ford is the crazy one, and you actually feel a bit sorry that the preacher's church is burned down....

THAT is the dichotomy that you are looking for... You, at first hate, his guts, only to realize, he was probably the more normal of the 2 men.

Him playing bad the whole time was per creative intent, so that by the end of the film, its more of a mind trip when the audience realizes they had things figured out wrong the whole time.

[–] raf-33 11 years ago

Good god, Gregory has the single most annoying voice in history, don't dare frighten me with the prospect of listening to him prattle for two hours over a meal!

The bit in Demolition Man where he yells "STOP IT!" in the style of some sort of demented talking cat sends a pain through my whole head.

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