MovieChat Forums > Cutthroat Island (1995) Discussion > Geena Davis was awful in this film

Geena Davis was awful in this film

posted 10 years ago by bregund
8 replies | jump to latest

She comes off like a person who accidentally stumbled into acting as a career and decided to just roll with it. She's fine in ensemble roles like Beetlejuice, Tootsie, or Stuart Little, but whose idea was it to put her front and center as a pirate no less? A more skillful actress could have been more believable in the role, but every unconvincing word she utters is cringeworthy, even the awful "what say you" at the end. The movie flopped because of bad word-of-mouth.

[–] melinda2001 10 years ago

The movie didn't flop because of Davis. It was pretty terrible all around. You're right that she's not a strong actor. She always rushes her lines, but still, there is something really charming about her and she's usually a bright point for me in all of her roles.

[–] KingCobra686 9 years ago

She was ok in some parts, but overall she sucked in this movie. She felt more like a cheesy soap opera wife than a pirate captain. It was very difficult to take any of her scenes seriously.

[–] Wuchak (8855) 6 years ago

It was very difficult to take any of her scenes seriously.

But it doesn't matter because you could hardly take the movie itself seriously, at least not the absurd action sequences, like the way Morgan (Davis) jumps off a carriage through a window of a huge building dashes through it and breaks out the window on the other side landing perfectly into the carriage, which she wouldn't have known was there. Why Sure!

[–] louiseculmer 9 years ago

I thought she was good. Found the film generally enjoyable.

[–] jamespetenbrink 8 years ago

Wasn't she married to the director? Her joke delivery was terrible, like the scene were she flips into the carriage after she runs through the store, she says "I must visit that shop again when I have more time" is cringeworthy

[–] bladou20 8 years ago

I agree. After watching this today for the first time in years I'm surprised at how awkward some of her lines are read. I have to wonder what kind of direction Harlin was giving her. I liked her in other films too, watching 'The Exorcist" right now and she's great. What went wrong here?

[–] Cobram 8 years ago

Yeah, she pretty much ruined what could have been a great film if it had been cast correctly.

"Man without relatives is man without troubles." Charlie Chan

[–] Wuchak (8855) 6 years ago

Who else could’ve pulled off the role better in 1994 when the film was shot? Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock are the only two that come to mind. Demi Moore might’ve worked, but she lacked the other three’s beaming smiles, especially Geena’s big grin.