Friday, May 31, 2013

Top 10 Parent/Child Acting Combos

In the wake of Will Smith starring alongside his son, Jaden, in the new flick After Earth, I got to thinking: what are the best instances of parents acting with their children?  I hope you dig my picks, and because there are many combos to choose from, make sure to tell me your favorites in the comments.

Melvin & Mario Van Peebles – Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971)
This is the only minor cheat of this list, but it’s a damn worthy one. Melvin Van Peebles’ raw and influential blaxploitation flick opens with young Sweet Sweetback (played by Melvin’s son, Mario) loosing his virginity in a brothel. Years later, Melvin plays Sweetback as a bad brother stickin’ it to the man. So, while the two technically don’t appear on screen together, both father and son are memorable in their respective roles.

Ryan & Tatum O’Neal – Paper Moon (1973)
Although the off screen relationship between this pair was often disastrous, both O’Neals did great work in Peter Bogdanovich’s classic. As a result, Tatum famously became the youngest Oscar winner in history when she nabbed Best Supporting Actress.

Henry & Jane Fonda – On Golden Pond (1981)
Henry Fonda was known not to get along with many people, his children included. One might be so bold to suggest that the estranged relationship between Henry and Jane Fonda’s characters in On Golden Pond was not dissimilar to their own, and perhaps their working together acted as a sort of catharsis. Either way, watching Jane graciously accept her father’s Oscar for this film, just five months before he died, lends us to believe that all’s well that ends well.

Martin & Charlie Sheen – Wall Street (1987)
This might be my favorite pair on this list, as I think both Sheens delivered truly phenomenal work in Wall Street. I love the wildly contrasting business ethics of Bud and Carl Fox. The son, Bud wants to make more, to earn more, to be more. The father, Carl is fine simply being himself. The arguments between them prove to be the basis for Wall Street’s moral center. Without a dad like Carl, would Bud have fallen too far?

Diane Ladd & Laura Dern – Wild at Heart (1990)
If Martin and Charlie Sheen are the “best” on this list, then Diane Ladd and Laura Dern have to be the most fun. With daughter playing as a punch-drunk, love-obsessed, sex-crazed goddess and mother as a manic-depressive, bat shit crazy, insatiably jealous matriarch. David Lynch knew what he was doing when he decided to play these two off one another. Priceless. (Note: Ladd and Dern deliver exceptional and far more restrained performances in Rambling Rose.)

Janet Leigh & Jamie Lee Curtis – Halloween H20: 20 Yeas Later (1998)
I know, I know, this mother/daughter combo have much more substantial screen time with each other in John Carpenter’s The Fog. But I LOVE their brief time together in this Halloween sequel.

“If I could be maternal for a moment,” Leigh tells Curtis. “We’ve all had bad things happen to us. The trick is to concentrate on today.”

The way the score slightly ventures to Bernard Herrmann, the sight of Leigh’s car... ahh, the pleasure of self-reflexive slight of hand.

Jerry & Ben Stiller – Zoolander (2001)
“I got a prostate the size of a honeydew and the head full of bad memories. It’s time to set things straight.”

Know what old Jerry set straight? That he can still go toe-to-toe with all the contemporary comic greats.

Will & Jaden Smith – The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
You know what I love most about Will Smith’s work in The Pursuit of Happyness? The fact that he wasn’t afraid to be a dick to his son. He yells out of frustration and neglects out of distraction, painting an authentic picture of a grown man in great duress. There’s an honesty to Will’s work in this movie that isn’t found in many of his performances. Which, in turn, appears to have upped Jaden’s game significantly.

Tom & Colin Hanks – The Great Buck Howard (2008)
The Great Buck Howard isn’t a particularly great movie, but it does contain two memorable scenes of father and son. The film centers on Colin Hanks’ character dropping out of law school to “go for it” in L.A. Poppa shows up twice to give his son a stern lesson in life. The kind of lesson in which your father tells you life doesn’t always turn out how you want it to, but you stick with it despite. Money over opportunity. Success over dreams. They’re two honest moments in an otherwise forgettable film.

Stellan & Alexander SkarsgĂ„rd – Melancholia (2011)

Although this father/son pair don’t share many moments together in Lars von Trier’s Melancholia, they both deliver rather solid performances. Alexander steps in as the carefree, aimless husband to Kirsten Dunst’s depressive Justine, while Stellan plays Justine’s complete asshole of a boss. Both are perfectly amusing for very different reasons, and remind us that this is one hell of a talented family.

34 comments:

  1. Will Smith and Jaden for me re most memorable.. I think the fact that Jaden was so little makes a difference. They will be together on screen soon enough again.. I wonder if it will be as great as Pursuit was.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jaden is so good in that movie, isn't he? He just feels so real. I don't really have any interest in After Earth, but I am curious if his acting will be as good in it.

      Delete
    2. I remember seeing Pursuit in high school during some pep rally (probably didn't accomplish what it meant to if they were showing this film though, looking back at it) and was completely bored by it. Maybe I just need to see it again. My favorite on here would probably be Laura and Diane. Wild At Heart is just insane and both are just great in it!
      I just saw After Earth last night and was left disappointed with everything but Will Smith's performance. That's all I'll say in regards to that.

      Delete
    3. I didn't particularly think Pursuit was entertaining or anything, but I do like their performances in it. And I'll admit, I got a little choked up at the end.

      Love the Wild at Heart praise. Movie rocks!

      Also, thanks for the After Earth update. Doubt I'll check it out.

      Delete
  2. That is a good list. What about Lloyd and the Bridges brothers? Lloyd and Jeff did Blown Away together (not the film that featured the Coreys and a naked Nicole Eggert of the same name) as it was quite good.

    I also love Diane Ladd and Laura Dern working together. Even in that small moment in Citizen Ruth. Plus, I bet they're happy that Bruce Dern just won at Cannes.

    I have a soft spot for The Pursuit of Happyness. Sure, it's a little sappy for my taste but it's a damn good story. I too, will not be watching After Earth. M. Night Shyamading-dong sucks! Next Spielberg my ass! That roody-poo candyass couldn't make a ham and cheese sandwich if he even tried. He can take whatever new idea he has, shine it up real nice, turn it sideways, and stick it straight up his candyass!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was really close to adding Blown Away, but I honestly haven't seen that in so long. Have very little recollection of it. Maybe a rewatch is in order.

      I'm pumped for Nebraska. Aren't you?

      Hahha your comments about Shyamalan made me laugh. He said recently he's close to making Unbreakable 2. Would you see that?

      Delete
    2. Totally pumped for Nebraska.

      Uh... no... I will not see Unbreakable 2. I think Shymabooboo is done.

      Delete
    3. Ha. It is baffling to me that his movies still make money.

      Delete
    4. To be fair, Will Smith apparently came up with the story for After Earth so it isn't completely Shyamalan's fault.
      Also Nebraska looks/sounds really good!

      Delete
    5. Yeah I did hear that it kind of turned into the Will Smith Show. Oh well, we shall see how it does.

      Delete
  3. What? No Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well I didn't want to list the most obvious choice. Duh. ;-)

      Delete
    2. I figured that might be the case.

      Delete
  4. Very happy to see Bogdonovich's Paper Moon on your list. The delivery between Ryan and Tatum is so break neck fast, it`s like watching His Girl Friday at 2x speed. Adore that movie, it`s a father-son movie for me and my dad funny enough. And Wall Street, what a flick. Ollie Stone really captures the 80's. Great list man!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I rewatched Paper Moon for this list, and boy am I glad I did. You're so right, the speed of their dialogue is just priceless. I love that damn movie.

      Delete
  5. Some nice picks on here. Have to say my favorite is Will and Jaden. They were phenomenal together in Pursuit of Happyness. I think they're relationship really helped to bring a realness and chemistry that elevated the movie even more.

    One I'd like to mention is Joe and Buster Keaton in Sherlock Jr.

    Also, not a parent/child relationship, but family actors got me thinking about it:
    I always like Joan and John Cusack together, especially in Grosse Pointe Blank. Also, Luke and Owen Wilson in Bottle Rocket.

    On the topic of Shyamalan as y'all were discussing above:
    I think the guy is a complete hack, who just happened to get lucky one time and only further proved his incompetence as he tried to recreate that magic, yet failing even more with each passing movie. That being said, I hate that he has Will Smith in After Earth. Will is a huge box office draw, and if that holds true for After Earth, then Shyamalan will benefit from that success encouraging studios to keep giving him money to make movies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll stand up for Shyamalan: Sixth Ssnse and Unbreakable are both genuinely good films, for all their flaws, and The Village and Signs have a lot to recommend them in terms of development of atmosphere even if they both, admittedly, fall over in the last act. I think Shyamalan directing someone else's screenplay could be a good thing! After Earth is getting a lot of bad reviews, but some critics I respect (notably Matt Zoller Seitz) seem to like it a lot, so I'm withholding judgment til I see it.

      Delete
    2. Thanks to both of you for your comments.

      Now, I agree with both of you in part, although I lean a little more toward Dave's stance. I actually really dig The Sixth Sense and REALLY dig Unbreakable. I think The Village is okay, save the absurdly obvious "twist" ending. Signs has its moments, and as for everything else... I can do without it. The Last Airbender was the final straw for me. Few movies have made me beg, hope, and plead that I could have my two hours back. I hated that film, and as a result, have no interest in After Earth, or really anything else he does. Though, if he actually gets Unbreakable 2 made, I'll scope that out.

      Delete
  6. Great list, and great idea for one, but how can you possible think the Sheens are better in Wall Street than in Hot Shots part deux? Zoolander and Wild at Heart are great picks I'd never have thought of.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Apropos of nothing in this post, have you seen Dogtooth? It's a Greek film from 2009, and it blew the top of my head off (figuratively). If you haven't (unlikely, I know) it's on Netflix.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dude, I LOVE Dogtooth. It's so bizarre and strange and brutal and funny and devastating. I've never seen anything like it.

      Delete
    2. The last shot breaks my heart every time. Watched it for the first time last night, and then watched it again right after.

      Delete
    3. Oh god, it's just crushing. Funny, I watched that twice in a row the first time I saw it as well. Really need to see Lanthimos' Alps now.

      Delete
  8. I haven't seen three of these, so I'll have to withhold comment on Melancholia, Halloween H2O, and The Great Buck Howard.

    I was wondering if you were going to have Diane Ladd and Laura Dern, but I would have picked Rambling Rose instead.

    Martin Sheen's cameo in Charlie's movie Hot Shots: Part Deux was fun because of the Platoon/Apocalypse Now references.

    I've been trying to think of a parent/child combo I'd recommend instead, but every one I could come up with didn't have any films together that I've seen (i.e. Blythe Danner and Gwyneth Paltrow, Peter and Bridget Fonda, etc.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Chip, thanks for stopping by. I was close to picking the Ladd/Dern work in Rambling Rose, but their both so whacko in Wild at Heart. Love them.

      Of your two examples, the only one I could think of was Blythe playing Gwyneth's mom in Sylvia, which honestly wasn't very memorable.

      Delete
  9. Great list, Alex. Really happy that you included Paper Moon. Just watched that for the first time not too long ago and absolutely loved it. Tatum O'Neal killed it in that movie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks man. Paper Moon is just great, isn't it? When Bogdanovich is on point, the man can really deliver. I wish he made more films like that.

      Delete
  10. Nicely done. Of those I've seen, the O'Neals, Fondas, Sheens, Smiths and Stillers really stand out. Great pairings, indeed. Stellan Skarsgard is Alexander's father? How did I miss that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks dude. The SkarsgÄrd's have some damn good acting genes, don't they? Stellan is one of my all time faves.

      Delete
  11. Great list! I agree with you about Will Smith's character in the Pursuit of Happyness. The way he treated his son -- the good and the bad -- was believable. There are too many "too good to be true" parents in movies. And I'd forgotten how much I liked On Golden Pond and Paper Moon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! There are a lot of too good to be true parents in films, and I really don't like it. Paper Moon is great!

      Delete
  12. Terrific idea for a top 10 list Alex. I think my favorite parent/child combo (and film for that matter) is On Golden Pond with the Fonda family.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dan! The Fonda family is really on point in that movie. Superb work all around.

      Delete