Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Michael Keaton- Underrated Actor
Recently I have re-watched a bundle of movies that coincidentally starred Michael Keaton, so his performances have been on my mind lately. I have always been a fan of his ever since I saw the 1998 film Jack Frost. Now I know that movie is not exactly a classic in any respect ( I mean come on, it involves a dad coming back to life as a snowman), but it introduced me to Keaton as one of the coolest male leads on screen.
The next film I saw him in was Batman Returns, when I went through my Batman faze that I guess I am still in to this day now that the Christopher Nolan adaptations have come out. But his work as Bruce Wayne in that film, and in the first Tim Burton film (Batman, 1989), really showed me what an actor could do in a film. He had a swagger to him as Bruce Wayne, the millionare with a "super-secret". He walked with the confidence and control a superhero would have but seemed like the every-man all the same. He was dark, funny, and completely engaging. If Christopher Reeve made film-goer's believe a man could fly, Michael Keaton made me believe that a man could run around in a bat-suit, save Gotham City, woo women, and still find time to sulk in the dark like a brooding gentlemen.
Now I've also heard he was not the first choice for this role and when he was casted, many Batman fans were outraged because of his small build and his previous works in comedies, case in point- Mr. Mom. But this is what makes me think of him as an extremely underrated actor. He is versatile. I bought him in Mr. Mom and laughed along with it, just as much as I bought him in the Bat-suit.
Keaton's best performance on screen, in my opinion, was as the title character in Tim Burton's first film with him, Beetlejuice. In this film, a couple played by Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin die accidentally and become ghosts, learning about the after-life and being introduced to a character named Beetlegeuse. This character is zany and dark, with cartoon sounds going off through his actions that make him stand out as the comic relief of the film. He is almost the out of place cartoon character in the live action piece. Keaton is only on screen for 19 minutes of the film and yet he is the title character and the one who is remembered.
Keaton was born in 1951 and at 59 years old, he's not getting the lead roles he once did. Now I have seen him play a lot of father roles (some examples included Post Grad and First Daughter). He is also a very good voice actor, having worked on Pixar's Cars and Toy Story 3. Now I know that there are plenty of other actors to be mentioned for their work having been more memorable and other actors who have won plenty of awards for their work. But where are the accolades for this guy? He has never won a major acting award (Golden Globe, SAG award, Oscar) and I wish he would have been recognized for the character's he has created. Maybe I just like him because of the nostalgia I get when I re-watch his earlier films and remember how much I wanted to be Batman or Beetlejuice, but I definitely think he is one of the most underrated actors of recent memory and this is my way of getting out my frustration.
If you would like, respond with some actors and actresses you think deserve praise for their work on screen who you feel have been underrated these days.
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I agree that Michael Keaton is underrated as an actor. You do not mention an enjoyable comedy he did years ago, Night Shift -- watch his face, listen to his voice -- he is versatile and good at what he does.
ReplyDeleteMy eighth grade english teacher told me that I have to watch that movie at some point but she didn't want to recommend it to me because I was 13 haha true story! thank you for reminding me of that, I have to see it now!
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