It’s always interesting to see what direction a person will go when they reach a certain age and given his studies Ben Schwartz could have gone a very different direction in life. But his turn to the screen thus far has produced some very great laughs and a few very notable roles that have made him a popular character and someone that people do want to see more of from time to time. Whether you want to call him a big-time leading man is kind of subjective but at the same time he’s fit nicely into the role a few times and done just fine. He’s also been a great support to other actors in several movies and played a few very well-positioned characters that helped bring the movie into line and really create something that might have been a little different had he been given any other role.
Here are five of the best movies from his career.
5. Sonic the Hedgehog
The jury is still out on whether or not this will be worth the effort but so far people have responded in a positive way to the changing of Sonic’s customary look and his voice is on par enough for a lot of folks that want to see the blue speedster on the big screen and are primed and ready to do so. If not for changing him back to the way that so many people remember him, especially given the horrendous look he had with the all too human teeth, this movie might have already been buried and relegated to the back of the line when it came to new releases. As of now though people are getting kind of excited.
4. Night School
As if school isn’t rough the first time around, doing it all again as an adult, or at least doing enough for a GED, is double-tough since with the type of learning disabilities Teddy has it’s dang near impossible to focus on life and on studying when both tend to stress a person out in equal measures. For all the wheeling and dealing he tries to do it becomes obvious that he’s not going to get ahead without first coming to terms with the dysfunctions he’s dealing with and the realization that taking the shortcut is only going to hurt him worse in the end since it will keep him from achieving what he really wants.
3. Turbo
This one had to be added since it might not have gotten a lot of attention for various reasons but it’s still a cute and endearing movie that features a lot of great voices that come together to make something that’s pretty funny and very touching. You don’t normally think about snails when you’re talking about animals that can speak and compete with humans, but something about this just felt right since being one of the slowest creatures in all creation, a turbo-charged snail is just something that was bound to be kind of fun and engaging at the same time. And then tacking on all the voice talent only made it better.
2. Happy Anniversary
Anyone that’s been married and made it last more than a year knows very well that marriage is a hardship as much as it can be a joy since there are a lot of things that go into living with someone else and putting up with their many different quirks is just one among many of those things. But after three years the couple in this movie finds that they need to discover a reason to stick around or part and do their own thing. It’s a hard realization as to just how difficult marriage is when you really get into it and this is why rushing headlong into something as binding as this is never a good idea unless you can actually stand the other person.
1. This Is Where I Leave You
Despite the fact that he’s a supporting character in this movie and isn’t there for a good number of the more important scenes he’s still a part of the whole thing and is one that offers up some comic relief and a bit of realism that is nice to see. When Mort Altman passes away his wishes, or so the family thinks, is for his wife and children to sit in contemplation in Jewish tradition. Through this method they get on each other’s nerves, reveal things about each other that they didn’t already know, and find that as miserable as they are together they’re still a family and can still depend on each other. In a big way it’s a very touching family movie that teaches a lot of about loss, acceptance, and regret that are all part of human existence and need to be experienced in their own time. It’s also a hilarious drama.
Ben’s got a lot of talent and a lot of time left to keep on with his career.
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