Josh Lucas was hard to like at first. He’s got the type of face that can be very warm and kind of inherently cruel and weasel-like. That could be why he took off when it came to acting since he is pretty versatile and does manage to fill his role without much effort. There have been times when he doesn’t seem as well-suited to the role he’s in but then again we won’t be talking about those since this list is about his BEST movies, at least in our opinion. Throughout his career he’s gone from being just a part of the background more or less to being a guy with an entire back story and dialogue that plays to his strengths and allows him to really get into his character. Quite honestly he’s managed to create a very stable career on his talent and is a pleasure now to see in any movie whether he’s the good or bad guy. As the bad guy though he’s kind over the top but in a way that makes you wish for the character’s death at some point in the movie, or barring that, at least some form of humiliation.
Here are just a few films that you might have seen him in where he was particularly suited for his role.
5. Secondhand Lions
He didn’t get much of a role in this but the part he did play was still important. Walter was a shy and scared kid that kept getting dumped off by his mother in whatever place she could find where someone would take care of him. When she dumped him with her uncles however he was less than welcome and wasn’t given much of a thought by his great-uncles. They tolerated him for the most part until they figured out that he was useful, and after a while he became someone they couldn’t do without. His role at the end of this film was to give some kind of closure to Hubb and Garth’s lives, to affirm that they did in fact do the things that Garth spoke of and that they were remembered. Short as his part was it belonged to one of the best films that’s come along in quite a while.
4. Stealth
There’s just no room for error when you’re a stealth pilot. In the movie at least Lucas and his two fellow pilots are the best in the world at what they do and operate as a close-knit team that have few if any weaknesses. When they’re introduced to a new fighter jet however, completely run by AI, they have some hesitancy in accepting the new pilot but are willing to work with it. When the AI is fried by a freak lightning strike however they quickly discover that the computer-driven mind is far more dangerous than they would have believed as it begins to execute theoretical missions all on its own.
3. Sweet Home Alabama
How in the world do you forget to divorce someone? Reese Witherspoon’s character decided to move to New York and create a new life. While she became highly successful however, even going so far as to get engaged to the son of the mayor, she forgot to do one thing. Going back to Alabama means going back to a life she was trying so hard to get away from, and it also means trying to finally get her ex to sign the divorce papers that had been left for so long. The only thing is that he doesn’t want to sign. Eventually they both realize that they are still very much in love with one another and, as you can imagine, there’s a happy ending.
2. A Beautiful Mind
Hansen is kind of a jerk in this film, or at least is portrayed as one. But on the other side of this, Nash is a very troubled man. It’s been said more than once that the representation of the people that inspired this film is not the greatest, but then most true stories are never told in full and realistic detail. Otherwise they might not sell as well. Whether this confrontation between Hansen and Nash ever really took place or had this outcome would be unknown to anyone not there at the time, but it seems that if it did happen that it would make Hansen look rather arrogant and Nash look as though he was rather unbalanced.
1. Glory Road
Back in 1966 history was made and a new era to the NCAA was created when Coach Don Haskins became the first coach to start an all African American team in the finals. It was a strategy that raised a lot of eyebrows but made history in two ways since it had never been done before, and it gave Texas Western a real presence in the NCAA finally. They would go on to win the game and in doing so write a new chapter that would eventually catch on and take over college basketball.
Lucas can be very inspiring character but he can be a jerk too.
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