Jeff Bridges tends to look pretty grizzled these days but that doesn’t mean by any stretch of the imagination that he’s washed up. If anything it means that he looks like a man who’s in his late 60s and has had a pretty remarkable life. Not all of his films have been winners but a lot of them have at least been entertaining and managed to show people just how versatile he really is. Of course like all actors he’s had a few that made people wonder just what he was doing and why but the thing about being an actor is that you’re there to perform and to give people a show, not justify why you’re doing it. That seems to be something that the average viewer seems to have forgotten. Actors are there for our enjoyment first and foremost. If they really want to explain themselves they will.
Here are a few of his best movies from his career.
5. True Grit
Some people might have wanted to see someone that was more like John Wayne, but what they got was someone that was tried and true and could play a grizzly older coot that just didn’t care what anyone else thought or said. Some folks didn’t even bother watching this remake but those that did were treated to a performance that was actually stated to be one of Bridges’ best since he fully immersed himself in the persona of Cogburn during the film and despite being one of the most ornery men alive he got things done more often than not, even if was brought to task for it later.
4. Tron
Tron feels very much like a movie that was far ahead of its time and didn’t get fair representation when it first came out. People have actually bashed the sequel while proclaiming to love the original when in truth the original was subjected to a lot of shade when it was first revealed. One thing that people have to remember is that back in the 80s the technology for this kind of thing still wasn’t fully developed and while it could have been something great had the idea been allowed to wait it might not have starred Bridges as the younger Flynn if it had been kept on the shelf. Also, it might not have been seen as groundbreaking as it was seen to be later.
3. Starman
This is about as out there as you can get for an alien movie since not only does it deal with a very benevolent alien that can clone a human being from a strand of hair, but it/he is capable of miraculous things that no human being would possibly believe unless they saw it with their own eyes. As he’s pursued by the military he begins to understand different parts of humanity throughout his travel, finding that not all of them are like the people that shot down his craft. He eventually reunites with his ship and people but not before he gives a very important gift to the world and to one woman in particular.
2. Crazy Heart
It’s easy to see why this won him an Academy award since the whole movie is based on the premise of a man that has gone from being a promising musician to someone that’s slowly wasting away as he exists in a kind of purgatory that he created throughout the course of his life. When he’s given another chance at happiness old habits crop up again and he can’t help but turn the relationship sour. It’s only then that true inspiration hits and he decides to finally straighten his life out and really start pushing forward again in an effort to make something of himself with the time he has left.
1. The Big Lebowski
This is one of the few roles that Jeff will likely be remembered for in the years to come since it became such a cult classic that it’s a bit surprising that it didn’t win him an Academy. Of course given that it’s a cult classic and not much else it’s not all that mystifying. But really, the Dude is the kind of guy that knows he’s a layabout and a loser but doesn’t care. He just kind of goes with the flow and whatever is going to happen will happen. He has normal wants and needs like anyone but unlike anyone else he takes things as they come and doesn’t worry too much about the things that don’t. In truth he just wants to bowl, hang out with his friends, and enjoy a drink now and again.
Jeff is the kind of guy that can be funny, serious, or downright scary if you really want to look at some of his roles. In any case he’s one of the best and most reliable actors in Hollywood.The Big Lebowski
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