So to put it kindly, she doesn’t have a lot of different facial expressions, but Laura Linney definitely has a lot of different mannerisms that more than make up for this. Her face doesn’t seem to express a very big range but in truth, it doesn’t have to. She is able to slip into a part with such ease that no matter what her face does she is believable as that person from start to finish. The great ones don’t always get the most praise or the most accolades, but just being known sometimes is the best part of success.
Laura Linney is extremely impressive considering her range and how she can fill out a role with great enthusiasm. Here are a few clips showing her doing just that.
5. Primal Fear – Janet Venable
Being a cocky, almost over-confident lawyer is something that Linney seems to excel at. It gives her the chance to just flaunt the attitude that she’s so good at and run wild with a persona that knows little to no fear and will stand up to or against anyone that crosses her path. She’s just humble enough in this role to be likable, but she’s also tough as nails when she has to be.
4. Congo – Dr. Karen Ross
Let’s just say it, a lot of this film is unbelievable. Shooting rockets out of the sky with flare guns, dispatching mutated apes with a laser that has no well-defined power source, yeah, that kind of stuff. Linney makes up for the movie magic gone wrong though by being one tougher than usual scientist that doesn’t take no for an answer. When someone she cares about goes missing in the Congo she’s already on the plane and ready lift off before her expedition is even given the nod.
3. The Mothman Prophecies – Connie Mills
She’s not so much naive as she is in the dark, just like everyone else in this film. The mysterious Mothman that either terrorizes or mystifies the town that is under her jurisdiction doesn’t discriminate when it comes to one citizen or another. She’s touched in a way too but doesn’t fully understand it. She does her absolute best to keep the peace and figure out just what’s going on in her town, but in the end she’s just as confused as anyone.
2. Mystic River – Annabeth Markum
She’s the mother that justifies the things her husband does. Linney knows what her hubby is doing in this film. There’s no doubt she understands his role in the town, and embraces it as a necessary evil. When their daughter goes missing and is killed Penn goes out for revenge and unfortunately nabs, and kills, the wrong guy. She still stands by him and tells him that he did right, that he protected his family. That seems borderline dangerous to be honest, but still shows solidarity.
1. The Truman Show – Meryl Burbank/Hannah Gill
It’d be kind of hard to know that your whole life is an act but still have to stay in character every day. Obviously Meryl isn’t too keen on Truman’s new idea that he’s somehow in the middle of a conspiracy to keep him from exploring his world in a little more detail. When she comes at him with the peeler and slicer however it shows that her professional veneer is starting to seriously crack and chip away.
She doesn’t really have to change her facial expressions to push forth a new persona, and that’s great. She does more with less and that’s even better.
Follow Us
