The movie Back to theFuture was an instant classic and remains one of the great cinematic achievements today. An excellent story, convincing effects, and brilliant acting all helped to make the movie what it was. The stellar cast included big personalities, relative newcomers (at the time), and well respected if lesser known actors. One interesting element in this film, like many other great movies, is the unique amalgamation of differing styles and personalities. Three very good examples include Michael J. Fox in the lead role of Marty McFly, Christopher Lloyd as Marty’s friend and mentor Dr. Emmett Brown, and Crispin Glover in the role of Marty’s father George McFly.
Michael J. Fox could best be described as a personality actor. Goodykoontz & Jacobs (2011) describe personality actors as those who essentially portray versions of themselves on screen. Fox has starred in some fairly diverse roles throughout his film career including such titles as The Frighteners, Doc Hollywood, and Teen Wolf (Internet Movie Database, 2014). His roles, whether portraying a cursed teenager, an out of his element doctor, or what have you, have certainly varied; but in every case, we still essentially see the same character, the same mannerisms, and the same person.
Playing opposite Fox in Back
to the Future, Christopher Lloyd, too shares some of the traits of a
personality actor; however, he fits more comfortably into the category of
character actor. A character actor is
able to assume a wide variety of different character types (Goodykoontz &
Jacobs, 2011); one might say this type of actor becomes the person he/she is
portraying. While Lloyd certainly has
some distinctive characteristics that might better fit the description of
personality actor, his tendency toward highly animated movement and his raspy
voice, for example; he is very much a character actor, assuming diverse
personalities across varying roles and movie genres. In Back
to the Future, Lloyd’s character is an eccentric and reclusive genius who
has invented a means of time travel. His
behaviors are erratic and animated, he flies from thought to thought, often
rambling wildly, and yet he conveys someone who really does know his
stuff. He fits seamlessly into this
role. Contrast this with his other
works, and it becomes even clearer that he is a very flexible talent. In one of his early film roles, as Taber in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Lloyd
actually lived in a mental asylum to prepare for his role and adopted traits of
the inmates in his portrayal (Internet Movie Database, 2014). This is quite a departure from eccentric
inventor!
Most interestingly, though, playing the role of George McFly
is a true wildcard and character actor, Crispin Glover. Character actors are often hard to place;
even those who are in high demand may be difficult for audiences to immediately
recognize (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011) due to the diverse nature of their
portfolios. Such is the case for Crispin
Glover, who is a highly respected and critically acclaimed actor with an almost
cult-like following (Internet Movie Database, 2014). Glover perfectly encapsulates the awkward
outcast, the bullied teenager turned downtrodden husband. The discomfort and nervousness George feels
when speaking to his high school crush and eventual wife is almost
palpable. We cringe with George when his
seemingly lifelong nemesis Biff calls his name (see Clip 1). Glover so perfectly embodies George’s
awkwardness, that his end of movie evolution into a successful and
self-confident author seems all the more breathtaking.
Clip 1
Though Crispin Glover leans toward the eccentric and awkward, he is anything but a one size fits all actor. From quiet recluse, to angry demon, to maniachal lunatic, Glover has embodied all nature of character type and personalities. His acting credits include a wide range of genres from little known independent efforts like his role as Bartleby in the movie Bartleby (Internet Movie Database, 2014), large scale blockbusters like Beowulf in which he portrays the demon Grendel (Internet Movie Database, 2014), and even animated works like 9 where he voices character #6 (Internet Movie Database, 2014). His characters are all over the map creatively, in one role a demented maniac (see Clip 2) and in another a reckless showoff (see Clip 3). Indeed, Glover is the epitome of the wildcard character actor.
Clip 2
Clip 3
References:
Best Movie Quote. (2014). Hot Tub Time Machine (3/8) Best Movie Quote – One Armed Phil (2010) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbgwNS0s1Is
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C.P. (2011). Film:
From Watching to Seeing. (Ashford University ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint
Education, Inc.
Internet Movie Database. (2014). Back to the Future.
Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088763/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Movieclips.com. (2014). Jingle
Dell [Video file]. Retrieved from http://movieclips.com/uS2nL-wild-at-heart-movie-jingle-dell/
Movieclips.com. (2014). You’re
George McFly! [Video file]. Retrieved from http://movieclips.com/YNZnz-back-to-the-future-movie-youre-george-mcfly/
