Ryan Goslinghas been in the public consciousness for decades. This year, following his turn as Ken in the smashBarbiemovie, he’s looking at a possibleOscar for Best Supporting Actor. Like many actors, Gosling is a cinephile himself, and in aninterview with Netflixbefore the release ofThe Gray Man, he shared his two favorite films that couldn’t be more different from one another.
In the interview, Gosling stated his two favorite movies areOn the WaterfrontandStep Brothers, two films that can not have had different impacts on the public consciousness. But what are these two movies, and what makes them each so good? Let’s delve deeper and see why Gosling is right on target with these two choices.
On the Waterfront Is a Classic Film
On the Waterfrontis a 1954 Marlon Brando film directed by Elia Kazan. It is a triumph of cinema and stacked with a who’s who of the top actors of the time. Thefilm nearly swept the Oscarswith nominations in almost every category and won Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, and more.
Terry Malloy (Brando) is an ex-fighter who became a longshoreman after throwing a fight for a local mob boss named Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). Since that time, he has worked under Friendly in the labor union. His brother, Charley (Rod Steiger), works directly for Friendly and is often seen as the brighter of the two Malloy brothers. When Terry is unwittingly involved in the murder of a possible union snitch, he finds himself falling deeper into the guilt of his actions. It eventually leads him to meet with the dead man’s sister, Edie (Eva Marie Saint), to whom he ultimately confesses his crimes and who, along with a local priest, encourages the dockworkers to come together to fight back against Friendly. However, it isn’t as simple as that.
Why One-Eyed Jacks Is a Pivotal Marlon Brando Film
Brando’s attempts to create a new western classic with One-Eyed Jacks was met with many challenges, but remains a masterpiece nonetheless.
Terry must confront his brother about his involvement in causing him to throw his fight. However, when his brother is murdered by Friendly’s men, he decides instead to murder Friendly as revenge. The priest convinces him instead that testifying against Friendly would be even more devastating, leading to Terry being ostracized and demoralized by his peers. In the end, his triumph and the fall of Friendly are seen as the true redemption of the working man against corrupt officials.
On the Waterfrontis, in many ways, afilm about the struggleof the working man and the ways in which those in power will do anything to keep their power. It is also seen as an allegory for the director’s own divisive choice to “name names” to the House Un-American committee during the communist scare in the early 1950s, a move that had him derided by much of Hollywood. Regardless of its deeper meanings, it is, at its heart, a gripping and visually stunning film. It is often known by people who have never seen it by the Brando quote, “I coulda had class! I coulda been a contender!”
Step Brothers Is the Complete Opposite
Step Brothers
And then we haveStep Brothers. The film was released in 2008 and wasdirected by Adam McKay. It is a bonkers story about two divorced professionals (Richard Jenkins and Mary Steenburgen) who get married and move in together. However, each of them has an adult son (ages 39 and 40) who acts like they are roughly 12 years old. These two men, Brennan (Will Ferrell) and Dale (John C. Reilly), are very upset that their parents have remarried and even more angry that they have to share their lives with each other now.
Step Brothers, arguablyWill Ferrell’s best movie, follows the evolution of their friendship from bitter enemies literally fighting with bikes on their front lawn to amazing friends sharing hobbies, particularly music. They are sent on interviews but decide to purposefully tank them together, and Dale even starts an affair with the wife of Brennan’s brother (Adam Scott).
When they learn that their parents plan on retiring and sailing the world on their sailboat, leaving them behind, they quickly attempt to create their own entertainment company. In doing so, they destroy their father’s boat, causing a cascade of issues that ends in their parent’s divorce and causing the two men to break ties.
Will Ferrell Was a Comedy Superstar, So Why Did We Leave Him Behind?
Will Ferrell was one of the biggest stars of the mid-00s, but since then, the audience seemed to turn on the actor, yet he is making a major comeback.
When the two finally come together again, it is at the fabled Catalina Wine Mixer, where they both have respectable jobs and live relatively normal lives. However, when the hired band walks off, the two of them must ditch their normal personalities and revert to who they were: two great friends who just want to make music. Their collaboration prompts the often-quoted “The f%@king Cataline Wine Mixer.”
The classic McKay/Ferrell movie is absolutely absurd, completely stupid, off the rails, and unbelievably delightful. It is amodern comedy classicthat nobody can deny will be in the public consciousness for decades to come.
Ryan Gosling Fits Both Roles
For a 43-year-old actor who has been in the industry since he was 12, the idea that he would have diverse tastes isn’t that wild. He is a great comedic actor who would be quite at home next to Will Ferrell and also has the leading man qualities of a Marlon Brando. In order to learn that type of range, it is essential to observe those who have perfected it.
For Gosling, the idea that he would only be interested in one genre or era of film is absurd. The classics still hold up, and the modern comedies were something he grew up on. Therefore,On the WaterfrontandStep Brothersmay be the perfect bookends to the library of an actor with such an enormous range.On the Waterfrontis available to rent on Apple TV, whileStep Brothersis streaming on Pime Video.
