Will Ferrell’s soulful and understated dramatic performance in 2006’s Stranger Than Fiction should have opened more doors for the actor.

  • TommySalami@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    It really is a beautiful movie. Rock solid cast, charming and funny, but can be absolutely devastating at moments. And the “flowers” might be one of my favorite moments in a movie, full stop. It is so simple, but fits so neatly into their characters.

  • mysoulishome@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I think a lot of really funny people are super deep and super smart and capable of amazing acting…Jim Carey, Robin Williams…even Adam Sandler was damn decent in Punch Drunk Love. I don’t really know why we haven’t seem Will Ferrell do it much

    • Nusm@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      I’d just like to add that Adam Sandler was incredible in Uncut Gems as well.

    • Ech@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      I mean, it’s very likely just because it’s not what they want to do. Especially actors like Ferrell and Sandler, it’s not like they’re struggling to get work. They can do whatever they want. They just do the silly comedies.

      Then look at actors like Steve Carell and Bryan Cranston. Both amazing comedians as well, but also taking up a good share of more dramatic, even grim roles (and nailing those, too, btw). Just because an actor is good at the more dramatic works doesn’t mean it’s what they want to do. It’s gonna vary from person to person.

        • lazylion_ca@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          I don’t know if he’s ever actually said it, but a bunch of us have assumed it. Travel and make movies with your friends. What a life.

        • dom@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          I wouldn’t be surprised at all if I saw this exact same comment on reddit.

          It’s a lot of the same people on lemmy as are on reddit. Just people.

    • AngryHumanoid@reddthat.com
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      1 year ago

      Many actors feel comedy is harder in general, making the transition to drama much easier than the other way around.

    • Aa!@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I believe the movie you are looking for is “Everything Must Go.” It really shows that Will Ferrell can do more than just comedy

  • Hylactor@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    I haven’t seen it since it was in theaters, but I remember feeling the ending cheapened it for me.

    • Shonzi@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      That’s kinda the point. Rather than go with the ending that was right for the story she sacrificed the right ending for happiness. It’s fucking beautiful. I love it so much.

      • Hylactor@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        No, that’s not what I’m talking about. Spoilers ahead: The narrator says he’s going to die. So this impending death is constantly looming. Then he technically dies because he was clinically dead for a second. It’s a total cop out.

        • Shonzi@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          It’s meant to be a cop out! It’s meant to cheapen the story. That’s the point! If he died it would have been a story that was powerful and evoked all of this feeling, but she couldn’t do it to him so she sacrificed the quality of the story to give him a happy ending. It’s supposed to make the audience feel kinda cheated.