The Critical Ed Harris Filmography - Part 2

Here are the next ten or so movies in Ed's career. I've seen nearly all of them, but I haven't seen the ones with about a line or less of information. Click on the title to go to the Internet Movie Database entry for the film. For your further information/enjoyment/torture, I'm giving a general plot summary as well as my personal critique of the movie and/or Ed's performance.

THE PLOT... This movie primarily stars Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, and Christine Lahti. Ed plays Goldie's husband, Jack, who is shipped off to the second World War. In the meantime Goldie doesn't know what to do with herself, so she heads on over to a factory to help the war cause. She meets up with Kurt, who for some reason (I can't remember) was not drafted, and they have a bit of an affair. Then Ed comes back, and the three of them find themselves in quite a bind.

THE QUALITY... I thought this was a really cute movie. Ed's character really got the shaft, but I suppose it's sort of understandable why Goldie would cheat on him. After all, Kurt Russell was pretty slick. This movie's got a little bit of everything - comedy, drama, romance - so it makes for a really good rental. Ed's not in the movie very much, but he does look really funky in his navy uniform.

A FLASH OF GREEN (1984)

THE PLOT... I'll be the first to admit I didn't quite catch the plot of this movie. Unfortunately I wasn't paying enough attention while I was watching it...reasons forthcoming. Ed plays Jimmy Wing, some sort of journalist who is busy trying to save the local bay/lake/pond. His wife is stuck in some sort of mental institution (I think), and when his best friend dies, he engages in an affair with his wife (also picking up a few other women).

THE QUALITY... Well, I wasn't paying much attention because I thought this movie was extremely boring. I wouldn't say that it was bad, because I really don't know if it was or not. But it certainly wasn't first-rate or anything like that. Maybe I'll have more to say if I ever see it again.

CODE NAME: EMERALD (1985)

THE PLOT... Ed plays a good-guy double agent working for both the Allied Forces and the Nazis during World War II. When an "overlord" (someone who knows the details of D-Day, played by Eric Stoltz) is captured by the Nazis, Ed has to go over to France and either rescue or "eliminate" him so that D-Day can go on as planned. This movie was based on a true story. Notice the "instant" girlfriend that magically appears.

THE QUALITY... I'm not quite sure what to make of this movie. I think it was made for TV, so in that respect, it was pretty good. There were some interesting actors involved (Eric Stoltz and Max von Sydow to be specific). The "instant" girlfriend (and I don't think I'll be giving anything away if I say family) are also quite...different. This movie is probably worth seeing once - then stick it back on the shelf for some other Ed groupie.

ALAMO BAY (1985)

THE PLOT... Ed plays this Vietnam vet (Shane something or another) who helps lead a bunch of pissed-off Texans against Vietnamese refugees who have moved into the area. Apparently the Vietnamese work just a little too hard (the major "business" is fishing) and so the Texans feel threatened. This was another movie based on a real-life situation.

THE QUALITY... Ed's character in this movie was, needless to say, pretty slimy and dislikable, not to mention his gross beard and overall 70ishness. I would say this is one of those "important" movies - you know, one that you would see on Bravo or something. It shows the evils of racism, but it also shows that not everyone is necessarily prone to horrible beliefs, and that working together people can overcome the challenges before them. I'm not sure the way Ed is finally dealt with is the right way, but...his character deserves what he gets in the end.

SWEET DREAMS (1985)

THE PLOT... This movie is basically a biography of singer Patsy Cline (Jessica Lange), focusing primarily on her relationship with Charlie Dick (Ed), her second husband, and continuing through to the end of her life.

THE QUALITY... Jessica Lange does an outstanding job in this movie...as usual. I think she's one of the best character actresses around. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in this movie. Ed pretty much sits around - smoking, drinking, and watching tv - for most of the movie. His character, Charlie, is a big ol' jerk, and it's really amazing that two people with so little in common could stay married. Nevertheless, Ed was really suave - he had this greased back hairdo and a leather jacket and neat shirts! He even had his hair buzzed when he was forced to enlist. And Ed makes up for most of his creepiness at the end of the movie.

THE LAST INNOCENT MAN (1987)

THE PLOT... This movie is very similar (plot-wise) to both PARIS TROUT and CHINA MOON. More on those later in the filmography. The movie kicks off with Ed getting involved with some lady whose name he doesn't even know. I guess he meets her at a party or something. She enlists his aid (he's a lawyer) in the trial of her husband, from whom she is supposedly estranged. Things get a little more complicated after that as Ed spends his time trying to figure out both his client's innocence/guilt and the wife/girlfriend's actual agenda.

THE QUALITY... Like I said above, this movie's a lot like those other two combined so...if you've seen one you've probably seen them all. But Ed gets to throw a couple cool temper tantrums that might be worth your time, and this movie isn't bad at all. I guess all three (this, CHINA MOON, and PARIS TROUT) rate about the same in my book - decent made-for-TV fare, but not winners at the box office.

TO KILL A PRIEST (1988)

THE PLOT... This movie takes place in Poland, back in the early 80's when Solidarity was in the news all the time. Apparently the priest (Christopher Lambert) has a big hand in the Solidarity movement. The Communists are quite unhappy with him, and Stefan (Ed), the head of the police, comes up with this really nasty plan to eliminate the priest.

THE QUALITY... Ed's characters never seem to plan things out quite right, and that certainly holds true in this movie. This is another one of those "important" movies - definitely worth seeing, definitely making a point about history, and definitely not blockbuster material. What's interesting is that the movie is set in Poland, yet all the actors have British accents, and then Christopher Lambert and Ed have their own natural accents! It seems that whenever there are lots of foreigners around, they end up with British accents! Is that just because people don't know what a Polish accent sounds like? I guess I don't either.

WALKER (1988)

THE PLOT... Ed plays William Walker, an American general who attacked Nicaragua in the 1850s and suddenly installs himself as president. Although based on real-life, this movie is actually a satire that tries to condemn the American attitude towards Nicaragua in the 1970s and 80s.

THE QUALITY... This may be the worst movie I have ever seen. It was so...insane. It takes place in the 1850s, but the director (Alex Cox) throws in all of these 20th century things like Newsweek, Time, Marlboro cigarettes, and even a helicopter at the end! Even though it was supposed to be a satire, the movie was just so overblown and overdone that I don't think the director achieved his purpose at all. Ed does some of the worst acting I've ever seen him do in this movie. Check out Rene Auberjonois in this movie - he looks like Odo from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine except with way out-of-control hair. Some notable scenes? You may want to see how many times and ways the Odo-like character gets injured without dying. Watch Ed "kissing up" to the wife of the Nicaraguan president - I still don't understand what was up with that scene. And check out Ed eating some guy's gall bladder or other random organ. Did I mention this movie is nuts?!

JACKNIFE (1989)

THE PLOT... Ed plays Dave, a stressed-out, alcoholic, Vietnam vet who has serious problems letting his sister (Kathy Bates) date men. Dave has a horrible complex about Vietnam - partly due to his (in)actions, one of his best friends died. When another buddy (Robert DeNiro) suddenly reappears into Dave's life, major troubles follow...especially because Dave's buddy becomes interested in Dave's sister.

THE QUALITY... Ed was nominated for a Golden Globe (for Best Supporting Actor) for his role in this film. He must have gained 25 pounds for this role. He really did look and act very bummed-out...well, okay, he was drunk like the whole movie. There's a picture of Ed back when he was on like his high school football team or whatever that you can see for about 5 seconds near the end of the movie. Like TO KILL A PRIEST and ALAMO BAY, this is probably another of those "important" movies. Kathy Baker (who played Alan Shepard's wife in THE RIGHT STUFF) turns in another great performance, and Robert DeNiro is, as usual, right on target.

THE ABYSS (1989)

THE PLOT... I still don't understand the plot, but here goes. Ed plays Bud Brigman, an undersea oil man who is nastily estranged from his wife (Mary Ellen Mastrantonio). A U.S. submarine is mysteriously lost at the bottom of the sea, and Ed, his wife, and his crew are enlisted to help the Navy SEALS find it. Once they get down there, they meet up with these very interesting sea creatures...

THE QUALITY... I think the whole point of this movie was just to put Ed in a nifty spacesuit-like apparatus and watch him act charismatic like John Glenn. Okay, maybe not. I hear that the director's cut was a lot better than the original version...I sure hope so, because the lack of a meaningful plot in the original was pretty apparent! The way the movie was cut, it just didn't make any sense. The storyline just seemed to bounce from one event to the next to the next. Cool special effects though.

STATE OF GRACE (1990)

THE PLOT... Sean Penn returns to the Irish crime scene in New York/New Jersey. The head of the operation is Frankie Flannery (Ed) - his sister (Robin Wright) becomes Sean's love interest. Eventually we find out that Sean is actually working undercover for the police; his job is to end the crime that's plaguing the city. But - of course - Ed stands in his way.

THE QUALITY... Not to spoil anyone's day or anything but, of course, Ed dies in this movie, and it is a most excellent death scene if I may say so myself. He gets shot right in the center of his forehead, and he looks so completely shocked that it's hysterical. Then you see him hit the ground in slow motion and stuff. The gunfight he has with Sean Penn is great...it makes up for the really confusing plot. Maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention (again), but it seemed to me that Sean Penn's role was really ill-defined and unclear almost until the final gunfight. Of course maybe that's the way it should be, since he was a double agent (so to speak), but still... Ed doesn't have a very convincing Irish accent. :^)