In honor of one of the greats. Here is my list of my favorite Robert Duvall’s roles:
- Tender Mercies: This is such a low key movie where Duvall illustrates dealing with alcoholism and how to build relationships as a sober person.
Unfortunately there can only be ten so one has to go.
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Second Hand Lions. Like Jones and Duvall in Lonesome Dove, Duvall and Caine in Second Hand Lions is such an excellent pairing of two of the greats. Duvall was great as the tough guy partner to the duo with Caine. I loved this movie and if there was ever a movie that needed a prequel TV show this is it.
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To Kill a Mockingbird. This is Duvall’s very first movie role and man was it a good one. He shared the screen with one of the Titans of Hollywood, Gregory Peck, who was delivering his greatest roles. Using next to no dialogue Duvall not only shared the screen with Peck, he owned the scene.
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A Civil Action: If you want to see a masterful display of an actor being the bad guy but in no way appearing to be the bad guy, watch this movie. Duvall crushes Travolta’s character’s hopes and dreams at every turn.
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Open Range: Everything about Duvall’s character in this movie is awesome starting with his name Boss Spearman. Boss is his nickname, Blue Bonnet is his given name, but don’t become between blue bonnet and those that he care about.
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The Apostle. Often passion project of actors are flaming disasters, this is not.
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Network: This movie is a comedy and is an invisceration of TV networks.
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Lonesome Dove. This was a TV mini-series and it starred Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, and many others. Jones and Duvall on screen chemistry is on par with Redford and Newman, Lemon and Matthau, Hepburn and Tracy.
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Apocalypse Now. Who doesn’t love the smell of naplam in the morning? Duvall was on screen for about 3 minutes (probably a lot more, but it is short) and delivered one of most iconic roles of all time.
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The Great Santini: Another absolute masterful performance as a macho Marine Pilot who is to scared to love his children and has no idea how. Duvall just blows you away with how subtly he illustrates that. As the macho asshole marine does all the wrong things to those that matter to him the most.
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The Godfather. Duvall is the legal council to the Godfather and his criminal empire and man Duvall is unreal
Secondhand Lions is criminally underrated. It’s written and directed by the writer of The Iron Giant, a fact that becomes evident when massive amounts of saltwater start pouring from your eyes around halfway through.
Robert Duvall was fucking legendary as Hub McCann. I could not think of anyone else in that role.
OMG… how could I forget that one…
I am bumping something off the list and adding it in.
The scene were he beats the shit out of the three kids and then immediately befriends and starts mentoring them is so excelllent!
“I’m Hub McCann. I’ve fought in two World Wars and countless smaller ones on three continents. I led thousands of men into battle with everything from horses and swords to artillery and tanks. I’ve seen the headwaters of the Nile, and tribes of natives no white man had ever seen before. I’ve won and lost a dozen fortunes, killed many men and loved only one woman with a passion a flea like you could never begin to understand. That’s who I am. NOW, GO HOME, BOY!”
Chills. Every time.
I also love how the mere mention of the movie was enough for you to immediately knock another off the list to put it at the top. As you should. Everybody should watch it.
For some reason, Secondhand Lions sits at a middling review score across the board. Everyone I’ve met that’s seen it considers it one of the greats. I’m not sure a better - or even equivalent - feelgood film has been made since.
Everything about that movie is awesome. They got the lion to shoot it because they were bored but it was too tame too make a sport of it.
And of course Eric Balfour coming in at the end on the helciopter…
I mistakenly rewatched the ending scene and now have to collect myself in the middle of the work day.
“They really lived.”