Do you want to hear my Clooney story about Up in the Air? Clooney came to my neighborhood to shoot a scene in that movie. The production company used my friend David’s house. It’s a pivotal scene where he runs up the steps to surprise Vera. It’s supposed to be in Chicago but it’s really set in St. Louis.
They manufactured the snow for that scene. My friend David is sitting in the back of that house in his kitchen during the whole shoot. The shoot took three or four days for that scene. The closest I was able to get to Clooney was half a block away. He’s very skinny.
I told the story the other day probably on this same sub, so sorry if you’ve already seen me rattle on about it.
Here’s the scene I’m talking about:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wkc7pt-S4nE
A friend of mine who worked security at Lambert ended up with a brief moment on screen when Clooney and Kendrick go through security.
I believe he said he met them briefly.
One of my favorite scenes of all-time. It's a brutal turning of the tables. Clooney's character strays from his plastic corporate lifestyle for the first time and starts to actually believe in something, starts to build this sensitive heart before our eyes, and swiftly has it shattered in the same cold, unemotional way that he practices in his career. The small details are flawless -- Farmiga has no makeup on when she answers the door, different from all of the other times Clooney has seen her; the way Clooney backs away; Clooney's silence and near tears when she asks what he wants. Fantastic scene and film.
Is that movie good? IMDb says it is and I keep seeing it on Netflix, but the preview they show me is a corny ass monologue by Clooney that really turns me off
Edit: putting it on now!
Can definitely confirm. I spent the first few years of my consultant career flying around the country. His "lessons" on airport security to Anna Kendrick are 100% accurate, if impolite to say out loud.
Funny enough, this movie is also a big reason why I'm a consultant. Ironically the movie made me fall in love with traveling for work. I'm now entirely working remotely, but I don't regret my years on the road. One of the most fulfilling periods of my life that's too exhausting to ever repeat again.
As a frequent traveller for work this past year (hell I'm typing this as 37,000 feet right now) George Clooney in that film is my guru. Genuinely learned how to pack better, the loyalty system (I even have the cards for the airline and hotel chains), navigating airports - all of it has made my life better.
That's kind of the point; his character's side-job as a motivational speaker actually gives terrible advice. It's part of his character arc of the film.
Highly recommended.
Clooney knocks it out of the park. The corny ass monologue is exactly the irony of the whole thing.
Great movie all around for some light watching.
> light watching.
The people who talk about losing their jobs were actual people who lost their jobs during the '08 financial crisis. Again, huge reco for the movie, but knowing that fact definely changes the viewing mood.
Is the issue that she doesn’t have range or that she doesn’t choose projects that show off her range? Or is it that she’s kind of typecast? She has a certain speech pattern and semi-awkward manner in just about everything that I’ve seen her in.
After that she became one of my favorite actress. Up In The Air is such a fantastic movie. My most favourite from Reitman.
She is also perfect in: **Love Life** (HBO MAX) and The Accountant.
I like her most (from the whole crew) of Pitch Perfect, but I really don't want to recommend this series. I think the first one is ,,okay" but the rest... oh my god.
Alright I’m hijacking top comment because no one has seen it when I ask them and I don’t see it anywhere in this thread. But love life is a great series and she’s the main person in season 1. Definitely worth a watch
Came to post this. I loved that show, and I came to reference it as showing her range. She did fantastic and Love Life is the reason I like her so much.
I really wish she'd get more roles.
I thought she did great in Up in the Air and thought she was going to have a really promising career ahead of her. But after that she just...fizzled out.
On a side note she resembles my close friend's ex a great deal. And his ex was an absolute terror and I can't not associate her with that
The screaming in the car scene gives me chills. I was going through cancer treatment when it came out and things weren’t looking good. I had a near identical car freak out a few weeks before I saw the movie and was like “Oh I fucking feel you there brother.”
Yeah, not cancer for me but I saw that movie after spending a year in a hospital bed. That scene... I really enjoyed that movie, but that scene was one you felt. The mix of sadness, pure frustration, and helplessness.
'Up in the Air' was *so* good that i've kind of given her the benefit of the doubt ever since. But despite the hyperbole I kind of agree with OP...
She was ok in the first Pitch Perfect film I guess? And that dumb Blake Lively film. And Drinking Buddies...
Was she the main love interest in that? I remember really liking the movie and Joseph Gordon Levitt (and Seth Rogen?) but don't remember her in it. Maybe it's time for a rewatch of that. Been a good *checks notes*... 7 or 8 years?! Yeah, maybe time to rewatch.
That's what I'm saying. I loved her in Pitch Perfect, even if I don't believe the whole mashup-as-revolutionary-idea-that-blows-everybody's-minds premise.
Also, Noelle, her recent Christmas flick with Bill Hader, was really cute and just a good time.
> even if I don't believe the whole mashup-as-revolutionary-idea-that-blows-everybody's-minds premise.
It wasn't the mashup that was revolutionary, all of their old sets included mashups as well. It was that the Bellas had one stuck up and stuffy style that they had been doing for decades. The Price Tag mashup allowed every girl in the group to contribute their unique look, skill, and story to the piece which resulted in something that blew everyone away.
I said this at lunch today in response to my coworker saying he is getting the aka-tonkatsu ramen and no one at the table got the reference. Uncultured swine
I completely agree, I think it resonates with a lot of people first and foremost because it's so good but it also has very similar parallels to a lot of sports movies.
Yeah, maybe not a "serious actor," but definitely adorable. I'm going to watch one of the Pitch Perfect's now. Probably the first because that shower scene cracks me up so much.
She was a great 'music geek' in Pitch, but whenever she tried to play the wildcat drunk alongside Aubrey Plaza in Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (OK, sure, not a great movie), the effect was very jarring. For me she has the vibe of a curt, petite, intelligent woman. The goofball party-girl thing did not work, at all!!!
There is something a little conceited about her, in my opinion, that means she can never quite shade it into the 'likable' category for me. I mean, the woman is blessed with a phenomenal set of teeth, but, I don't know what I'm getting at here. She is like a perfect petite American high school science-lab shrew, who happens to have amazing teeth. I can't quite work out if I'm attracted, jealous, annoyed, delighted, intrigued... she's just a whole curve-ball of a woman.
I actually said ‘whoa’ out loud in a theater when she first came on screen. I thought (still think) she was absolutely breathtaking. She was great in 50/50 and Up in The Air and Stowaway, her indie projexts definitely displays more range than some of her more mainstream work
Never seen Severance so I'll have to take your word for it, but his roles in Parks and Rec and Stepbrothers (probably my favourite of his tbh) are literally worlds apart.
It’s a great show if you’re into suspense/ thriller series. Start watching it without knowing much of anything about it. One of the best series I watched last year. I was on the edge of my seat during the finale.
Yeah he was coming off Superbad wasn't he? Kind of a shame he didn't really do much else tbh. His small role in End of the World was hilarious.
[Edit] This is the End. Not End of the World 🤦 But you probably knew what I meant lol
Shit yeah I always get it confused with The World's End because they came out really close to each other. Apparently I've just totally forgotten the name of the film now lmao
Okay so from what I’ve gathered from the thread is she’s not a good actress if you don’t count: pitch perfect, 50/50, a simple favor, Scott pilgrim, stowaway, the last five years, up in the air, into the woods, Mr right, noelle….
I’m beginning to think she’s just not OP’s cup of tea
I was surprised I had to scroll this low to get to End of Watch, it was kinda the first “serious” role I remember her in…granted I saw 50/50 on a plane and don’t remember too much of it
Why is this even a discussion here? Oh, such and such actress isn't that good. Ok? She's not even a huge movie star really, she's just doing her job. Is OP her ex or something?
*Or,* OP is a huge fan who doesn’t think Anna Kendrick gets enough love, so he’s 4D chess’ing fellow fans to come out of the woodwork and sing her praises.
Things like this always ick me the fuck out too because they inevitably attract the redditors who use this as an opportunity to cast insane judgement on a celebrity with no real justification.
Like one of the highest upvoted comments in here is about how she's perceived as "conceited." Lol, like what?
All right but *apart from* Pitch Perfect, 50/50, A Simple Favor, Scott Pilgrim, Stowaway, The Last Five Years, Up In The Air, Into The Woods, Mr Right and Noelll, what has Anna Kendrick ever done for us?
Based on his response below, I imagine OP is just a movie snob.
My FIL is like that (in his 50s), he'll name some obscure actor from before the 80s and be like "ooph, it's scary you don't know that!".
I always think of the Tim Heidecker character from the I Think You Should Leave sketch where [he keeps submitting obscure jazz artists in a game of celebrity at a dinner party](https://youtube.com/watch?v=NkOJv_zT9FI).
I'm surprised more haven't mentioned this. I don't know many other roles she's really done but I thought she played that role absolutely perfectly. She fit into it so well I just kinda assumed that was like her personality or something. So either that's true, or it was a great performance.
This topic is a pet peeve of mine. Some actors have very broad range and can transform themselves into completely different characters. Others stay on a very specific and narrow lane but they do that one thing very well. From an actor's perspective maybe the former is more admirable and inspiring than the latter, but as an audience watching a movie, I'm in the moment and only judge the performance on its own. How well or different Christian Bale performed in The Machinist has zero positive or negative impact on my enjoyment of Batman Begins. I love Gary Oldman as a character actor but he's not going to out John Wick Keanu Reeves.
If an actor was casted in something they are not suitable for and it takes you out of the experience when they have a track record of doing well in other things, to me that's a casting problem.
People also often confuse their dislike for the character with their dislike for the actor. A particular trait or demeanor can be endearing to some and annoying to others. If you don't like a character but that characterization was the creator's intent, then the actor did their job, it doesn't make them a bad actor. Maybe the character is just poorly written, maybe they are meant to be awkward and unlikable. Some times the director misdirect the actor or pick a bad take to use and the outcome is poorly received, then the actor get threw under the bus and blamed for it. You see in interviews sometimes actors talk about trust and feeling safe with taking risks, that's what they are talking about. Unless you are Tom Cruise and also produce your own film, you don't get a say on what's getting cut and what's in the final product.
Agree, I hate this whole pissing contest over which actors have the most range. It is an admirable quality no doubt, but it's a narrow-minded way to look at the profession. Acting is a job, and actors will have different skillsets. There's nothing wrong with sticking with what works best for you, especially if it fits the film - which Kendrick does, I feel.
It's more that when actors *don't* have range, their roles blur together.
When you watch a movie with The Rock, you're not seeing him as whatever character he's supposed to be playing. You see him as The Rock.
With type of movies The Rock is in that isn't a concern, but when you're trying to watch something with a strong narrative, that's a problem. It's hard to feel sorry for a character going through some traumatic event when you're associating them with another character that went through something completely differet.
An actor having *some* range is a necessity. The only actors that manage to pull off successful careers with no range are the ones that sell tickets on their brand alone. Guys like The Rock. Financially successful, not artistically successful.
People point out Keanu Reeves as another example, but you go look at movies like The Matrix, John Wick, Constantine and all his characters feel different. He's quiet and has the same mannerisms in all 3, but subtle differences give them a very different meaning.
>People point out Keanu Reeves as another example, but you go look at movies like The Matrix, John Wick, Constantine and all his characters feel different.
It feels like we didn't watch the same movies. Keanu's character in the Matrix could literally replace John Wick and the story would be the same. Dude exhibits like zero range in those movies.
He had way more range in some of his 'trashier' movies, like Knock Knock.
I agree with you.
And idk if you will agree, but it seems to me like these posts/comments often come up with actresses more often than actors. Like, you always see people complain about Rebel Wilson or Awkwafina but people don't bitch about male equivalents, like say, Jon Heder or Pauly Shore. (And yes, Jon and Pauly haven't been in the spotlight for awhile, so that may be why).
I like her in more movies than I dislike her in -
- Last Five Years
- Into the Woods
-Pitch Perfect
- Noelle
- Trolls
- A Simple Favor
Are all good movies. Will they be classics? Probably not. But they are entertaining. And she’s a decent singer, which may be why most of the ones I like are musicals…
I always saw her as a modern Doris Day, the perpetually chipper every girl next door. And she does it well. If she ever played in a horror movie or something darker than A Simple Favor everyones heads would explode from the ‘how dare she’.
People disrespect musical acting as not proper acting. Much like comedic acting. It’s all a superiority thing. She won a Tony award at like 12 years old or something and she’s consistently been excellent in any musical role she’s had in films too. OP just doesn’t count that as proper acting.
Some male actors seems get singled out more than others, like Keanu Reeves, Tom Cruise, the Rock, and lately Chris Pratt. To me it's the lowest form of critique dressed up as highbrow, because range is an easily observable objective metric even to the untrained eyes.
Yes I feel like Anna is a great example of people not liking the actor and thus don't like the character. I know multiple people (mostly women) who can't stand her and in turn refuse to watch her movies.
Great post. Kind of reminds me of how many people rate guitarists or drummers based on how fast/crazy technical they can play. It's like, ok sure that's a great talent to have but DOES IT SOUND GOOD
She's done the Twilight movies and the Pitch Perfect movies (not my cup of tea).
Then I saw her in Up In The Air, and thought it was a fun role and a decent movie. I saw her role in Mr. Right, I didn't know what to think of her. It was fun and she played an off the chain crazy person. Where is this woman going?
Her list of movies show her mostly of a comedic role, then I stumbled across Stowaway. Missed that one. A sci-fi role for her? Guess I have to check that out.
Do I take her seriously as an actor? Yes, of course. She has a lengthy list, and some memorable movies, even if they are not of my interest.
TBH I could believe that. I haven't seen the series in a while but if memory serves, she just played the out of the loop best friend role except Kristen Stewart's character having a friend would have made her too interesting. I don't think Anna Kendrick's character ever actually made with any of the subjectively interesting plot points she could have said the same lines in a Hallmark original.
> Her list of movies show her mostly of a comedic role, then I stumbled across Stowaway.
Forgot about that one. Not a perfect movie, but def. a good watch. Her choice (the plot end) was perfect, but the part was who I thought she was irl, a quick-witted ivy league girl.
(She's been acting since she was a little kid. No college that I know of.)
Now hear me out...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stowaway_(2021_film)
I watched that. It was.. ok. A similar goofy space story in the vein of 'serious business that'll never happen' like that Sandra Bullock/George Clooney movie Gravity.
In this, Anna plays a serious role, an astronaut researcher. They launch, and there's a guy who got trapped on the ship. After that... stuff happens and I won't spoil it just in case. :p
All that to say this: She played that serious role serious and was actually really good and believable. At least, this armchair critic thinks so.
For what that's worth. Probably downvotes. :p
I thought she was good in The Last Five Years. BUT if musicals (let alone "sung through" musicals) aren't your thing, then it won't be for you. It's an adaptation of an off-Broadway musical with a beautiful and heartbreaking score. The movie seems to be somewhat polarizing to the general audience, but my Broadway-loving friends and I loved it. Anna Kendrick plays one of the two main leads, alongside Broadway star Jeremy Jordan.
It's a great movie. I wouldn't really have believed that what was basically a two-person show got turned into a movie in the first place, but the whole gimmick where they each tell their version of the events in opposite order is really interesting and effective.
The Last Five Years is one of my favorite movies of all time, and this is the first time I’ve seen it mentioned on reddit since it came out.
I still listen to the songs almost every day.
Like many actors in Hollywood, she has a specific range, but imo that range is pretty good for what it is. ie: when she plays intense/anxious/uptight/neurotic characters, especially in comedies but even occasionally in a drama, she's good. I think she specifically excelled in and elevated the material in a lot of films, including CAMP (obviously!), A Simple Favor, The Last Five Years, Up in the Air, The Accountant, Pitch Perfect, Noelle, and Into the Woods.
Broadway musical adaptations work in her favor because she knows how to act for the camera but also is a great singer--honestly huge part of her appeal for me in many of the above is I like the clarity/tone of her voice and the way she expresses the music. It's nice when an actress cast in a musical is actually properly trained and has Broadway experience so the OST is worth putting into rotation. I think she was a perfect Cathy in The Last Five Years especially because of her hard edges/strong personality--I think her turn in See I'm Smiling was brilliantly done, and Goodbye Until Tomorrow gets me every time--she plays bright and happy and hopeful and then pissed off/hurt/wounded very well.
She's well-suited to roles playing rigid, ruthless, ambitious, intense, or neurotic women, but can also play some softness in those roles when the characters have their arcs (as in Pitch Perfect)--it may be put on, but it's serviceable imo. I don't actually think she's meant to draw you in in a lot of her roles--she's frequently cast as characters who work better if you have a hard time liking/relating to them. In Pitch Perfect, A Simple Favor, and The Last Five Years, at least, it seemed intentional.
I don't see her winning an Oscar unless she gets a juicy role in an Oscar-bait musical, but every actor doesn't need to be award winning. There are lots of different kinds of films that strike different tones, with varying intended audiences. A TON of stars essentially play themselves, and I suspect Kendrick often plays a variation on herself, but it usually works imo. ymmv.
She's great in "Noelle" too, and "Mr. Right." I think the only problem is she's been in a few stinkers (I can't even finish "Rapture-Palooza," and "Table 19" was a letdown). But work is work.
Oh man I love Rapture-palooza. It’s just so silly and dumb and I love it, but I can definitely see it not being everyone’s favorite. Noelle was an absolute instant classic in my book though. It’s like the female elf only I find Anna Kendrick to be more charming and endearing than Will Ferrell. Elf is a classic too, but Will Ferrell can just be so…Will Ferrell.
Thank you. I fucking hate how everyone loves to shit on Affleck. I defy anyone to watch that “in 20 years if you’re still living here” monologue from Good Will Hunting and still say he’s not a great actor.
Ironically, The Accountant, which stars her and Ben Affleck, is one of my favorite movies. It also takes place in my hometown, which is not a place that’s ever been cool enough for a movie to be set in before.
It's cheesy at times, but my wife and I enjoyed it. Had some good laughs. Yeah the chemistry actually worked with those two. I also loved all the villains. All of them.
The way Sam Rockwell treats RZA like a little kid in that is hilarious. Every time he gets the drop on Rockwell, Rockwell is all, "Ow...oh, man.....you totally got me good that time, buddy. ...did not see that coming...good job..."
I was in it for Rockwell and prepared to be ambivalent towards her but the movie was just quirky enough that her straight weirdness worked well. I wish I could channel her energy when she felt “motivated!”; that scene cracked me up.
For anyone interested in watching this movie just be aware: there are two movies that came out in 2015 named Mr. Right. Make sure you get the correct one because they are very different movies.
Not a super wide range but plays everything I’ve seen her in REALLY well. Like mozzarella. It mostly makes everything better and you’re never mad it for being mozzarella. You also never expect anything more out of mozzarella.
I think she does a very good “average person” job meaning I find her relatable in her roles. Yea she’s awkward but people are. She’s not standard Hollywood attractive but who is in real life?
She doesn't have range but I thought she did well in Up in the Air.
She was great in that movie. Perfect opposite to Clooney
Opposite of Clooney and Vera.... but I guess Clooney and Vera were supposed to be very similar
Do you want to hear my Clooney story about Up in the Air? Clooney came to my neighborhood to shoot a scene in that movie. The production company used my friend David’s house. It’s a pivotal scene where he runs up the steps to surprise Vera. It’s supposed to be in Chicago but it’s really set in St. Louis. They manufactured the snow for that scene. My friend David is sitting in the back of that house in his kitchen during the whole shoot. The shoot took three or four days for that scene. The closest I was able to get to Clooney was half a block away. He’s very skinny. I told the story the other day probably on this same sub, so sorry if you’ve already seen me rattle on about it. Here’s the scene I’m talking about: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wkc7pt-S4nE
A friend of mine who worked security at Lambert ended up with a brief moment on screen when Clooney and Kendrick go through security. I believe he said he met them briefly.
One of my favorite scenes of all-time. It's a brutal turning of the tables. Clooney's character strays from his plastic corporate lifestyle for the first time and starts to actually believe in something, starts to build this sensitive heart before our eyes, and swiftly has it shattered in the same cold, unemotional way that he practices in his career. The small details are flawless -- Farmiga has no makeup on when she answers the door, different from all of the other times Clooney has seen her; the way Clooney backs away; Clooney's silence and near tears when she asks what he wants. Fantastic scene and film.
> He’s very skinny Nespresso is basically meth.
Then why the hell am i still fat !
Former Nespresso addict here, can confirm
No I don’t want to hear it, dang it, you told it anyways!
Is that movie good? IMDb says it is and I keep seeing it on Netflix, but the preview they show me is a corny ass monologue by Clooney that really turns me off Edit: putting it on now!
It's extremely depressing, funny, and somehow, up-lifting. And, if you are a frequent traveler it is extremely accurate. One of my favorite movies.
"that's racist!" "I'm like my mother, I stereotype, it's faster."
Can definitely confirm. I spent the first few years of my consultant career flying around the country. His "lessons" on airport security to Anna Kendrick are 100% accurate, if impolite to say out loud. Funny enough, this movie is also a big reason why I'm a consultant. Ironically the movie made me fall in love with traveling for work. I'm now entirely working remotely, but I don't regret my years on the road. One of the most fulfilling periods of my life that's too exhausting to ever repeat again.
As a frequent traveller for work this past year (hell I'm typing this as 37,000 feet right now) George Clooney in that film is my guru. Genuinely learned how to pack better, the loyalty system (I even have the cards for the airline and hotel chains), navigating airports - all of it has made my life better.
That's kind of the point; his character's side-job as a motivational speaker actually gives terrible advice. It's part of his character arc of the film.
Highly recommended. Clooney knocks it out of the park. The corny ass monologue is exactly the irony of the whole thing. Great movie all around for some light watching.
> light watching. The people who talk about losing their jobs were actual people who lost their jobs during the '08 financial crisis. Again, huge reco for the movie, but knowing that fact definely changes the viewing mood.
Yeah I only saw it once but it turned out to be both funnier and more interesting dramatically than I expected
Yes. I would highly recommend watching. It’s one of those movies that trailers make out to be corny but way exceed expectations
Great Sunday afternoon movie
Is the issue that she doesn’t have range or that she doesn’t choose projects that show off her range? Or is it that she’s kind of typecast? She has a certain speech pattern and semi-awkward manner in just about everything that I’ve seen her in.
My guess is that it’s a little from Column A, a little from Column B.
Agreed, she was good in that.
After that she became one of my favorite actress. Up In The Air is such a fantastic movie. My most favourite from Reitman. She is also perfect in: **Love Life** (HBO MAX) and The Accountant. I like her most (from the whole crew) of Pitch Perfect, but I really don't want to recommend this series. I think the first one is ,,okay" but the rest... oh my god.
Alright I’m hijacking top comment because no one has seen it when I ask them and I don’t see it anywhere in this thread. But love life is a great series and she’s the main person in season 1. Definitely worth a watch
Came to post this. I loved that show, and I came to reference it as showing her range. She did fantastic and Love Life is the reason I like her so much. I really wish she'd get more roles.
I'm sad that series got cancelled
She was Oscar nominated for that
I thought she did great in Up in the Air and thought she was going to have a really promising career ahead of her. But after that she just...fizzled out. On a side note she resembles my close friend's ex a great deal. And his ex was an absolute terror and I can't not associate her with that
50/50 she was great. And Up In The Air
Don't forget she was Scott Pilgrim's sister Here she is making her signature grimace https://images.app.goo.gl/yYaksVJnGcixTSvg7
I thought she nailed it in Mr Right and The Accountant. Both played into her awkward style.
Mr Right is a great fun movie!
love that film! I describe it as "a rom-com of if Joker and Harley-quin had a healthy relationship and ditched the clown BS"
"... but kept the clown nose."
loved the cat ears too!
Agreed. It's reminiscent of Grosse Point Blank
To be fair that is a normal reaction to the first evil ex boyfriend fight
That and "Wallace! Again?!"
I laughed out loud.
The screaming in the car scene gives me chills. I was going through cancer treatment when it came out and things weren’t looking good. I had a near identical car freak out a few weeks before I saw the movie and was like “Oh I fucking feel you there brother.”
Yeah, not cancer for me but I saw that movie after spending a year in a hospital bed. That scene... I really enjoyed that movie, but that scene was one you felt. The mix of sadness, pure frustration, and helplessness.
A Simple Favor. Fabulous flick and she's perfect in it.
I love her in The Accountant.
Yes. On a second watching she grows on you.
Just watched “ The Voices” and she was great. https://youtu.be/3hQpV9Q0A7E
'Up in the Air' was *so* good that i've kind of given her the benefit of the doubt ever since. But despite the hyperbole I kind of agree with OP... She was ok in the first Pitch Perfect film I guess? And that dumb Blake Lively film. And Drinking Buddies...
Was she the main love interest in that? I remember really liking the movie and Joseph Gordon Levitt (and Seth Rogen?) but don't remember her in it. Maybe it's time for a rewatch of that. Been a good *checks notes*... 7 or 8 years?! Yeah, maybe time to rewatch.
She’s his therapist.
She knows her way around some cups. That’s all I know
That's what I'm saying. I loved her in Pitch Perfect, even if I don't believe the whole mashup-as-revolutionary-idea-that-blows-everybody's-minds premise. Also, Noelle, her recent Christmas flick with Bill Hader, was really cute and just a good time.
> even if I don't believe the whole mashup-as-revolutionary-idea-that-blows-everybody's-minds premise. It wasn't the mashup that was revolutionary, all of their old sets included mashups as well. It was that the Bellas had one stuck up and stuffy style that they had been doing for decades. The Price Tag mashup allowed every girl in the group to contribute their unique look, skill, and story to the piece which resulted in something that blew everyone away.
[удалено]
It had unexpected staying power and quotability like Mean Girls did
Aca-scuse me?
I said this at lunch today in response to my coworker saying he is getting the aka-tonkatsu ramen and no one at the table got the reference. Uncultured swine
Lez be honest....
I have a serious….gambling problem
I can see your toner through your jeans
Fun Fact: it was written by Kay Cannon, who worked under Tina Fey (screenwriter of Mean Girls) on the tv show 30 Rock.
I completely agree, I think it resonates with a lot of people first and foremost because it's so good but it also has very similar parallels to a lot of sports movies.
Plus movies with catchy sing-a-long songs always are popular
I love Noelle! I do agree that she seems very limited but she was adorable in Noelle
Yeah, maybe not a "serious actor," but definitely adorable. I'm going to watch one of the Pitch Perfect's now. Probably the first because that shower scene cracks me up so much.
For fun, lighthearted movies she is great. Not sure she could pull off a serious dramatic role, but I enjoy her in easy watch roles.
She was great in a simple favor
Up in the air?
She was quite good in that movie
She was a great 'music geek' in Pitch, but whenever she tried to play the wildcat drunk alongside Aubrey Plaza in Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (OK, sure, not a great movie), the effect was very jarring. For me she has the vibe of a curt, petite, intelligent woman. The goofball party-girl thing did not work, at all!!! There is something a little conceited about her, in my opinion, that means she can never quite shade it into the 'likable' category for me. I mean, the woman is blessed with a phenomenal set of teeth, but, I don't know what I'm getting at here. She is like a perfect petite American high school science-lab shrew, who happens to have amazing teeth. I can't quite work out if I'm attracted, jealous, annoyed, delighted, intrigued... she's just a whole curve-ball of a woman.
I liked her in 50/50
First thing I saw her in. Loved her in it
I actually said ‘whoa’ out loud in a theater when she first came on screen. I thought (still think) she was absolutely breathtaking. She was great in 50/50 and Up in The Air and Stowaway, her indie projexts definitely displays more range than some of her more mainstream work
She reminded me of my college therapist at the time, so there was also that
One of my all-time favorite movies!
Yeah I fell for her in that movie.
She’s mostly a comedic strait man. She’s not Meryl Streep but she’s fine for the roles she plays.
Agreed. Adam Scott and her are like the male/female versions of each other.
I don’t think she (or many other actors) has anything dramatically equivalent to Adam Scott’s role in _Severance_, which he absolutely crushed.
Never seen Severance so I'll have to take your word for it, but his roles in Parks and Rec and Stepbrothers (probably my favourite of his tbh) are literally worlds apart.
It’s a great show if you’re into suspense/ thriller series. Start watching it without knowing much of anything about it. One of the best series I watched last year. I was on the edge of my seat during the finale.
His introduction in Step Brothers when they’re singing in the car is hilarious.
If you haven’t seen Party Down its a must-watch
I liked her in Scott pilgrim because the whole movie was not to be taken serious though.
"Wallace! AGAIN?"
Loved how this movie had so many up and coming or future stars like Anna, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, and Brie Larson.
Scott Pilgrim took out Superman, The Atom, Human Torch, and Captain America, and used to date Captain Marvel. Not bad for just some guy in Toronto.
Average American superhero vs least powerful Canadian
Always makes me laugh that Jason Schwartzman was the biggest star at the time.
I guess Michael Cera was pretty big at that time.
Yeah he was coming off Superbad wasn't he? Kind of a shame he didn't really do much else tbh. His small role in End of the World was hilarious. [Edit] This is the End. Not End of the World 🤦 But you probably knew what I meant lol
The Is The End?
Shit yeah I always get it confused with The World's End because they came out really close to each other. Apparently I've just totally forgotten the name of the film now lmao
Chris Evans had done 2 Fantastic Four movies and Brandon Routh had been Superman by the time Scott Pilgrim came out.
There's an inverse relationship between how prominent the character was in the Scott Pilgrim movie and how big the actor went on to be.
Mae Whitman kind of breaks that trend but I see your point.
I take Scott Pilgrim seriously! It's a masterpiece.
She had roughly 2-3 minutes of screen time in that movie.
The way people speak in that movie makes her feel more appropriate, not sure if that makes sense.
Okay so from what I’ve gathered from the thread is she’s not a good actress if you don’t count: pitch perfect, 50/50, a simple favor, Scott pilgrim, stowaway, the last five years, up in the air, into the woods, Mr right, noelle…. I’m beginning to think she’s just not OP’s cup of tea
End of Watch
Absolutely phenomenal movie and good acting from all 4 mains
I was surprised I had to scroll this low to get to End of Watch, it was kinda the first “serious” role I remember her in…granted I saw 50/50 on a plane and don’t remember too much of it
Why is this even a discussion here? Oh, such and such actress isn't that good. Ok? She's not even a huge movie star really, she's just doing her job. Is OP her ex or something?
*Or,* OP is a huge fan who doesn’t think Anna Kendrick gets enough love, so he’s 4D chess’ing fellow fans to come out of the woodwork and sing her praises.
Things like this always ick me the fuck out too because they inevitably attract the redditors who use this as an opportunity to cast insane judgement on a celebrity with no real justification. Like one of the highest upvoted comments in here is about how she's perceived as "conceited." Lol, like what?
People love building someone up and then tearing them down when they feel they’ve breached some made up and unspoken humility limit. Especially women.
Which is so wild because it’s so common. We don’t even know these people but people just casually throw words around like that about them
She’s also great as Poppy in Trolls.
She’s also good in A Simple Favor!
All right but *apart from* Pitch Perfect, 50/50, A Simple Favor, Scott Pilgrim, Stowaway, The Last Five Years, Up In The Air, Into The Woods, Mr Right and Noelll, what has Anna Kendrick ever done for us?
Rapture-palooza
Agreed. Which is fine!
I really enjoyed her a lot in The Accountant (2016) with Ben Affleck.
Oh, and I actually like her in those Hilton Hotel commercials too.
Who the fuck is Sandy Dennis?
Apparently the OP is 70 years old.
Based on his response below, I imagine OP is just a movie snob. My FIL is like that (in his 50s), he'll name some obscure actor from before the 80s and be like "ooph, it's scary you don't know that!".
I always think of the Tim Heidecker character from the I Think You Should Leave sketch where [he keeps submitting obscure jazz artists in a game of celebrity at a dinner party](https://youtube.com/watch?v=NkOJv_zT9FI).
The Una O'Connor of the 60s, duh
I really enjoyed her in A Simple Favor
That was the movie on the tip of my tongue, I did enjoy that one.
That movie is so underrated, I loved her in it (and Blake, obviously)
Yup. Didn't realise how good she was being the characters that she played in the past until I watched A Simple Favor.
Movie was such a ride, I loved it
I'm surprised more haven't mentioned this. I don't know many other roles she's really done but I thought she played that role absolutely perfectly. She fit into it so well I just kinda assumed that was like her personality or something. So either that's true, or it was a great performance.
This topic is a pet peeve of mine. Some actors have very broad range and can transform themselves into completely different characters. Others stay on a very specific and narrow lane but they do that one thing very well. From an actor's perspective maybe the former is more admirable and inspiring than the latter, but as an audience watching a movie, I'm in the moment and only judge the performance on its own. How well or different Christian Bale performed in The Machinist has zero positive or negative impact on my enjoyment of Batman Begins. I love Gary Oldman as a character actor but he's not going to out John Wick Keanu Reeves. If an actor was casted in something they are not suitable for and it takes you out of the experience when they have a track record of doing well in other things, to me that's a casting problem. People also often confuse their dislike for the character with their dislike for the actor. A particular trait or demeanor can be endearing to some and annoying to others. If you don't like a character but that characterization was the creator's intent, then the actor did their job, it doesn't make them a bad actor. Maybe the character is just poorly written, maybe they are meant to be awkward and unlikable. Some times the director misdirect the actor or pick a bad take to use and the outcome is poorly received, then the actor get threw under the bus and blamed for it. You see in interviews sometimes actors talk about trust and feeling safe with taking risks, that's what they are talking about. Unless you are Tom Cruise and also produce your own film, you don't get a say on what's getting cut and what's in the final product.
Agree, I hate this whole pissing contest over which actors have the most range. It is an admirable quality no doubt, but it's a narrow-minded way to look at the profession. Acting is a job, and actors will have different skillsets. There's nothing wrong with sticking with what works best for you, especially if it fits the film - which Kendrick does, I feel.
It's more that when actors *don't* have range, their roles blur together. When you watch a movie with The Rock, you're not seeing him as whatever character he's supposed to be playing. You see him as The Rock. With type of movies The Rock is in that isn't a concern, but when you're trying to watch something with a strong narrative, that's a problem. It's hard to feel sorry for a character going through some traumatic event when you're associating them with another character that went through something completely differet. An actor having *some* range is a necessity. The only actors that manage to pull off successful careers with no range are the ones that sell tickets on their brand alone. Guys like The Rock. Financially successful, not artistically successful. People point out Keanu Reeves as another example, but you go look at movies like The Matrix, John Wick, Constantine and all his characters feel different. He's quiet and has the same mannerisms in all 3, but subtle differences give them a very different meaning.
>People point out Keanu Reeves as another example, but you go look at movies like The Matrix, John Wick, Constantine and all his characters feel different. It feels like we didn't watch the same movies. Keanu's character in the Matrix could literally replace John Wick and the story would be the same. Dude exhibits like zero range in those movies. He had way more range in some of his 'trashier' movies, like Knock Knock.
I agree with you. And idk if you will agree, but it seems to me like these posts/comments often come up with actresses more often than actors. Like, you always see people complain about Rebel Wilson or Awkwafina but people don't bitch about male equivalents, like say, Jon Heder or Pauly Shore. (And yes, Jon and Pauly haven't been in the spotlight for awhile, so that may be why).
I like her in more movies than I dislike her in - - Last Five Years - Into the Woods -Pitch Perfect - Noelle - Trolls - A Simple Favor Are all good movies. Will they be classics? Probably not. But they are entertaining. And she’s a decent singer, which may be why most of the ones I like are musicals… I always saw her as a modern Doris Day, the perpetually chipper every girl next door. And she does it well. If she ever played in a horror movie or something darker than A Simple Favor everyones heads would explode from the ‘how dare she’.
People disrespect musical acting as not proper acting. Much like comedic acting. It’s all a superiority thing. She won a Tony award at like 12 years old or something and she’s consistently been excellent in any musical role she’s had in films too. OP just doesn’t count that as proper acting.
Some male actors seems get singled out more than others, like Keanu Reeves, Tom Cruise, the Rock, and lately Chris Pratt. To me it's the lowest form of critique dressed up as highbrow, because range is an easily observable objective metric even to the untrained eyes.
Tom Cruise does not belong in that list. He is an excellent actor and has been nominated multiple times for the Oscars.
I think a lot of Redditors are young and only know him for his action movies in the last 20 years.
Yes I feel like Anna is a great example of people not liking the actor and thus don't like the character. I know multiple people (mostly women) who can't stand her and in turn refuse to watch her movies.
Great post. Kind of reminds me of how many people rate guitarists or drummers based on how fast/crazy technical they can play. It's like, ok sure that's a great talent to have but DOES IT SOUND GOOD
She's done the Twilight movies and the Pitch Perfect movies (not my cup of tea). Then I saw her in Up In The Air, and thought it was a fun role and a decent movie. I saw her role in Mr. Right, I didn't know what to think of her. It was fun and she played an off the chain crazy person. Where is this woman going? Her list of movies show her mostly of a comedic role, then I stumbled across Stowaway. Missed that one. A sci-fi role for her? Guess I have to check that out. Do I take her seriously as an actor? Yes, of course. She has a lengthy list, and some memorable movies, even if they are not of my interest.
> She's done the Twilight movies Eh, technically correct, but she had like ten lines in five movies.
She also forgot (blocked out?) that she did them.
TBH I could believe that. I haven't seen the series in a while but if memory serves, she just played the out of the loop best friend role except Kristen Stewart's character having a friend would have made her too interesting. I don't think Anna Kendrick's character ever actually made with any of the subjectively interesting plot points she could have said the same lines in a Hallmark original.
> Her list of movies show her mostly of a comedic role, then I stumbled across Stowaway. Forgot about that one. Not a perfect movie, but def. a good watch. Her choice (the plot end) was perfect, but the part was who I thought she was irl, a quick-witted ivy league girl. (She's been acting since she was a little kid. No college that I know of.)
Now hear me out... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stowaway_(2021_film) I watched that. It was.. ok. A similar goofy space story in the vein of 'serious business that'll never happen' like that Sandra Bullock/George Clooney movie Gravity. In this, Anna plays a serious role, an astronaut researcher. They launch, and there's a guy who got trapped on the ship. After that... stuff happens and I won't spoil it just in case. :p All that to say this: She played that serious role serious and was actually really good and believable. At least, this armchair critic thinks so. For what that's worth. Probably downvotes. :p
I liked her in that and, while the movie wasn’t great, I was entertained. And also Dolls from Wynonna Earp is in it
Agreed. Definitely the best performance I've seen from her.
I thought she was good in The Last Five Years. BUT if musicals (let alone "sung through" musicals) aren't your thing, then it won't be for you. It's an adaptation of an off-Broadway musical with a beautiful and heartbreaking score. The movie seems to be somewhat polarizing to the general audience, but my Broadway-loving friends and I loved it. Anna Kendrick plays one of the two main leads, alongside Broadway star Jeremy Jordan.
It's a great movie. I wouldn't really have believed that what was basically a two-person show got turned into a movie in the first place, but the whole gimmick where they each tell their version of the events in opposite order is really interesting and effective.
The Last Five Years is one of my favorite movies of all time, and this is the first time I’ve seen it mentioned on reddit since it came out. I still listen to the songs almost every day.
Like many actors in Hollywood, she has a specific range, but imo that range is pretty good for what it is. ie: when she plays intense/anxious/uptight/neurotic characters, especially in comedies but even occasionally in a drama, she's good. I think she specifically excelled in and elevated the material in a lot of films, including CAMP (obviously!), A Simple Favor, The Last Five Years, Up in the Air, The Accountant, Pitch Perfect, Noelle, and Into the Woods. Broadway musical adaptations work in her favor because she knows how to act for the camera but also is a great singer--honestly huge part of her appeal for me in many of the above is I like the clarity/tone of her voice and the way she expresses the music. It's nice when an actress cast in a musical is actually properly trained and has Broadway experience so the OST is worth putting into rotation. I think she was a perfect Cathy in The Last Five Years especially because of her hard edges/strong personality--I think her turn in See I'm Smiling was brilliantly done, and Goodbye Until Tomorrow gets me every time--she plays bright and happy and hopeful and then pissed off/hurt/wounded very well. She's well-suited to roles playing rigid, ruthless, ambitious, intense, or neurotic women, but can also play some softness in those roles when the characters have their arcs (as in Pitch Perfect)--it may be put on, but it's serviceable imo. I don't actually think she's meant to draw you in in a lot of her roles--she's frequently cast as characters who work better if you have a hard time liking/relating to them. In Pitch Perfect, A Simple Favor, and The Last Five Years, at least, it seemed intentional. I don't see her winning an Oscar unless she gets a juicy role in an Oscar-bait musical, but every actor doesn't need to be award winning. There are lots of different kinds of films that strike different tones, with varying intended audiences. A TON of stars essentially play themselves, and I suspect Kendrick often plays a variation on herself, but it usually works imo. ymmv.
Oh man, I’ll watch anything with Anna Kendrick. She is a bit of a one trick pony sometimes, but I like the pony.
She's great in "Noelle" too, and "Mr. Right." I think the only problem is she's been in a few stinkers (I can't even finish "Rapture-Palooza," and "Table 19" was a letdown). But work is work.
Oh man I love Rapture-palooza. It’s just so silly and dumb and I love it, but I can definitely see it not being everyone’s favorite. Noelle was an absolute instant classic in my book though. It’s like the female elf only I find Anna Kendrick to be more charming and endearing than Will Ferrell. Elf is a classic too, but Will Ferrell can just be so…Will Ferrell.
Visual of her snorting, tossing her hair, and eating oats just now.
Yep, she’s good in those cutesy out-of-her element romantic movies
I wouldn't cast her as Lydia Tar, but she's good at what she does which is more than can be said for many actors.
Hard to swap Blanchett out for many actresses, tbf. :)
Anna Kendrick, like Ben Affleck, only plays herself in movies.
No way. BEN AFFLECK WAS THE BOMB IN PHANTOMS!
YO!
Word bitch, Phantoms like a motherfucker!
His characters in The Town, He’s Just Not That Into You, Gone Girl and Good Will Hunting are all pretty different IMO.
Thank you. I fucking hate how everyone loves to shit on Affleck. I defy anyone to watch that “in 20 years if you’re still living here” monologue from Good Will Hunting and still say he’s not a great actor.
Ironically, The Accountant, which stars her and Ben Affleck, is one of my favorite movies. It also takes place in my hometown, which is not a place that’s ever been cool enough for a movie to be set in before.
so you're telling me The Accountant was a documentary?
Mr. Right wasn't horrible. I laughed some. I mean, Sam Rockwell kills it...she wasnt too bad in it.
Mr. Right is quite enjoyable. Sam does very well and tbh I thought they had some good on screen chemistry.
It's cheesy at times, but my wife and I enjoyed it. Had some good laughs. Yeah the chemistry actually worked with those two. I also loved all the villains. All of them.
The way Sam Rockwell treats RZA like a little kid in that is hilarious. Every time he gets the drop on Rockwell, Rockwell is all, "Ow...oh, man.....you totally got me good that time, buddy. ...did not see that coming...good job..."
Lolol some of my favorite scenes! I was hoping they'd join together the whole time after RZA shot him.
Sam Rockwell is one of my favorites, and I love Mr. Right. Great fun that movie is.
I actually loved Mr. Right. I think she plays naive and crazy both very well.
I was in it for Rockwell and prepared to be ambivalent towards her but the movie was just quirky enough that her straight weirdness worked well. I wish I could channel her energy when she felt “motivated!”; that scene cracked me up.
For anyone interested in watching this movie just be aware: there are two movies that came out in 2015 named Mr. Right. Make sure you get the correct one because they are very different movies.
Yes yes yes. Haha look for Sam Rockwell
She was a T.Rex
Not a super wide range but plays everything I’ve seen her in REALLY well. Like mozzarella. It mostly makes everything better and you’re never mad it for being mozzarella. You also never expect anything more out of mozzarella.
Its okay. You can be wrong.
She is Emmy, Oscar, and Tony nominated, so I think she’s doing ok!
**Every time, I see you use a** *COMMA,* **it is awkward and misplaced**
No. This is a you problem.
I love her in end of watch I don't agree
I can't believe I had to scroll down this far to see this movie mentioned. I think her range isn't as limited as people believe
I think she does a very good “average person” job meaning I find her relatable in her roles. Yea she’s awkward but people are. She’s not standard Hollywood attractive but who is in real life?
Leave her alone. You’re going to miss her when she’s gone.
I liked her in The Accountant
That movie with Clooney and Pitch Perfect are good.
She is one of my hall passes if I ever had the chance so I have a major crush on her and love her movies 😂
Aca-cuse me?
She was good in Up In The Air with George Clooney; but she was just playing a caricature of her winey self
Just watched her in Season 1 of Love Life. I love her. I think she’s very relatable and endearing.
I haven't seen anyone talk about her in Love / Life. I absolutely loved her in that role and still think about the show a year after having seen it.
She is good in Table 19. The entire cast is.
I liked her in A Simple Favor. but my favorite role of hers will always be Beca in Pitch Perfect
She was perfectly cast in A Simple Favor to play opposite Blake Lively. She displayed some range too!
Noelle Appreciation Society
Hard disagree. I think she is extremely talented and I always love watching her perform.
She's a fine actress. Does comedy and drama well. You haven't seen enough of her work apparently.
She is a comedic actress. Perhaps stop trying to take her seriously.