AFI: Colin Farrell, "Harbinger of Hope"
Saturday, November 9, 2013 at 9:02PM Even if this year's AFI Fest in Los Angeles proves to be entirely frontloaded -- I had such a ball on opening day with the Saving Mr Banks festivities -- the trip will have been worth it. My adventure began with an exclusive pre-screening cocktail party with the Saving Mr Banks team where I met Emma Th-- no, no, she gets her own post... I'm still processing that one! For now two quick tidbits about the men.
The men of SAVING MR BANKS (and Emma Thompson, its star)
Director John Lee Hancock, no longer The Rookie on his fourth picture, was standing tall and proud while we chatted over drinks. I don't mean that metaphorically but literally since he towered over me - so tall! Thoughnot intimidating, I must add, what with his warm smile, and alarmingly good manners. We were interrupted while he was telling a story which is so common at cocktail parties that you think nothing of it as the celebrity is whisked off to meet another well-wisher or member of the press. You certainly never expect to hear the ending of the anecdote but he sought me out later to finish it.
I couldn't resist asking The Blind Side director what he thought of Gravity. "My girl, Sandy!" he blurts out, the grin even grinnier. "I haven't seen it yet!" he adds with a touch of surprise and apology. He'll rectify that as soon as his press schedule for Saving Mr Banks lightens up. Next week, he hopes.
A few minutes later I had a brief chat with Colin Farrell, also in very good spirits but that's probably easy when your movie has Best Picture buzz. He plays the alcoholic father of the author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) in flashback, but it's a substantial role since the flashbacks run parallel to the A story of the making of Mary Poppins, a way of illuminating the author's deep personal attachment to her Poppins creations ("they're family") and why she's so hesistant to sell them to Walt Disney. In the Best Supporting Actor Oscar race Farrell is most likely to be overshadowed by Tom Hanks who gets the plum Disney role (or, as Hancock put it an hour later as he introduced his cast at the screening "an icon playing an icon") but I'm personally confident that one day Farrell will get the right role for the Academy to notice his gift (and not just his celebrity). I told him he'd make my list of Hollywood's Most Underappreciated to which he jokingly replied "I'd make my own list of most underappreciated!"
We ended the conversation reminiscing about his surprise Golden Globe win for In Bruges (2008). I tell him that's one of those rare deserving moments in awards history that pundits and cinephiles like me point too with 'anything is possible!' optimism. "I'M A HARBINGER OF HOPE!" he volleys back.
Reader Comments (11)
"I'd make my own list of most underappreciated!" -- That's a great line!
Oh, Colin. If he never gets another part as perfect for him as In Bruges, at least we'll have that. Love that you got to tell him.
AND now I'm realizing I loaned out my copy of In Bruges over a year ago (spreading the gospel) and have no idea to whom.
Lovely thoughts with Farrell. He should definitely received an Oscar nomination for In Bruges. And it is also one of the (increasingly) rare moments of the Globes pushing a great comedy to the limelight.
You should never pity someone who'll have opportunities other and more talented people in Hollywood will never receive. Hollywood grants men multiple chances to land with the public when clearly the public could give two shits. He's also hetero and white on top of his male privilege. Farrell not having an Oscar isn't a big deal to anyone but Colin Farrell.
Regarding the Best Supporting Actor possibility, don't count Colin Farrell out yet. Remember few years ago when everyone was expecting Jack Nicholson to be nominated for The Departed, Mark Wahlberg got the nod, which is actually a more deserving one than Jack Nicholson.
I love Emma Thompson so much! I recently watched on YouTube her speech at the Golden Globes when she won for Sense and Sensibility (writing) where she imagined what Jane Austen will say if she was there. It's so funny and adorable. I definitely recommend it to anyone who had not seen it. Looking forward to your piece about her.
What a wonderful recognition of Colin Farrell! Thank you, dear author, it's heartening to us long-time fans to read things like this. I will never understand how he was overlooked for In Bruges - the most endearing, lived in, layered portrayal of a complicated character I've ever seen. I hope you're wrong about his chances this year, but I fear you're not.
/3rtful -- oh trust me. No pitty is involved. He has a life most people could never even dream of. BUT we're grading on a curve here within the movie star world where they all have lives most people could only ever dream of and within that, yes, he is most definitely underappreciated :) "/DISCLAIMER"
Almaz - thanks
PJ -- people forget that about Emma since she disappeared for so long but she gives Meryl-quality speeaches at awards shows.
Mike in -- don't you hate that!
Wish I could personally tell Colin how happy I was with his GG win. Time to revisit 'Tigerland," in which he gave an equally good performance. So many great movies in his filmography!!!
So jealous that you got to meet Colin! I'm happy to see him making Oscar-quality films again and I hope it leads to more challenging roles.
Miss Thompson can STILL GET IT! Work it, bitch!
Mr. Farrell also is a very humble man. It's a job he takes pride in doing as best he can, but he has freely admitted in interview after interview that he's not "saving lives here" and is well aware and very humble about the things his job and success at it have allowed him to do. He also quietly does a great deal for his homeland, and organizations like the Special Olympics.
I think he's a hugely underrated actor, and apparently just a nice human being. I loved In Bruges, Ondine, Home at the End of the World, Total Recall, SWAT and think both Saving Mr. Banks and Winter's Tale (trailer looks AMAZINGLY beautiful) will be wonderful.