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Post by pacinoyes on Jun 29, 2019 19:19:31 GMT
Both uniquely American actors, both can do comedy and drama and they've done performances where they had to hit "one tone" and sustain it (Starman, Forrest Gump, Fearless, maybe the upcoming Mr. Rogers film (Hanks)).
Who is your pick of these two actors?
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Post by stephen on Jun 29, 2019 19:22:19 GMT
This one was much, much tougher than it had any right to be.
Bridges has more performances I adore (The Big Lebowski, True Grit, Hell or High Water, Bad Times at the El Royale) but Hanks definitely has the edge when it comes to the quality of the projects he's in, and like Bridges, he is deceptively low-key and incredibly generous... until he steps up and reminds you why he has two Oscars. I'll give Hanks the edge, but ask me again in a couple minutes and I might switch.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jun 29, 2019 19:43:53 GMT
they're both wonderful but I give the slightest edge to Bridges.
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Post by Johnny_Hellzapoppin on Jun 29, 2019 19:47:55 GMT
I don't necessarily find either exceptional, but they are both great and more often than not are more watchable than a lot of actors I might think are better / more gifted. I feel both of them bring a level class to a project by their mere involvement. So, choosing between them...in recent years Jeff Bridges has been nailing it far more for me, but over the long haul I've been more of a Hanks fan. It's genuinely tough, but as Hanks probably has more performances I've loved, I'll give him the nod.
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Post by bob-coppola on Jun 29, 2019 20:49:40 GMT
Bridges and it's not even close.
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Post by wallsofjericho on Jun 29, 2019 21:13:22 GMT
Really tough and good comparison. I give the slight edge to Bridges but I did really have to think hard about this one.
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Post by countjohn on Jun 29, 2019 21:53:36 GMT
I've got to go with Hanks just because his peak performances are so great. Bridges is probably more versatile and might have a greater number of good performances, though.
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Post by stabcaesar on Jun 29, 2019 23:20:02 GMT
Bridges and it's not even close. This |
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Post by pacinoyes on Jun 30, 2019 0:31:53 GMT
One thing I love about Jeff Bridges - well two actually, is that first there is no model of an actor for him to copy. He's very much an American original and he doesn't sell a brand or follow a pattern - most big actors follow someone or more than one who preceded them.
The other thing I mentioned once before - in his 3 late career great roles - True Grit, Hell Or High Water and Bad Times....he plays characters that at first you laugh at and by the end he has won you over to something far more emotional and serious yet it's clearly the same character you laughed at. That's a very bold move and I'm not sure it's all in the script that way but rather the way how he has shaped the performance. The characters are all unique so he's not repeating himself but he is linking his characters to himself.......it's really quite a clever way to go about your performance and how much thought he's put into it.
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Post by stephen on Jun 30, 2019 0:46:38 GMT
One thing I love about Jeff Bridges - well two actually, is that first there is no model of an actor for him to copy. He's very much an American original and he doesn't sell a brand or follow a pattern - most big actors follow someone or more than one who preceded them. The other thing I mentioned once before - in his 3 late career great roles - True Grit, Hell Or High Water and Bad Times....he plays characters that at first you laugh at and by the end he has won you over to something far more emotional and serious yet it's clearly the same character you laughed at. That's a very bold move and I'm not sure it's all in the script that way but rather the way how he has shaped the performance. The characters are all unique so he's not repeating himself but he is linking his characters to himself.......it's really quite a clever way to go about your performance and how much thought he's put into it. I dunno, I see a lot of Robert Duvall in latter-day Bridges . . . |
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Post by wallsofjericho on Jun 30, 2019 1:23:18 GMT
One thing I love about Jeff Bridges - well two actually, is that first there is no model of an actor for him to copy. He's very much an American original and he doesn't sell a brand or follow a pattern - most big actors follow someone or more than one who preceded them. The other thing I mentioned once before - in his 3 late career great roles - True Grit, Hell Or High Water and Bad Times....he plays characters that at first you laugh at and by the end he has won you over to something far more emotional and serious yet it's clearly the same character you laughed at. That's a very bold move and I'm not sure it's all in the script that way but rather the way how he has shaped the performance. The characters are all unique so he's not repeating himself but he is linking his characters to himself.......it's really quite a clever way to go about your performance and how much thought he's put into it. I dunno, I see a lot of Robert Duvall in latter-day Bridges . . . I was thinking more Hackman. Both are always reliable (not that Duvall isn't) but can seamslessly adapt to more genres and make it look easy. |
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Post by DeepArcher on Jun 30, 2019 2:35:57 GMT
This is incredibly tough ... I’m going with Bridges who I think has higher highs and overall more versatility, though these two guys are two of the most lovable screen presences I know of. Great comparison.
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Post by jakesully on Jun 30, 2019 3:46:52 GMT
Bridges by quite a bit (but I do love me some Tom Hanks) . It's really just a testament to how great Bridges is.
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Post by jimmalone on Jun 30, 2019 11:23:05 GMT
Hanks by quite a margin. I like Bridges a lot, especially for his versatility, but Hanks' top-performances are just on a much higher level. As of right now I'd still pick Hanks as the best American actor of his generation.
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Post by TerryMontana on Jun 30, 2019 13:43:44 GMT
I love JB and many of his performances (Rooster Cogburn and the Dude are probably his best personas). But Hanks is the best actor of his generation so this is an easy one for me.
Hanks' best performances are far better than anyone's of his era: His acting in Forrest Gump, Philadelphia and SPR is a real work of art.
Some times he looks like he's repeating himself, yet his every performance is very different than the other (very much like what Nicholson did, for example).
Another thing I like about TH is that he's making serious projects for many years now: Since 2012, he's made at least 7 movies (without counting his Langdon films) inspired by or based on true events/real persons, working with great directors (Spielberg X2, Greengrass, Eastwood).
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Post by pacinoyes on Jun 30, 2019 15:31:50 GMT
Earlier I gave an example (or 2) of what I liked about Jeff Bridges so I figured I'd do a small analysis of things I like about Hanks to keep it fair - don't want to bias my own poll  I think I mentioned in the poetic actors thread that there's a Hanks scene in SPR where the squad come into a town and hear the anti-American propaganda over a loud speaker. The way he plays that scene is one of my favorite small acting moments - he's bemused, disgusted, angry, confused and it's all on his face. I would have never thought that would come out of Hanks but it is amazingly vivid and right. Another example is the ending of Captain Phillips etc. Sometimes Hanks can do that - where he can pull of an element of surprise within his choice - that's tough for an actor to do but he sometimes can and in his 60s it's fairly rare to have too - think of great American actors and see how much they surprised you in their 60s. It doesn't happen much - they maybe surprise you in the ROLE they are playing but within their acting choices and is different..........it happens significantly less so. |
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Post by Pittsnogle_Goggins on Jun 30, 2019 16:15:03 GMT
Both are great but Hanks definitely gets the edge for me. I thi is Hanks would pull off more of Bridges roles than vice versa (honestly The Dude is the only one I don’t think Hanks could play).
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Post by stephen on Jun 30, 2019 16:17:06 GMT
Another example is the ending of Captain Phillips etc. I want to compare this scene to the breakdown Bridges's character goes through after he takes the shot in Hell or High Water -- scenes that feel so visceral and seemingly come out of nowhere. Hanks's paralyzing shock and panic, versus Bridges's initial self-satisfied chuckle at taking down the mad dog, only to break down with the enormity of what had just happened: he took a man's life, at the cost of his friend's own. I am struggling to think of breakdowns that felt more real than these two. |
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