Underrated Performances/Breakthrough Performances

[FilmBuff84]

I know this has probably already been a topic but is there a particular performance or performances that you though was underrated. Or a performance that you saw as a breakthrough for a particular actor or actress.

Underrated
Sean Penn - U Turn
Jennifer Lopez - U Turn / The Cell
Jennifer Aniston - Rock Star
Michelle Pfeiffer - The Story Of Us
Brittany Murphy - Girl, Interrupted
Neve Campbell - Scream series
Dean Cain - Broken Hearts Club
Julia Stiles - O

That's all I can think of

Breakthrough
Scott Caan - Varsity Blues
Dean Cain - Broken Hearts Club
Julia Stiles - 10 Things I Hate About You / Save The Last Dance
Mark Wahlberg - Boogie Nights
Christina Ricci - Mermaids / The Opposite Of Sex
Kirsten Dunst - Interview With The Vampire / Crazy/Beautiful

[urbanlegend23]

I believe Wahlberg's breakthrough was far before Boogie Nights..he was in The Basketball Diaries 1995 and Fear in 1996.


UNDERRATED
Jared Leto for Requiem for a Dream
All of Jennifer Connelly's performances before A Beautiful Mind
Marlon Wayans for Requiem for a Dream
John Leguizamo for Moulin Rouge
Richard Roxburgh for Moulin Rouge
Tim Robbins for The Shawshank Redemption
Bob Gunton for The Shawshank Redemption
All of Scott Glenn's performances (bar Vertical Limit - he was horrible!!)
Edward Furlong for American History X
All of Fairuza Balk's work is underrated
Stellan Skarsgard for Breaking the Waves
Nick Stahl for In the Bedroom
Zhang Ziyi for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Chang Chen for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Laura Linney for The Truman Show
Rose McGowan for Scream
Liv Tyler for LOTR: FOTR

BREAKTHROUGH
Harry Potter kids
Wes Bentley for American Beauty
Edward Furlong for Detroit Rock City and American History X
Kate Hudson for Almost Famous
Billy Crudup for Almost Famous
Julia Stiles for 10 Things I Hate About You/Hamlet
Carrie Anne-Moss for The Matrix

[Strider]

Underrated:

Jennifer Lopez - Out of Sight
Zhang Ziyi - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Tim Robbins - The Shawshank Redemption
Tim Robbins - Arlington Road
Jeff Bridges - Arlington Road
Joan Cusack - Arlington Road
Johnny Depp - Edward Scissorhands
Guy Pearce - L.A. Confidential
Keanu Reeves - The Matrix
Marisa Tomei - My Cousin Vinny
Chow Yun Fat - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Michelle Yeoh - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon


Breakthough:

Renee Zellweger - Bridget Jones's Diary
Guy Pearce - L.A. Confidential
Carrie Ann Moss - The Matrix
Marisa Tomei - My Cousin Vinny
Kirsten Dunst - Bring It On
Benicio Del Toro - Traffic
Jennifer Lopez - Selena
Guy Pearce - Memento


Strider

[ColinM]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by urbanlegend23:
UNDERRATED
John Leguizamo for Moulin Rouge
Richard Roxburgh for Moulin Rouge
Bob Gunton for The Shawshank Redemption
Laura Linney for The Truman Show
Liv Tyler for LOTR: FOTR
</font>

Great choices here, especially Roxburgh and Gunton. Gunton was Oscar-worthy in Shawshank, but didn't get much recognition. Roxburgh played the Duke perfectly, and it was a lot more challenging a role than people seem to think.

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCES:
Humphrey Bogart - The Petrified Forest
Peter Lorre - M
Sydney Greenstreet - The Maltese Falcon

(I love Casablanca! http://www.joblo.com/ubb/wink.gif )

[notchjohnson]

Underrated

John Leguizamo in Summer Of Sam
Jennifer Lopez in Out of Sight, The Cell, and Selena
Terrence Stamp in The Limey
Barry Pepper in We Were Soilders
Vincent Dinofrio in The Cell
Mike Myers in 54
Leo Dicaprio in This Boy's Life
Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Almost Famous
Steve Zahn in Joy Ride
Colin Farrel in Tigerland
Jamie Foxx in ALI
Ed Harris in Enemy At The Gates

[This message has been edited by notchjohnson (edited 03-11-2002).]

[Hannibal21]

UNDERRATED:
Zhang Ziyi - Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Ewan McGregor - Moulin Rouge
Nick Stahl - In the Bedroom
Edward Furlong - American History X
Wes Bentley - American Beauty
Chris Cooper - American Beauty
Thora Birch in ANYTHING
Brittany Murphy in ANYTHING
Christina Ricci in The Ice Storm
Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady
Philip Seymour Hoffman in ANYTHING

BREAKTHROUGH:
Guy Pearce in L.A. Confidential
Leonardo Dicaprio in This Boy's Life
Wes Bentley in American Beauty
Nicole Kidman in To Die For
Jennifer Connelly in Requiem for a Dream
Kirsten Dunst in Interview with the Vampire
Hilary Swank in Boys Don't Cry (God, has everyone forgotten about her?)

[Grebdron]

Originally posted by Strider
Underrated:

Marisa Tomei - My Cousin Vinny


Under-rated? Ummmm, she won an OSCAR. I'd say that's at least rated.

[Jerk Shapiro]

Guy Pearce: L.A Confidential

Underrated and Breakthrough


Why'd he blow it with The Time Machine, why?