The most common Jack Nicholson impersonation is a wild-eyed, “Heeeere’s Johnny!” from The Shining. But Jack Nicholson has had one of the longest-running and most successful careers in Hollywood. Check out this cornucopia of Nicholson’s work to see just how versatile an actor he really is.
Chinatown (rated R, 4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $2.99 to rent and $9.99 to buy) – From IMDB:
JJ ‘Jake’ Gittes is a private detective who seems to specialize in matrimonial cases. He is hired by Evelyn Mulwray when she suspects her husband Hollis, builder of the city’s water supply system, of having an affair. Gittes does what he does best and photographs him with a young girl but in the ensuing scandal, it seems he was hired by an impersonator and not the real Mrs. Mulwray. When Mr. Mulwray is found dead, Jake is plunged into a complex web of deceit involving murder, incest and municipal corruption all related to the city’s water supply. Written by garykmcd
Five Easy Pieces (rated R, 4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $9.99 to buy) – One Amazon reviewer says:
Jack Nicholson is a wonderful actor, but since the early 1970s, virtually all of his performances have been variations of Jack playing Jack. This is not to say that he has not been terrific doing this, but there is a distinct impression that there hasn’t been much of a stretch in his acting since Chinatown. Not so with Five Easy Pieces – Nicholson completely loses himself in the character of Bobby Dupee, and gives what is arguably his best performance ever. What’s more, the film, which opened in 1970, depicts better than any other film the alienation of the generation of the late 1960s-early 1970s. Nicholson’s Bobby Dupee is a talented classical musician who comes from a family of talented classical musicians. He has, however, chosen to deny his past by living (one might almost say “hiding”) with his girl friend, Rayette (a terrific Karen Black) among blue collar workers. The bulk of the film centers on Bobby’s return home to visit his father, who has suffered a stroke, and the interaction of Bobby (and Rayette) with various members of the household. Nicholson’s acting talent was never more apparent than in the scene where he is out walking with his wheel-chair bound father and tries to explain why he has chosen the path he has taken. The scene has an improvisational quality, and Nicholson is both natural and moving. It is a moment that can stand with anything he has done since.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (rated R, 4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $2.99 to rent and $9.99 to buy) – Randle Patrick McMurphy is a free-spirited, small-time convict who fakes being crazy so he can get transferred from the statepenitentiary to a more comfortable state mental hospital. One Amazon reviewer says:
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) is a film you’ll appreciate more as you mature. I saw it a few times when I was younger and, while I thought it was good, I didn’t `get’ a lot of the insights the film conveys. Viewing it again recently, I `got’ it.
Set in the early 60s, the story involves R.P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) and his arrival at a mental institution in Salem, Oregon (where the film was shot). He plays the “mental illness” card to get out of prison time, thinking it’ll be a piece of cake, but he’s wrong, very wrong. Everything appears well at the hospital and Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher) seems to be a benevolent overseer of McMurphy’s ward, but there are sinister things going on beneath the surface.
The movie criticizes the way institutions deal with mental illnesses. Their “therapy” is futile and only makes the patients dependent on the institution itself, thereby creating its need for existence (at the taxpayer’s expense). McMurphy is a threat to the establishment and therefore must be “dealt with.”
Terms of Endearment (rated PG, 4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $2.99 to rent and $9.99 to buy) – Terms of Endearment dazzled critics and audiences alike with its believable, insightful story of two captivating people, mother and daughter, unforgettably played by Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger. From grand slapstick to deepest sentiment, director James L. Brooks masterfully paints scenes from their evolving 30-year relationship. One Amazon reviewer adds:
Jack Nicholson (also Oscar winner) and MacLaine combatively explore one of the funniest romances ever; the screenplay’s distinctive sense of humor adds much charm and much needed comic relief from the increasingly depressing proceedings.
Heartburn (rated R, 4/5 stars, currently priced at $2.99 to rent and $9.99 to buy and currently FREE for Amazon Prime members to view) – Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson are wonderful together in this lighthearted look at modern romance headed for failure, based on Nora Ephron’s best-selling novel. She’s a magazine writer who gives up her career for love and family. He’s a playboy newspaper columnist who can’t quite give up his old tricks. And if that combination doesn’t give a relationship Heartburn, nothing will!
The Witches of Eastwick (rated R, 4/5 stars, currently priced at $2.99 to rent and $9.99 to buy and currently FREE for Amazon Prime members to view) – One Amazon reviewer says:
This film has an ensmble cast to end all ensemble casts.. what more could you ask for.. Jack nicholson as the devil.. Cher, Susan Sarandon, and (the impeccable) Michelle Pfiefer as three sultry sexy witches.. Darrel Van Horn comes to the town of Eastwick when he is summoned by three witches who have been scorned or hurt by the men they loved.. Cher Plays Alex, whose husband died and left her to raise a daughter by herself.. Michelle plays Suki, a newspaper journalist whose husband abandoned her because she got preganant all the time.. and Susan plays Jane, the divorced elemntary school music teacher.. Van Horn moves into each of their lives his own way and shows them the potential they always felt was there.. once the girls realize what is really going on, they exact their revenge.. A great, fun and Witty movie.. a must see..
Wolf (rated R, 4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $9.99 to buy) – A mild-mannered book editor (Jack Nicholson) bitten by a (were)wolf goes for the throat of all who have betrayed him. Michelle Pfeiffer co-stars. One Amazon reviewer says:
For those who had never seen Jack Nicholson play it meek in a movie, this may be as meek as dude gets (and then it only lasts for about half an hour). In WOLF, Nicholson plays middle-aged softie Will Randall, a mild-mannered hubbie locked in a marriage of indifference. Will is also the editor-in-chief of a respected New York publishing agency – that is, until he gets demoted, at which point he assumes this indignant but resigned look. As it turns out, this would only be the first in a series of betrayals, and Will Randall looks to be just another in a long line of easily dismissed victims. Except…
WOLF starts out in a snowy, moonlit scene in which Will Randall, motoring from Vermont to Manhattan, is bitten by a wolf he had accidentally run over. And soon the shocking changes begin to manifest. Will feels strangely rejuvenated, even as he develops extremely heightened senses. Suddenly he’s able to eavesdrop from across the atrium, sniff out morning liquor on a co-worker’s breath, and hurdle tall walls in slow motion. His newly gained confidence allows him to take charge of his life and even revenge himself on those what done him wrong. And then, one day, a disconcerted Will Randall wakes up, soaked in blood.
…Nicholson submits a layered interpretation, delivering a fascinating study of a cultured man’s growing horror as he succumbs to his baser instincts. The fascinating bits all have to do with that part of him which revels in this turn to savagery…Casting dude as a lycanthrope is a no-brainer; there’s always been something feral about Jack. And, when he chooses, who else can apply a more baleful, wolfish glare?
A Few Good Men (rated R, 4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $9.99 to buy) – A slick, young Navy lawyer is assigned to investigate a murder case in which two Marines killed a fellow enlisted man, and no one’s talking. Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore star.
As Good As It Gets (rated PG-13, 4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $9.99 to buy) – The Academy Award(r)-winning (best actor Jack Nicholson, best actress Helen Hunt) offbeat comedy celebrates the unique bond between three very different characters. Also stars Greg Kinnear. One Amazon reviewer says:
“As Good As It Gets” is a rarity among today’s movies, a truly witty and poignant romantic comedy with an unusual protagonist. That protagonist is Melvin, played with relish by Jack Nicholson. Melvin is a highly successful novelist who is also an abrasive misanthrope suffering from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. (Not your typical hero for sure!)
As one would expect, Melvin is a recluse and resistant to any changes in his life until he is forced to interact with a down-on-his-luck gay neighbor, Simon, portrayed by Greg Kinnear, and Simon’s perky little pet pooch, Verdell. Melvin also becomes reluctantly involved with the pretty and patient waitress Carol, played by Helen Hunt, who serves him breakfast every day at a local cafe. Other than Carol, none of the other cafe’s employees will deal with the impossible Melvin.
When Carol abruptly quits her job, Melvin tracks her down and offers her financial incentives to return to her post. Melvin increasingly finds himself drawn into Carol’s personal life, and he eventually falls for the plucky single mom.
Hoffa (rated R, 4/5 stars, currently priced at $2.99 to rent and $9.99 to buy and currently FREE for Amazon Prime members to view) – A fictionalized biopic chronicling the life of union leader James R. “Jimmy” Hoffa (Jack Nicholson), as seen through the eyes of friend Bobby Ciaro (Danny DeVito).
The Bucket List (rated PG-13, 4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $2.99 to rent and $9.99 to buy) – Two terminally ill men escape from a cancer ward and head off on a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they die. One Amazon reviewer says:
It is smart (with an excellent script by Justin Zackham), addresses some important social issues, and it has moments of touching tenderness and equal moments of very sold comedy. AND it greatly benefits from the casting of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, two consummate actors playing out a theme that is unexpectedly a solid study of friendship and love.