I’m a fan of Ed Harris. No matter what movie I see him in I always seem to like him—even if that’s not necessarily how I feel about the film he happens to be in. That said, he’s been in his share of fine films like The Right Stuff (1983), Walker* (1987), State of Grace (1990), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), Apollo 13 (1995), A History of Violence (2005), and both the inspiration for this post as well as the best film of them all: Creepshow (1982).
“Why Creepshow?” you may ask—showing just how pathetically film illiterate you are because if you have to ask that question then it’s obvious you haven’t seen Creepshow. Which in turn means you haven’t seen one of the greatest disco dance scenes in film history—rivaling even that of the great John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Ed Harris gives the sprinkler move new meaning, and he is as lithe as a snake:
And while my post may seem facetious, let me be clear here, it isn’t. I love this scene. I love how fluid Ed Harris becomes in this scene. And I also love how as a young actor in only his third or fourth film, he is seriously acting here. He’s believable and his bit character part becomes memorable through some serious physical acting. What’s more, I can now say retrospect is 20/20 and that I knew Ed Harris was a star in the making long ago. It was his full head of hair and those smooth moves that tipped me off 🙂
*It was Scott Leslie and Keira McPhee’s conversation about Walker that made me think about how I dig Ed Harris, which led me to think about my favorite role of his ever as the dancing boyfriend in Creepshow (1982).
What the hell is Ed’s move 13 seconds in? The Gaffed Fish? Hangman’s Dangle? The Bobblehead?
I have to say, i thought his turn as Christof in The Truman Show was brilliant. Almost made up for Jim Carey. Almost.
Clint,
I think we need to call that move the “Ed Harris” —aka as the flying headbob. Ed Harris makes his own moves.
I have to admit, I left a few movies of his that I sure are very, very good off the list cause I haven;t seen them. The Truman Show is one of them. I have a very strange relationship with peter Weir, I think that is changing, but avoided most of his films after Dead poet’s Society.
See Apaloosa. Harris is awesome — a grounded, sane yet innocently moral Walker.