Word: wise-ass
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...Last Five Years"--Ron Howard (excellent as always at doing the same goddamned thing), Cindy Williams (magnificent; the best performance in the film. I actually thought at the time that she had a promising career ahead of her as an actress. What a shame...), Richard Dreyfuss (a shallow, hammy, wise-ass punk of an actor, but he was less offensive back then, and is used marvelously here), Harrison Ford (amusing), MacKenzie Phillips (see Harrison Ford), Candy Clark and--for a few seconds, Suzanne Somers. Paul LeMat is very fine, too. A poignant ending--not the moronic "Here's What Happened...
Litman brings energy, exuberance, and a somewhat different interpretation to the part. He portrays Nick as slightly more wise-ass and more adult, though he too suffers from a too rapid and mumbled delivery at the play's outset. He improves quickly and is especially good at reacting to Miller adding more grimaces and physical schtick to the role...
...goes on to lay out the rules of the game, and to drive home this lesson: when you're a greenhorn like Smitty, you either let others push you around or you learn fast how to push them around. Queenie, a very funny, cynical character played with perfect wise-ass sureness by Steven Johnson, gives Smitty a crash course in this special language of protection: "Queenie's your mother," Johnson tells him, "and everybody needs a mother." Later Queenie leaves on a visit to the General's office, and Smitty is cornered by Rocky, whom John Alden plays with...
...times he seems so cooly laid back that it's hard to see in him the burning curiosity, wanderlust, and stubborn passion for justice that come through in Guthrie's songs and writings. Ultimately, though, Carradine's Woody works because he captures Woody's optimism and stubborn wise-ass anti-authoritarianism, creating a sympathetic but not overly worshipful portrait of a fallible, but human and memorable...
...times he seems so cooly laid back that it's hard to see in him the burning curiosity, wanderlust and stubborn passion for justice that come through so clearly in Woody's songs and writings. Ultimately, though, Carradine's Woody succeeds because he combines Woody's optimism and stubborn wise-ass anti-authoritarianism, creating an interesting, sympathetic but not overly worshipful portrait. Carradine's Guthrie (for whom Ashby and Getschell must of course share the credit) is believable, both human and fallible: his compassion for the working man contrasts ironically with his insensitive, irresponsible handling of personal relationships...