The Best of Woody Harrelson

-I'm so glad Woody Harrelson got a second Oscar nomination. Of course anyone who has been following along this awards season knew he was shoe in for his turn in The Messenger. Its almost certain that Christoph Waltz will walk away with the prize for his work in Inglorious Basterds, but regardless, I'm still glad that Harrelson is getting the recognition he deserves.

In honor of Woody's nomination, I have selected five Woody Harrelson performances which I feel exercise his genunie gifts as an actor: namely that everyman quality coupled with an intense passion for whatever film he's doing as well as that rare quality he has of losing himself in the character at hand.

1. The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)
-Harrelson might have seemed like the most unlikely of choices to play Larry Flynt, the founder of Hustler magazine, who overcame numerous scandals and obstacles throughout the magazine's life. The real Flynt is a larger than life personality who never excersises a filter between what he says or thinks. Harrelson embraces this quality and runs wild with it throughout the film, but remains watchful enough to bring it back when necessary. Its no wonder that Harrelson received SAG, Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for his brilliant portrayal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY0nC-y_Bvw

2. Palmetto (1998)
-Unlike most stars, Harrelson has never been interested in dipping his toes into different genres simply to showcase his versatility, but instead has chosen projects based on their own merit. Such a case is his turn in the noir-ish mystery Palmetto. Harrelson plays anti-hero Harry Barber; a man who returns home after being shortly released from prison and quickly gets involved in a kidnapping scheme involving a rich tycoon, his trophy wife and their teenage daughter. As the twists and double-crossings abound, Harrelson proves he is up to the task and follows in the tradition of Fred Macmurray and Robert Mitchum in this underrated film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO7iDhDJC3k

3. After the Sunset (2004)
-Out of all the actors from the cast of Cheers, Harrelson has been the only one who has been able to sustain a successful movie career due to such hits as White Men Can't Jump and Indecent Proposal. Such an acheivement has afforded him the luxury to switch between smaller indie fare and big-budget spectacles such as After the Sunset. In this film, Harrelson exercises the main attributes that have made him a bankable leading man: charm, charisma and an overall likability.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLOwRK2rKJY

4. A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
-In this film, Harrelson takes advantage of his roots playing one half of a singing cowboy duo performing on Garrison Keilor's longrunning-radio program. Under the direction of the legendary Robert Altman, Harrelson displays both his dry sense of humor and surprisingly decent singing skills in this touching tribute to small town America. Its a more down-home Harrelson than people are used to seeing, but one that bears his unique stamp nonetheless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PGPSjB4INU

5. The Walker (2007)
-When I first saw this small film in a London cinema, my heart sank because I knew that by that point the film had already played its limited run in America and that Harrelson's brilliantly haunting performance would have no chance of being remembered come awards time. I was right. Set against the backdrop of Washington, Woody plays Carter Page III, a gay socialite/real estate agent who occupies his free time escorting wealthy women to events and parties while becoming their confidant during ritualistic card games. When one of his friends becomes invovled in a murder, he steps in to take care of things, ultimately leading him to discover a side of Washington's social politics he never knew existed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ffkyMbAioQ

Congratulations Woody Harrelson!!