The script that made Jack Nicholson cry

Jack Nicholson is one of the most beloved actors in the history of cinema. It can be the wildcard in Batman or the bully infiltratorsbut many people would describe the performance as “Jack playing Jack”. While there is certainly an absolutely unique energy present in all of his performances, his variety of characters and tones are sometimes overlooked or even forgotten by many.

For instance, the film for which he won his second Oscar: the power of love. If someone were asked to list Nicholson’s iconic interpretations, perhaps very few would choose him. The film ended up winning 5 of the 11 Oscars for which it was nominated (including Best Picture) and was the second highest-grossing film of that year (behind a small film titled return of the jedi).

Today the film is not much discussed, perhaps because it is a film about women and many so-called viewers seem eager to liquidate it. However, Jack Nicholson had no qualms about taking on a secondary role in James L. Brooks’ directorial debut because he knows a great script when he sees one. And this one, in particular, did something that rarely happens. She made him cry.

In The for loveJack Nicholson plays an astronaut who has clung to his glory days by sleeping with a younger woman struck by her marginal fame.

Your most sensitive side

She lives alongside Aurora Greenway as Shirley MacLaine, and although she is initially put off by her playboy demeanor, the two eventually begin a romance. Speaking with the late great Roger Ebert, Nicholson discussed how that story and that character really drew on something true within him and how he immediately fell in love with the project:

“I read the script and became the first fan. How many scripts make you cry? I read dozens, if not hundreds, of scripts every year and I don’t read many parts where I can say, as I did with Easy Rider, that yes, sure, I could play that boy. I know how that boy feels. “

If you know anything about Nicholson’s complicated approach to relationships and sex, you can understand why this character was something he could really relate to. After all, Jack had six children with five different women. James L. Brooks was able to tap into that side of Nicholson’s personality and explore it not just for jokes, but for an enormous amount of humanity.

And it didn’t matter that this was a supporting role. The force... it’s mostly about a mother and daughter, and Nicholson’s The Astronaut is an addition to that. The part was great, and that’s what counts in the end.

“My whole professional strategy has been to build a foundation to be able to take on the roles I want to play. I would hate to think that a shorter role might not be available because I was worried about my billing. “

Partnership with James L. Brooks

Clearly, Jack Nicholson has found a kinship with his writer / director James L. Brooks, who rose to fame on television with affects how Taxi, the Mary Tyler Moore show and finally, simpson, In his career he has only directed six feature films.

Nicholson appears in four of them. Sometimes, he’s a starring role, like Better … impossibleand other times it’s a cameo, like in behind the news. But man clearly believes in the fully realized truth that Brooks is able to capture his best moments. In fact, two of Nicholson’s three Oscars were for the Brooks films.

Enter Bill. Jack enters

When Bill Murray left How do you know if it’s love? (How do you know it) About the hourBrooks was able to call Nicholson, who appeared to be retiring later Before leavingand have him act in the movie. He charged $ 12 million. Y As you know…? it remains the last film for both Nicholson as an actor and Brooks as a director.

In fact, Jack Nicholson hasn’t had many ongoing relationships with directors over the course of his career. Basically there were three: Bob Rafelson, Mike Nichols and James L. Brooks. These three directors gave Nicholson the space to play multifaceted human beings.

CJL