Hal Ashbywasan influential New Hollywood filmmakerwho directed a string of gems in the 1970s and ’80s. He started out as an editor in the ’50s before stepping behind the camera himself with 1970sThe Landlord. Although comedies were his specialty,Ashby’s movies cover a range of genres, from war drama to biopics, and are often shot through with melancholy.A perennial outsider, Ashby brought an idiosyncratic perspective to all of his stories, especially the offbeat romanceHarold and Maudeand the social satireBeing There.
In particular, he had a knack for drawing compelling performances from his stars:Lee Grant,Jon Voight, andJane Fondaall won Oscars for their work with the director. This reflected his teamwork-centered approach to filmmaking. “The great thing about film is, it really is communal—it is the communal art,“Ashby once said. “The more input you could get, the better it is.” These are the finest of his movies, ranked.
10’The Slugger’s Wife' (1985)
Starring: Michael O’Keefe and Rebecca De Mornay
“I’m a manager, not a pimp!“The Slugger’s Wifefollows the whirlwind romance between Darryl Palmer (Michael O’Keefe), a baseball player for the Atlanta Braves, and Debby Huston (Rebecca De Mornay), an aspiring singer. Their relationship faces numerous challenges as Darryl’s career begins to take off while Debby’s music struggles to gain traction. Darryl becomes obsessed with Debby, to the point of smothering her.
Despite a script by the greatNeil Simon, the film is decidedly lackluster, sorely lacking the fun banter that is typical of the writer’s work. The chemistry between O’Keefe and De Mornay is passable, but the movie’s focus on their brief marriage and subsequent divorce lacks depth due to insufficient character development. The tone is muddled too, unsure whether the story is silly or somber.There are some interesting ideas here, but they are undercooked, making this one of Ashby’s late-career duds.A swing and a miss.
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9’Lookin' to Get Out' (1982)
Starring John Voight, Ann-Margaret, and Burt Young
“Gamblers always end up losing.“Lookin' to Get Outchronicles the Vegas misadventures of Alex Kovac (Jon Voight), a charming but reckless gambler, and his best friend Jerry Feldman (Burt Young). Strapped for cash and looking for a big score, Alex convinces Jerry to join him in a high-stakes poker game. However, their plans take an unexpected turn when they find themselves tangled up with mobsters and the mysterious Patti (Ann-Margret).
LikeThe Slugger’s Wife,Lookin' to Get Outis a mediocre affair, in part because of studio meddling.Ashby and the executives had creative disagreements, and the studio ultimately recut the film according to its own vision. This version did not go down well with most viewers, but Ashby’s cut was received more warmly when it finally surfaced in 2009. While certainly not essential viewing,Lookin' to Get Outis also somewhat notable for being co-written by Voigt himself and for beingAngelina Jolie’s feature debut, at just seven years old.
8'8 Million Ways to Die' (1986)
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Rosanna Arquette, Alexandra Paul, and Andy Garcia
“What we have in this town is eight million ways to die.” Ashby’s final feature is a crime thriller starringJeff Bridgesas Matthew Scudder, an alcoholic ex-cop turned private detective. He’s a damaged man, reeling from a death he caused years earlier. After witnessing the murder of a high-end call girl (Alexandra Paul), he becomes determined to bring her killer to justice. With the help of a former sex worker, Sunny (Rosanna Arquette), Scudder navigates L.A. in pursuit of the truth.
Bridges is great here, but it’sAndy Garcia’s intense and unhinged villain performance that steals the show. The pair of them have a compelling dynamic. Despite the performances, the movie was eviscerated by critics, with most of them panning its distinctly ’80s aesthetic and cheesy plot.Sure, these elements are a little goofy, but that’s also their charm, and the right viewer should get a kick out of them.Plus, it all builds up to an incendiary finale in a warehouse that can’t help but be entertaining.
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7’Shampoo' (1975)
Starring: Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, and Lee Grant
“I just wish I knew what the hell I was living for.” Set against the backdrop of the 1968 presidential election,Shampoocenters on George Roundy (Warren Beatty), a promiscuous hairdresser in Beverly Hills. Despite his success in the salon, George’s personal life is in disarray as he juggles relationships with his girlfriend Jill (Julie Christie), her best friend Jackie (Goldie Hawn), and various other women.
This is Ashby’s statement on post-Watergate America, poking fun at the era’s superficiality and pervasive feeling of moral malaise.Not everything works. Some of the jokes could be funnier, and a few of the emotional moments feel forced. Nevertheless,Shampoooffers enough food for thought to justify a viewing. Not to mention, its satire clearly went down well with audiences in 1975. It was a huge commercial success,raking in$49m domestically to become the third-highest-grossing movie of the year, behind only behemothsJawsandOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
6’The Landlord' (1970)
Starring: Beau Bridges, Lee Grant, Diana Sands and Pearl Bailey
“These arrows have been dipped in Fanny’s barbecue sauce so as to make death slow and more agonizing to its unfortunate victims.” Ashby’s debut feature revolves around Elgar Enders (Beau Bridges), a privileged young man from a wealthy white family who inherits a brownstone in a predominantly black neighborhood in Brooklyn. Initially intending to exploit the tenants and profit from gentrification, Elgar’s perspective begins to shift as he interacts with the surrounding community. An unexpected romance blooms, but infidelity and violence soon threaten to boil over.
While far from a masterpiece,The Landlorddeserves praise for its sensitive exploration of prejudice and race relations, especially for 1970.Bridges does a lot of heavy lifting with his lead performance, complemented by top-notch work fromAnnie HallcinematographerGordon Willis. Plus, the satire and complex characters here hint at the more ambitious projects Ashby would go on to make. The film is mostly forgotten now but is worth revisiting.
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5’Bound for Glory'
Released: 1976
“This land is your land. This land is my land.“Bound for Gloryis Ashby’s biopic of folk singer and activistWoody Guthrie(David Carradine). It follows the musician as he journeys from the dust bowl of Oklahoma to the promise of California during the Great Depression. Along the way, he witnesses the hardships faced by migrant workers and becomes inspired to use his music as a tool for change.
The film is not only a portrait of Guthrie but of the Depression era as a whole.CinematographerHaskell Wexler(who also lent his talents to Terrence Malick’sDays of Heaven) recreates the era in rich detail. He would win the Oscar for his efforts. Though perhaps a bit formulaic,Bound for Gloryis more subtle thanyour average musical biopic, and Carradine is terrific in the role. The more political aspects may stumble somewhat, but the music alone makes it a worthwhile viewing experience.
4’Coming Home' (1978)
Starring: John Voight, Jane Fonda, and Bruce Dern
“I have killed for my country or whatever. And I don’t feel good about it.” In this romantic war drama,Bruce Dernportrays Captain Bob Hyde, a Marine officer deployed to Vietnam, leaving his wife Sally (Jane Fonda) behind. During his absence, Sally forms a bond with Luke Martin (Jon Voight), a disillusioned paraplegic soldier bitter about the war. Their friendship evolves into a romance, but complications arise when Bob returns unexpectedly due to injury and struggles with PTSD.
While Voight and Fonda won Oscars for their work, it’s Dern that leaves a lasting impact on viewers.He has several heartrending scenes, such as his discovery of Sally’s affair and his poignant final moments on the beach. His depiction of a soldier dealing with the complexities of war and personal turmoil ranks among his very best work.Coming Homemay veer into melodrama at times but, overall, Ashby handles these stories sensitively.
3’The Last Detail' (1973)
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Otis Young, and Randy Quaid
“He looks like a goddamn big penguin, don’t he?” Two Navy men, Signalman First Class Billy “Badass” Buddusky (Jack Nicholson) and Gunner’s Mate First Class Richard “Mule” Mulhall (Otis Young) are assigned to escort a young sailor, Seaman Larry Meadows (Randy Quaid), to a naval prison for a petty crime. On their journey, Buddusky and Mulhall develop a bond with Meadows and begin to question the harsh military justice system that they serve. They decide to allow their prisoner one last week of adventures before his imprisonment.
The Last Detailis an intriguing study ofstereotypically masculine, establishment-serving charactersfacing the rise of the counterculture. They try everything in search of fulfillment: family, debauchery, spirituality, materialism. However, the movie resists providing answers as to which of these, if any, offers a solution.The result is one of Ashby’s strongest works: smart, well-acted, darkly funny, and deeply bleak. Richard Linklater’s unofficial sequel,Last Flag Flying, is also worth seeing.
2’Harold and Maude' (1971)
Starring: Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon
“A lot of people enjoy being dead. But they are not dead, really. They’re just backing away from life.“Harold and Maudetells the unlikely love story between Harold (Bud Cort), a young man obsessed with death and prone to staging elaborate fake suicides, and Maude (Ruth Gordon), a vibrant and free-spirited 79-year-old woman. Despite their stark age difference, the pair form a deep bond, sharing a passion for life and a disdain for social norms.
The tone here is unmistakably Ashby.Throughout the film’s 91-minute runtime, viewers are treated to a blend of light and shadow, laughter and astonishment.Moreover, the film is firmly rooted in the aesthetics of the 1970s, with its wardrobe, cinematography, andCat Stevenssoundtrack, but the themes of joy, redemption, and unexpected connection are timeless. Although not successful on release,Harold and Maude went onto develop a cult followingand is now generally regarded as one of the best black comedies of its decade.
Harold and Maude
Young, rich, and obsessed with death, Harold finds himself changed forever when he meets lively septuagenarian Maude at a funeral.
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1’Being There' (1979)
Starring: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, and Jack Warden
“In the garden, growth has its seasons. First comes spring and summer, but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again.“Peter Sellersstars here as Chance, a simple-minded gardener who has spent his entire life working for an affluent man in Washington, D.C. When his employer dies, Chance is thrust into the outside world, where his childlike innocence is mistaken for wisdom by the wealthy and powerful, turning him into an unwitting celebrity.
Rather than an overt political allegory,Being Thereis a whimsical comedy with abundant social commentary.It’s sparing with its humor, but when it delivers, it does so with precision and impact. More important, however, is the genuine heart in the storytelling. We’re meant to care for Chance, and we do. Sellers is the perfect performer for this role; it’s a fitting conclusion to an illustrious career. Subtle, clear-eyed, and humorous,Being Thererepresents the pinnacle of Ashby’s unique vision.
Being There
A simple-minded gardener, Chance, raised in isolation, steps into the public spotlight after his wealthy employer dies. Mistaken for a profound thinker due to his calm demeanor and vague statements, he is embraced by political elites. The film satirizes the intersection of media, politics, and identity.
