It’s a bit of a generalization to say that “critics were wrong about x thing,” but if you treat it as shorthand for “many critics were wrong about x thing,” or even just “some critics were wrong about x thing,” then it can be an interesting thing to explore. Certain movies take a little while to become fully appreciated, as seen with the likes ofThe ThingandBlade Runner(to take two examples that are both sci-fi movies from 1982), and as might be seen with some more contemporary movies as the decades tick along (likeBabylon… maybe?).
But to narrow that idea a little, what follows is a look at some performances that were criticized more upon release than they have in more recent years.The tide’s turned to some extent for all of these, as some performances (or even the movies overall) being seen as great, while others are at least singled out as not nearly as bad as they might’ve been before.
10’Mommie Dearest' (1981)
Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford
Once upon a time, the consensus aroundMommie Dearestwas that it was terrible, and kind of laughable as a drama. Things have shifted, and now it’s more likely you’ll see peoplecelebrating it as intentional campmore than a so-bad-it’s-good (by accident) movie. It hasFaye Dunawaygoing over-the-top for sure, and critics and fans of what she’s going for here would agree that it’s not a subtle performance, but whether it’s distractingly loud or appropriately melodramatic? That’s where opinions differ.
Dunaway portrays famed actressJoan Crawford, with most ofMommie Dearestrevolving around the difficult childhoodChristina Crawfordhad because of her mother.It’s a film with astrange energy and a central performancethat is hard to look away from, and maybe it’s even simultaneously compelling/impressive and too much, somehow.
mommie dearest
9’Gangs of New York' (2002)
Leonardo DiCaprio as “Amsterdam” Vallon
After being something of a teen star and a heartthrob sort of actor as a young adult,Leonardo DiCaprioreally wanted to establish himself as a more mature and determined actor as the 21st century approached, and especially once the year 2000 hit. One of hisearlier roles during this phase of his careerwas inGangs of New York, and people might not have been so sure about him at that stage.
And it would’ve been jarring, especially because DiCaprio is good here, but he’s not quite great like he’s great in the likes ofDjango Unchained,The Wolf of Wall Street, andThe Revenant. But he’s still very good and committed, even with that imperfect accent, and itcould well be that some saw him as only comparatively weak because he so often had to share the screen withthe very accomplished Daniel Day-Lewis, who iseven more phenomenal than usualinGangs of New York.
Gangs of New York
8’Heaven’s Gate' (1980)
Kris Kristofferson as James Averill
Truth be told, everyone involved withHeaven’s Gatewascriticized a little too harshlywhen the film first came out. It just had so much negative publicity behind it because of all the production drama, and the cinemas showing it may well have been handing out pitchforks and flaming torches to anyone who showed up. Judging by accounts at the time, and based on how other difficult-to-make movies have been received, that just feels like how it might’ve been back in 1980.
Heaven’s Gate was not as good as Michael Cimino’s previous film, The Deer Hunter, but it also honestly wasn’t too far behind quality-wise.
And no,Heaven’s Gatewas not as good asMichael Cimino’s previous film,The Deer Hunter, but it alsohonestly wasn’t too far behind quality-wise. The movie’s got a lot going for it, and as for its cast?Kris Kristoffersonis being singled out here, since he was the top-billed actor and also the only person in the cast who received a Razzie nomination for his performance, and he’s honestly not bad, butIsabelle Huppertis also worth mentioning as someone who turned in a solid and – at the time – underappreciated performance.
Heaven’s Gate
7’Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith' (2005)
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader
Upon release,Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sithwas seen as the best of a flawed trilogy, and a good – yet perhaps not great –Star Warsmovie that at least had more things going for it thanThe Phantom MenaceandAttack of the Clones. Both those movies are viewed a little more favorably now, andRevenge of the Sithhas also seen a resurgence in popularity, going from kind of good to kind of great in the eyes of many.
That’s in general, but also,Hayden Christensen’s performance is more well-respected now. It’s not perfect, and maybe some of the stuff he does inAttack of the Clonesis still a bit inconsistent, butRevenge of the Sithwas a more confident performance from him overall. He’s good here, and hesells Anakin’s turn to the dark side in an appropriately grand/melodramatic way that fits whatRevenge of the Sithis going for tonally.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
6’Jennifer’s Body' (2009)
Megan Fox as Jennifer Check
In the overall scheme of things,Jennifer’s Bodyis not very old at all, but it’s already gone through something of a critical reappraisal.Megan Foxplayed the titular character, and was seen as a fair target for criticism at the time, even thoughJennifer’s Bodyprobably should’ve been celebrated for giving her a very different role than she had in Transformers (and its sequel).
And she’s good here, and the movie overall isstronger as a demonic possession-related horror/comedythan some people back in 2009 gave it credit for.Jennifer’s Bodyis now just old enough to be a little nostalgic, andviewers nowadays are more likely to clue in on what it’s going for in terms of humor and satirical elements, so it’s kind of good. Not perfect, but also far from bad.
Jennifer’s Body
5’Freddy Got Fingered' (2001)
Tom Green as Gordon “Gord” Brody
Make no mistake:Freddy Got Fingeredis evenmore uncomfortable, as a comedy, than you might expect from its tasteless title. But the humor here was oddly ahead of its time, to the point where, if it had been made right around the time that YouTube was starting to become popular (or maybe even in the early 2000s, during the Newgrounds era), it probably would’ve been a bigger hit.
But it also would’ve seemed less impressive, as a feature film imitating internet humor. But it was released in 2001, in actuality, andpredated the sort of shocking, random, and transgressive humor that would become popular throughout the rest of the 2000s by at least two to three years. So nowadays, it seems ahead of its time, and actually quite funny in fits and bursts. Not all of it lands, but more doesthan you might’ve been led to believe. AndTom Green, as its director, lead star, and co-writer, was the surprising visionary who made this infamous (albeit not actually terrible) movie happen.
Freddy Got Fingered
4’Kingdom of Heaven' (2005)
Orlando Bloom as Balian of Ibelin
Blade Runnerwas mentioned a little earlier, and it’snot the onlyRidley Scottmoviethat’s become more well-respected as the years have marched on.Kingdom of Heavenalso became appreciated more after its theatrical run, mainly owing to its director’s cut being more impactful and coherent, with everyone involved looking better in hindsight, including the film’s star,Orlando Bloom.
His character here is a little less interesting than some of the supporting characters, but Bloom is a solid enough anchor for the film, anda point-of-view sort of character to carry the audience through all the dramatic things that end up happening. He does exactly what he needs to for a role like this, in a movie likeKingdom of Heaven, and it’s good that both he and the movie overall are viewed more favorably nowadays.
Kingdom of Heaven
3’On Her Majesty’s Secret Service' (1969)
George Lazenby as James Bond
In 1969, the idea ofanyone butSean ConneryplayingJames Bondmight’ve been too difficult a pill to swallow. Even today, you’ll understandably have a lot of people saying that within the series,nobody does it better(well, did it better) than Connery. So,George Lazenby, as a one-off 007, had big shoes to fill, and wasn’t seen as someone who filled them necessarily back in 1969.
There was more uncertainty around his very different approach to the character, and also, the opening scene – withits cheeky fourth-wall break – is pretty silly. But… Lazenby is good here, andOn Her Majesty’s Secret Serviceis also a genuinely interesting007flick that’s been reappraised since it first came out.Also, the idea of non-Connery actors playing the character is now super accepted, seeing as so many actors have played Bond, and that’s also a factor in making Lazenby – and the film he starred in – better in hindsight.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
2’Under the Cherry Moon' (1986)
Prince as Christopher Tracy
Under the Cherry Moonwas supremely misread by the majority of people when it first came out, dissimilar to howPrince’s music was generally appreciated and popular back in the 1980s (and those albums released during his decade-long hot streak still slap).Maybe people didn’t realize it was all supposed to be light and a bit silly, or they thought Prince (who directed the film as well as starring in it) wastrying to make something genuinely arthouse.
It feels more like a parody of art films, or simply one that wants to ape a classier look through its black-and-white visuals and overall aesthetics. It’s a visually striking movie, and itdoes have a remarkable soundtrack. And Prince’s performance is honestly not bad inUnder the Cherry Moon. He probably directed better than he acted here, but he’s still better in front of the camera than he’s given credit for.
Under the Cherry Moon
1’The Shining' (1980)
Shelley Duvall as Wendy Torrance
Perhaps the definitive unfairly criticized performance in cinema history isShelley Duvall’s inThe Shining. She is different from the Wendy described in theStephen Kingnovel, but thewhole adaptation – though masterful – is admittedly differentin its approach. And Duvall wasn’t the only person who got judged harshly here, especially if you look at the Razzies again, where she and Stanley Kubrick were both nominated (for Worst Actress and Worst Director, respectively).
At least the Razzies recognized the mark was missed, because thatnomination was officially rescinded in 2022, and it’s also good that this happened within Duvall’s lifetime. She has a difficult role to play here and honestly does it well, andit’s easier to acknowledge what she was able to do on-screen while also being put through hell by Kubrick(who did direct the film amazingly, sure, but wasdocumented as being cruel to Duvall).
