What the Hell Happened to Matthew Broderick?
Matthew Broderick is a triple threat. He has been a star of stage and screen. His filmography includes iconic roles like Ferris Bueller and the voice of the Lion King. He’s even fought Godzilla. But these days, you are far more likely to see the former Ferris Bueller on Broadway than starring in a hit movie. The former A-lister’s film career is still active, but it has definitely cooled.
What the hell happened?
Broderick started his acting career in theater. He was noticed by a New York Times theater critic in an Off Broadway production of Torch Song Trilogy which led to roles on Broadway.
Broderick starred as Eugene Morris Jerome in two plays written by Neil Simon. Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues were the first two-thirds of Simon’s Eugene trilogy. The third play, Broadway Bound, starred Jonathan Silverman who would go on to play Eugene in the film version of Brighton Beach Memoirs.
The three plays were semi-autobiographical accounts of Simon’s life. The successful plays lead to Broderick getting offers for film and TV roles. Originally, Broderick was offered the role of Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties. But he backed out when he realized bigger offers were on the horizon.
Brighton Beach Memoirs also lead to Broderick being cast in his first film role, Max Dugan Returns, which was also written and produced by Neil Simon. Max Dugan was released in 1983 and starred Marsha Mason, Jason Robards and Donald Sutherland. Sutherland’s son, Kiefer, also appeared in a small role.
The film was not a hit at the box office, but it was a start.
Later that year, Broderick co-starred opposite Ally Sheedy and Dabney Coleman in the Cold War thriller, War Games.
Beverly Hills Cop director, Martin Brest, was originally hired to direct War Games. But the producers found his take on the material to be too dark. Brest was fired and replaced by Saturday Night Fever director, Jon Badham.
Badham has said that Broderick and Sheedy were “stiff as boards” when he arrived at the set. They were concerned about being fired along with Brest. So, Badham tried to put his young actors at ease in order to give the film a lighter tone. He wanted to make it seem like the characters were having fun in spite of the film’s serious undertones.
War Games received very positive reviews and was the 5th highest grossing film of 1983.
1983 was an incredible year for Broderick. He starred in a hit summer movie and he became the youngest actor to win a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Brighton Beach Memoirs.
In 1985, Broderick co-starred opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer in Richard Donner’s fantasy film, Ladyhawke.
Broderick played a thief called The Mouse who helps a couple of star-crossed lovers. The couple (played by Hauer and Pfeiffer) were cursed. During the day, Pfeiffer’s character is transformed into a hawk. At night, Hauer is transformed into a wolf. With the help of The Mouse, they attempt to free themselves of the curse.
Ladyhawke received mixed to posituive reviews. But it was not a hit at the box office.
Later that year, Broderick appeared in his second Neil Simon production on Broadway, Biloxi Blues, which co-starred Penelope Ann Miller. 1985 wasn’t quite the grand slam year Broderick had in 1983. But he was still starring in big budget movies and Broadway shows.
In 1986, Broderick starred in John Hughes’ teen comedy, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It is the role that would define his film career.
Ferris Bueller is a teenage fantasy about a charming boy who gets away with goofing off through the sheer magnitude of his charisma. The movie follows Ferris and his friends as they skip school and go on a series of adventures around Chicago.
Hughes wrote Ferris with Broderick in mind. “Certain guys would have played Ferris and you would have thought, ‘Where’s my wallet?’” Hughes said. “I had to have that look; that charm had to come through.”
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off got positive reviews and was a hit at the box office. But more importantly, it became a cultural touchstone of the decade. At a 2010 Oscar tribute to Hughes, Broderick talked about the film’s lasting impact:
“For the past 25 years, nearly every day someone comes up to me, taps me on the shoulder and says, ‘Hey, Ferris, is this your day off?’”
Broderick was nominated for a Golden Globe for the role. A sequel and a remake have both been discussed but have yet to materialize. Broderick starred in a Super Bowl commercial in 2012 which showed him enjoying a Ferris-like day off.
In 1990, the film was adapted into a short-lived TV show starring Charlie Schlatter as Ferris and Jennifer Aniston as his sister. The pilot episode included a bizarre scene in which Schlatter as Ferris acknowledges the movie and cuts up a cardboard cutout of Broderick as he explains why he hated Broderick’s performance. The show was cancelled after one season.
In 1987, while vacationing with Bueller co-star and secret girlfriend Jennifer Grey in Ireland, Broderick had a bad car accident. Broderick crossed over into the wrong lane instantly killing a local mother and her daughter. Broderick suffered a fractured leg, fractured ribs, a concussion, and a collapsed lung. Broderick faced the potential of prison time for the accident, but ended up paying only $175 in fines for careless driving.
In 1987, Broderick starred opposite Helen Hunt and a chimp in Project X.
Broderick played an airforce pilot who was assigned to work with a chimp on a top-secret project. Eventually Hunt and Broderick team up to save the chimp from cruel experimentations. Ironically, the film’s producers were accused of animal cruelty during filming.
Project X got mixed reviews and disappointed at the box office.
In 1988, Broderick appeared in film adaptations of two of his early plays. The first was Mike Nichol’s take on Biloxi Blues.
Broderick co-starred opposite Christopher Walken and Penelope Ann Miller who reprised her role from the play. Reviews were mixed to positive. But far from enthusiastic. It was a solid hit at the box office.
Later that year, Broderick starred opposite Harvey Fierstein and Anne Bancroft in the big screen version of Torch Song Trilogy.
Fierstein plays a female impersonator and Broderick plays his lover. Both reprised their roles from the Off Broadway play. Originally, Broderick passed on the movie as he was recuperating from his car accident in Ireland. Tate Donovan was cast. But two days into rehearsals, Broderick changed his mind and Donovan was fired.
Torch Song Trilogy got mixed reviews and was not a hit at the box office.
In 1989, Broderick starred opposite screen legends, Sean Connery and Dustin Hoffman in Sidney Lumet’s Family Business.
Connery, Hoffman and Broderick played three generations of the same family despite looking nothing alike. They embark on a caper to steal a million dollars.
Family Business got terrible reviews and bombed at the box office. But I think it shows that Broderick (in spite of a spotty track record at the box office) was regarded as one of the leading movie actors of his generation at the time.
At the same time, Broderick appeared in Edward Zwick’s Civil War drama, Glory. The film went into limited release the same week as Family Business but didn’t receive a wide release until 1990.
Glory told the story of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first all-black regiment of the Union. Broderick and Cary Elwes played the leaders of the regiment. Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman who were relative unknowns at the time, played soldiers.
Glory received positive reviews, but critics were split on Broderick’s performance. Many thought the boyish Broderick was miscast as the military leader. But others saw his performance as a step towards more mature roles.
Denzel Washington won Best Actor for Glory which was a hit at the box office.
In 1990, Broderick co-starred opposite another screen legend. This time, it was Marlon Brando in Andrew Bergman’s Godfather spoof, The Freshman.
Broderick plays a film school student who is drawn into a real-life world of crime. The film also featured Bruno Kirby and Broderick’s Biloxi Blues co-star, Penelope Ann Miller.
Brando actually called the film “lousy” when it finished shooting. But it got great reviews and was a modest hit. Brando may be a legendary actor, but he was a lousy film critic.
In 1992, Broderick reuinted with Bueller co-star Jeffrey Jones for the farce, Out on a Limb.
The plot really defies explanation. In a reversal of his Bueller image, Broderick plays a guy who is definitely not in control. This time, it is Broderick who is tormented by Jones who plays an evil twin brother. John C. Reilly also appears.
Out on a Limb got terrible reviews and bombed at the box office. And yet, Broderick would play similar roles for most of his movie career as an adult.
In 1993, Broderick grew a beard and starred opposite Annabella Sciorra in the romance, The Night We Never Met.
Broderick plays an uptight chef who rents an apartment on certain nights to get away from his roommates. The apartment is occupied on other nights by the yuppie owner and another tenant played by Sciorra. Despite never having met, Broderick and Sciorra eventually fall in love.
I think the beard tells you everything you need to know about this one. Broderick was desperately trying to shed his youthful image and be taken seriously as an actor.
Reviews for The Night We Never Met were mixed to negative. It was a disappointment at the box office.
Broderick also appeared on TV in A Life in Theater for which he was nominated for an Emmy.
In 1994, Broderick leant his voice to the adult Simba in Disney’s The Lion King.
Voicing a cartoon character didn’t have much of an impact on Broderick’s career. But it is arguably his second most iconic film role.
Later that year, Broderick appeared opposite Jennifer Jason Leigh in Alan Rudolph’s Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle.
Leigh played writer Dorothy Parker and the film included an ensemble cast of stars playing other famous writers from the period. Broderick played Charles MacArthur. The film also featured a young Heather Graham.
Despite the lofty pedigree (Mrs. Parker was produced by Robert Altman) the film got mixed reviews and bombed at the box office.
Later that year, Broderick appeared in another ensemble in Alan Parker’s The Road to Wellville.
Wellville starred Anthony Hopkins as John Harvey Kellogg, inventor of corn flakes and founder of the Battle Creek Sanitarium. Broderick and Bridget Fonda played a husband and wife couple who came to the Sanitarium for its unconventional treatment.
The film is intended to be a comedy with the humor supplied by Hopkins’ bizarre treatments. But nothing in the movie is remotely funny in spite of a talented cast that also includes John Cusak and Dana Carvey.
It got bad reviews and bombed at the box office.
In 1996, Broderick returned to mainstream movies in the dark comedy, The Cable Guy which starred Jim Carrey and was directed by Ben Stiller.
At the time, The Cable Guy made headlines for Carrey’s then-unheard-of 20-million dollar paycheck. Carrey was on a string of box office hits based on his goofy physical comedy.
Broderick played a guy whose life is turned upside down by a crazed cable installer played by Carrey. The Cable Guy was a departure from Carrey’s usual brand of comedy. Audiences didn’t know what to make of its dark twists especially the film’s black-hearted ending.
Reviews were mixed, but critics were not kind to Jim Carrey movies at the time. The movie was a hit, but fell short of expectations given Carrey’s track record and salary.
Broderick also produced, directed and starred in the film, Infinity, which was written by his mother. Broderick played physicist Richard Feynman whose books were the basis for the screenplay. Patricia Arquette played his wife.
In 1997, Broderick co-starred with the Queen of the Rom-Com, Meg Ryan, in Addicted to Love.
Both Broderick and Ryan were trying to subvert their squeeky-clean images. Notice the return of Broderick’s “adult” beard? The movie casts them as a couple who falls in love while stalking their respective exes.
Ryan’s usual romantic comedy fans rejected the dark subject matter. Additiced to Love got mixed to negative reviews and bombed at the box office.
In 1998, Broderick starred in Roland Emmerich’s big budget Hollywood version of the Japanese monster classic, Godzilla.
Godzilla was the sure-fire hit of the summer. The studio had been promoting the movie for a year. The slogan, “Size matters” was everywhere as were the Taco Bell tie-ins. I still don’t know what a Japanese monster has to do with Mexican fast-food.
Unfortunately, the Godzilla remake got everything wrong. Emmerich decided early on to update the classic monster which was the selling point of the movie. Godzilla fans across the world were offended by the changes.
Worse still, the movie was dumb and incredibly bloated. Instead of focusing on a giant lizard smashing New York (which is what audiences paid to see) the movie spends much of its two-hour-plus running time on the troubled love life of Broderick’s character.
Critics savaged Godzilla which isn’t surprising since Emmerich went out of his way to offend them with characters clearly intended as comedic send-ups of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. Eventually, even Emmerich himself admitted Godzilla was a mistake.
Despite the reviews, Godzilla had a huge opening weekend. It was a box office hit. But not nearly as big of a hit as it was expected to be.
In 1999, Broderick starred opposite Reese Witherspoon in Alexander Payne’s dark comedy, Election.
In Election, the former Ferris Bueller is cast as the loser high school teacher who has to deal with an irritatingly peppy and successful student played by Witherspoon. Broderick’s character can’t stand the fact that Witherspoon’s Tracy Flick will inevitably win an election for school president so he sets about rigging the vote.
Election got positive reviews and was a modest hit at the box office. It has since developed a cult following.
Later that year, Broderick made another attempt at summer movie success with the big budget adaptation of the kid’s cartoon, Inspector Gadget.
Like Godzilla, Inspector Gadget was a big, bloated mess of special effects. The film got bad reviews but was modestly successful at the box office. Eventually, disney released a direct-to-DVD sequel without Broderick.
In 2000, Broderick appeared opposite Laura Linney in Kenneth Lonergan’s drama, You Can Count on Me.
Linney played a single mother who has to deal with an irresponsible sibling played by Mark Ruffalo. Broderick played Linney’s new boss who is hard on her until they start up an affair.
You Can Count on Me got great reviews and was a modest hit at the box office.
In 2001, Broderick retreated back to the stage for the Broadway version of Mel Brook’s 1968 comedy, The Producers.
In the original film, Gene Wilder played an anxious accountant who gets drawn into a scheme by a failed producer played by Zero Mostel. They realize they can make more money bilking their investors if they produce a flop than they could with a hit. So they set out to procude a play that can’t succeed.
In the Broadway show, Broderick played the accountant, Leo Bloom. His Lion King co-star, Nathan Lane, played the producer, Max Bialystock. The play opened to rave reviews and was a huge hit. Broderick and Lane were nominated for Tony Awards against each other. Lane won the award.
Having tasted success again on Broadway, Broderick returned to the big screen opposite Nicole Kidman in Frank Oz’s comedic remake of The Stepford Wives.
The Stepford Wives was a notoriously troubled production. Broderick stepped in after John Cusack left the picture. Oz feuded with several members of the cast including Christopher Walken and Bette Middler (who stepped in for Joan Cusack when she quit).
The original Stepford Wives had satirical elements, but was not played for laughs. It told the tale of a town in which the men replaced their wives with robots who made perfect housekeepers. It was creepy.
The remake couldn’t decide on a tone. Massive changes were made after filming was complete which resulted in some gaping plot holes. The film can’t even keep clear whether or not the wives have actually been replaced by robots.
The remake was a disaster in just about every way imaginable.
In 2005, Broderick and Lane reprised their roles for the film adaptation of their Broadway hit, The Producers.
The play was based on the film and making the 2005 film an adaptation of a play which was an adaptation of a 1968 film. Uma Thurman and Will Ferrell joined the cast for the movie.
The movie failed to recapture the success of the play. Reviews were mixed. The movie disappointed at the box office.
If you are going to see a film version of The Producers, stick with the original. You can’t beat Gene Wilder.
In 2006, Broderick co-starred with Danny DeVito in the Christmas comedy, Deck the Halls.
Broderick and DeVito play neighbors who feud over Christmas decorations. Or something. Reviews were terrible. There is no way I’m subjecting myself to this holiday turd.
Deck the Halls flopped at the box office.
Since then, Broderick has worked steadily on stage and screen. He continues to appear in Broadway shows like 2005′s The Odd Couple and 2012′s Nice Work If You Can Get It. His screen roles tend to be on TV more often than not including guest apperances on Louis, 30 Rock and Modern Family.
In 2011, Broderick returned to the big screen in Brett Ratner’s crime comedy, Tower Heist.
Tower Heist starred Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy and co-starred Broderick, Casey Affleck; Alan Alda and Tea Leoni. It looked like a can’t miss hit on paper and many expected it to rejuvenate Murphy’s flagging career.
But that didn’t happen. In spite of great tracking numbers and decent reviews, audiences failed to turn out for Tower Heist. In spite of a great cast, the movie feels extremely lazy. As our own Daffystardust opined, “Pretty much everybody in Tower Heist except Casey Affleck was looking noticably old.”
So, what the hell happened?
I have to start out by noting that by any reasonable measure, Broderick is still outrageously successful. He is a leading man on Broadway and married to Sex in the City star, Sarah Jessica Parker. While he may not be on the Hollywood A-list, he does still get work in TV and movies.
But why wasn’t Broderick’s film career more successful?
It’s tempting to say that Broderick was type-cast as Ferris Bueller. For much of his career, Broderick had a youthful look that made it diffiuclt to transition into more mature roles.
But, Broderick had more than his share of big budget movies to try to reinvent his image. The problem is, most of them were terrible. He continually popped up in crap like Godzilla, Inspector Gadget and The Stepford Wives.
Also, Broderick was rarely the star of these movies even when he had the leading role. He was frequently cast as the thankless straight man to Jim Carrey or even Danny DeVito.
Broderick’s filmography is filled with movies that were expected to be big hits but weren’t. Or if they were, they fell short of expectations. The only two movies he made that were legitimate hits with critics and audiences were War Games and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
More “What the Hell Happened?”
Kim Basinger Thora Birch Matthew Broderick Nicolas Cage Chevy Chase Kevin Costner Geena Davis Bridget Fonda Brendan Fraser Mel Gibson Cuba Gooding Jr. Heather Graham Melanie Griffith Steve Guttenberg Daryl Hannah Helen Hunt Michael Keaton Nicole Kidman Val Kilmer Jude Law Jennifer Jason Leigh Penelope Ann Miller Demi Moore Rick Moranis Eddie Murphy Mike Myers Michelle Pfeiffer Molly Ringwald Meg Ryan Winona Ryder Arnold Schwarzenegger Steven Seagal Elisabeth Shue Alicia Silverstone Christian Slater Mira Sorvino Wesley Snipes Sharon Stone Mena Suvari Uma Thurman John Travolta Kathleen Turner Robin Williams Debra Winger Sean Young Renee Zellweger
Posted on January 12, 2013, in Movies, What the Hell Happened? and tagged cable guy, ferris bueller, glory, godzilla, Lion King, matthew broderick, stepford wives, tower heist, war games. Bookmark the permalink. 48 Comments.
I like Broderick very much, and just seeing him makes me smile….but there’s a problem.
Ferris Bueller is such an awesome, heartwarming and funny movie – everything else is going to be a step down. Bueller is my all-time favorite 80s film, and in some ways is sheer perfection. How can an actor so closely associated with the title character ever top that?
Ladyhawke was probabily not a hit in the US but here in Europe is something of a cult movie
The famous entrance of Isabeau turning into the light of the moon, shrouded in a black cloak is the single shot from Ladyhawke that I’ve never been able to shake.
It’s completely burned into my moviewatching brain and it marked my introduction to the woman who would become my favourite actress.
I rented Ladyhawke twice on VHS and was so hypnotized I completely understood the Bishop’s obsession and Etienne Navarre’s unshakeable romantic devotion.
Fantastic write-up as always lebeau, you’ve certainly started 2013 with a bang!
In Ladyhawke the scene when Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer almost touch themselves just a second before Pfeiffer returns to be an hawk is very powerful and emotional IMHO
I haven’t seen Ladyhawke since the 80′s. At least, I think it’s been that long. I remember enjoying it, but not falling in love with the movie. Pfeiffer, yes, but not the movie. I was surprised to realize it was actually a box office disappointment. I had always assumed it was a hit since Pfeiffer and Broderick both went on to bigger things.
Thanks as always. My 2013 goal is to have a new WTHH every other week. But I am building up a buffer early. In between new articles, I’m still scrubbing up the old ones. Both my real life and blogging currently entail a lot of house-keeping!
Well here Ladyhawke is a must on TV. I remember when I was a kid at least once a year Ladyhawke was in primetime during the 90′s. And even now sometimes TV show it on prime time. That’s why I said that here is a cult. Here everybody have saw it at least two or three times. I don’t know if it is one of the many case of a movie that was a hit in Europe and not in the US or if it developed a cult following later.
I can definitely see why that would be the case. It has more of a European sensibility. And Rutger Hauer was a much bigger star over there than he ever was over here.
I think the movie has a cult following in the US as well. It’s just not a very big one.
I’m a big fan of how Broderick was used in both “You Can Count on Me” and “Election.” Despite his signature role (Ferris) being kind of a smarmy con man, audiences have always trusted Broderick. So when he showed up in these deeply flawed and dishonest roles, I thought it was very effective.
It’s really too bad that they hired Susan Stroman to direct the film version of the stage version of “The Producers.” She did great work on the play, but you only have to take one look at her film to know that her skill set does not fit the medium. I’m a big fan of the songs written for the show and Gary Beach was astoundingly good as the cross-dressing director “Roger DeBris.” I’m less enthused by the inclusion of Ferrell and Thurman. Neither has quite the musical theatre chops necessary and both were slightly wrong for their respective roles. Ferrell, while funny, did not communicate the danger inherent in the Nazi playwright. Thurman, while still fetching, is too modern and atheletic in a part that needs a lot more va-va-voom hootchie-cootchie. This film still has some great moments, but overall, it’s a big missed opportunity.
You Can Count on Me and Election are probably my favorite films Broderick has made. Yes, I like them better than Ferris Bueller (which I like but have always considered over-rated. Good but not great.) I’m also a big fan of The Freshman.
More often than not, you could take Broderick out of the movie and it would not impact my enjoyment negatively. The exceptions to that are probably War Games and Ferris Bueller where the movies hinged on his charisma as a young man. Once he switched from winning con-man to put-upon loser roles, he became a less welcome presence.
He also seemed drawn to the most inane, commercial movies imaginable. You shouldn’t have both Godzilla and Inspector Gadget in your resume. You just shouldn’t.
I respect that he made such an effort to reinvent himself in independent movies. But The Road to Wellville was horrid. Most of his other independent films were mediocre at best.
It’s amazing to me how many movies he made and how few of them are good.
WTHH to Uma Thurman… coming in 2013.
Dear Lord….I forgot about The Freshman! I loved that film. I also forgot to say thanks for another great article.
As for Bueller….for me, no other comedy has ever pulled off that tongue-in-cheek humor. But then, I still had a full head of blond hair and zero body fat back in the 80s….and optimism. Those were the days!!!!
If I’m ranking teen comedies from the 80s, Bueller ranks at or near the top of the list. I actually didn’t see that one in theaters but years later on video. So I don’t have as nostalgic of a view of it as others my age. It’s a fun movie, but it has always felt a little thin to me. Good. Even very good. But not really great.
But what do I know? It has stood the test of time. It’s hard to argue with that.
On the other hand, I loved The Freshman. Okay, sure. That has a lot to do with Penelope Ann Miller who was possibly my biggest cinema crush at the time. But as much as I liked that movie, most people have forgotten it as you just mentioned.
Those were different times and we were different people back then….you gotta remember, this was a time when I thought Highlander was the greatest film ever made. (Still a fantastic soundtrack, by the way….)
I look back at the 80s now and am kinda embarrassed!
Well, the 80s were embarassing. Up until I got my driver’s liscense, I couldn’t get out to the movies very often. And by then, the decade was mostly over. I followed reviews, etc. But I caught up with a lot of popular movies later on video. By the time I could drive myself to the movies, I got interested in classics, foreign films and indie movies. In ’88 I don’t think I saw a single mainstream movie. But I went to the art house twice a week. Looking back, I’m embrassed by what a movie snob I was at 17.
Highlander was another movie I never got. By the time I saw it, it had been hyped up to the sky. I had no idea why anyone even liked it. Like you said, different times.
His first movie Max Dugan Returns is underrated. I’d like to see a WTHHT on Marsha Mason, but she’s from a different era than all the other actors that have been covered so far.
Broderick’s movie career is still going very strong. His career has always been hit or miss and he was never Mr. Box Office (the hits he had weren’t because of star power), so I don’t think he should be held to the same standard as other actors who truly fell from grace.
I feel bad for the guy about that car accident. He killed someone and he has to live with that for the rest of his life.
The Producers movie was wonderful and should have been a hit, it’s a bummer that it flopped. Uma Thurman’s star career is officially over now so I think she’s eligibile for a WTHHT.
A lot of the more recent career coolings has nothing to do with the stars themselves, though, but the fact that the industry has changed. The star-making machine aspect of Hollywood ended around 2000. All of the bankable stars today (if there are any) became established around or before the early 00s. I mean, have we really had any new movie stars emerge since then? Not really. You could say Channing Tatum but he’s not really responsible for his recent hits. They weren’t star vehicles. People don’t go to see movies because of the stars anymore. Compare the top 10 highest-grossing movies every year since 2005. They’re all ensembles, animation, sequels, remakes, etc.
Wow. Lots of good points. I’ll try to take them all in order.
1. I haven’t seen Max Dugan. I’ll have to keep my eyes open for it. I generally like Neil Simon.
2. I’ve been concentrating on stars of the 80s and 90s because that’s really when I started actively keeping track of careers. It means less research for me. But eventually, I plan to move forward and backward. The scope of WTHH is always expanding.
3. I wouldn’t describe Broderick’s movie career as strong. He can still get supporting roles like the one in Tower Heist. He can get leading roles in small movies. But he hasn’t been a sought-after actor in a long time.
4. I’m no expert in stage careers, but my research also turned up some rather disasterous reports of Broadway shows where he was accused of being lazy or forgetting his lines completely during previews. They actually had to stop a preview last year because the guy just kept flubbing his lines!
5. I didn’t want to dig in too deeply on the car accident. It was a tragedy. I obviously don’t know the details since I am reading about it on the internet decades latter. But it does sound to me like Broderick killed two people and got off with a slap on the wrist because he is rich and famous. A family member later said that he forgave Broderick for killing his mother and sister and was planning to meet with the actor for some resolution. That was years ago and the meeting still hasn’t happened. Again, I don’t know the details, but I don’t feel the least bit bad for Broderick. Not at all.
6. I enjoyed the adaptation of The Producers well enough. But it went on too long. Thr original is roughly 90 minutes and it is 100x better.
7. Were it not for Kill Bill, Thurman would have been over years ago. She’s on my short list for 2013.
8. I agree that the definition of a star has changed. High concept has replaced star power.
9. As I said before, the scope of these articles had broadened since I started. Originally, I was only looking at A-list actors who had disappeared from main stream movies. Now, I’ll do pretty much any body who has had a rise and fall somewhere in their career. Which means I can write up just about anybody who isn’t currently landing starring roles in big Hollywood movies. Why? Because these articles are popular and I want to write as many as I can.
Matthew has a reputation for procrastinating and failing to memorize his lines accurately (meaning he often doesn’t know his lines word for word until weeks into the run of a show). However, there is an explanation to that “disaster” performance he gave a few years back. Personally, I think the media blew this story out of proportion.
1. The play was about three hours long, and Matthew had multiple monologues, some of which lasted for three pages, nonstop.
2. The director had dramatically changed the script right before previews started, giving Matthew no time to memorize what was changed.
3. Matthew had his newborn twin girls at home, and I would imagine he was getting little sleep.
And I have to clear something up about the car accident. There’s a lot of information that is fairly unknown, unfortunately. I won’t go into detail here, but the reason why he got off with a slap on the wrist is absolutely not because he was rich and famous, but because of the laws in 1987. He would have been charged with dangerous driving and put in jail for five years if and only if there was evidence of negligence. But Matthew tested negative for drugs and alcohol, so he was charged with careless driving. And in 1987, a fine was the penalty. There are so many similar cases that have happened where the driver didn’t get any penalty because it was simply an accident. It’s unfair, but there’s nothing you can do about it. Honestly, I do feel terrible for Matthew. This accident sent him into psychotherapy for many years and completely changed him as a person. He’s become kind of jaded about life and he’s probably the most cynical person I have ever known, and he was never like that before. I hope people don’t get the impression that Matthew doesn’t care about this accident or the people involved, because I’ve seen him torture himself over this many times, and it’s very painful to see. I’m not trying to convince you to feel bad for him, I just read so much inaccurate information about his accident and sometimes I just can’t keep quiet.
Thanks for sharing, TJ. I knew there had to be another side to the story. I’m glad you spoke up and put things into perspective.
I hate it when I come away from researching an article with a lower opinion of my subject. And frankly, that was what happened here. Your comments make me feel a little better about this write-up.
As I said before, the whole situation is tragic. Clearly lives were ruined.
Have you considered making video versions of the ‘What the Hell Happened’ series? It would probably do well on YouTube.
For what it’s worth, I came across this page after looking at an article on “Celebs Who May (Or May Not) Have Had Nose Jobs”. It was about Jennifer Grey and how losing her famous nose made her completely anonymous. That lead to her wiki page… her dating Matthew Broderick and… the amazing shock of hearing of this car accident for the first time. Googling about the car accident brought me here to the main post and by chance I saw this very detailed comment about how it effected his personal life. It would be informative to add to the main post as this is really kind of exclusive stuff. .
This is the second time the You Tube idea has come up in two weeks. I honestly hadn’t considered it before someone brought it up last week. I am now considering it. But I would have a lot to learn before I could get up and running.
I need to add Grey to my list…
Good suggestion on the quote. I will bump it up to the main article for those who don’t read through the comments.
Thanks for reading and for the great suggestions.
well said Daffy- the film was all wrong I thought too- Ferrell was all wrong- as was Thurman- and the direction was way off- nothing can really top the original- tough call to start out with- I have always like Broderick- a fine subtle actor – would love to see him in more- perhaps with the better TV roles now going to so many that would have fallen behind we can look forward to seeing him again-thanks for the post LeB- always good
And thanks to you as well. Always a pleasure to hear from you!
matthew broderick did some good films and some crappy ones i will admit. i enjoyed lady hawke, wargames, ferris bueller’s day off, the freshman, addicted to love, cable guy and the last shot. inspector gadget was a mismash ripoff not just of the cartoon but also hit 80s and 90s films of robocop, dick tracy, top gun, who framed roger rabbit, etc. back then it was ok, but i enjoyed the cartoon better. matthew’s new films have sucked he hasn;t done anything good. if he was like billy crystal he would do stand up with jerry seinfeld and be making hit comedies after another.
He’s kind of doing his version of stand-up by going back to the stage. But it sounds like he is wearing out his welcome on Broadway with recent lazy performances. I’ll leave it to someone who knows more about theater than me to provide additional details. Daffy, have you heard anything about the state of Breoderick’s Broadway career?
I really haven’t. But I can tell you some things about the nature of the work.
1) It is a young man’s game. The sheer physical endurance it takes to do 8 performances a week is daunting for older performers, which is why you will see “name” actors taking a couple of shows off a run, month, week even. This happened less often in the old days when there were fewer film and TV roles being mixed in on an actor’s schedule.
2) The memorization is different. An actor really only needs to know his pages for a specific day when he’s shooting a film or TV show. Sometimes that can be a lot and sometimes it’s not very much at all. It depends on the day. But it’s a constant deadline and a rhythm the actor gets into. The most important difference though, is that when an actor is shooting film he only ACTUALLY has to know the lines for THAT SHOT. Which very very often means one or maybe two lines. On the other hand, when he walks on stage he has to know ALL of the lines for the show that night. Either way, memorization is like a muscle. Use it or lose it. Short term memory is a different muscle than long term memory.
3) No audience member has a right to be pissed about anything they see at any preview. They did not pay to be there. If they did, they’re stupid. Previews are rehearsals. If Broderick is any kind of professional, he’s embarrassed by any line problems anyway. But when it comes down to it, tell me how his lines were when the crowd was paying. That’s all that matters.
From what I read, they charged a lot for the previews where Broderick flubbed his lines.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/matthew-broderick-disappoints-preview-starry-messenger-show-opening-delayed-article-1.387552
This was his 2009 show. They actually had to delay the premiere to accomodate him. Apparently he is notorious for studying the script late.
I read the article, and all I can do is laugh at the person who chided the theatre for “using this as a rehearsal.” Previews are BY DEFINITION rehearsals. If it wasn’t a rehearsal, the show would’ve opened already. If people are willing to pay to see a rehearsal that’s their business, but they sure shouldn’t complain about not getting the same thing as opening night crowds.
No one can play a charismatic teen when they are 40, and i have tons of respect for the sheer breadth of roles that Matthew Broderick has carried off. I really can’t think of another actor who can match his range. He is one of those rare types that command your attention with every word (like Christopher Walken) and can act with facial expression alone. I bet he will be working steadily as long as he wants to, either as part of an ensemble, on the stage, doing voice such as the bee movie, or, with the right vehicle, he could still open a movie,
I really don’t share your opinion of Broderick’s range. It seems to me that he has an extremely limited range. Once he outgrew the charismatic teen roles, his limited range was his undoing. He struggled to find a niche, but never realy found one that worked. I think at this point, he does much better in character roles.
I have never seen him on stage, so I can’t comment there. But on screen, I find him kind of bland. Not remotely like Christopher Walken. He has talent to be sure. And I think he’s a skilled comic actor. But he never commands my attention. He enhances the other actors on screen which is a great talent for a supporting performer.
But I’m glad you find his work so interesting. I do think he will be working for a long time in supporting roles and smaller films (not to mention stagework).
We agree to disagree on some points. He did, as you pointed out, choose some truly dreadful projects. Some of the movies you mentioned were so awful that his presence was the only redeeming factor. Even Tom Hanks has a dud every once in a while, but MB did not succeed in finding a new audience after Ferris Bueller. However, I don’t think that says anything about his quality as an actor. To me the fact that he is a successful stage actor says a lot. It is also worth noting that he may have diverted some attention and energy towards his family, and supporting his wife’s career, which is commendable. Sometimes it boils down to, are you a fan or not. If not, you will find him, as you said, somewhat bland. If you are, like me, then you will hang onto every syllable onscreen. And maybe you’re correct that he has not displayed a wide range; my feeling is that he is capable of a wide range and has not had the opportunity to realize that, because audiences only see Ferris. Oh well differences in opinion make the world interesting. I liked him in Tower Heist, but then again, I was impressed with the entire film from beginning to end.
Good points.
There’s no doubt that family life had an impact on his movie career. As was pointed out previously in the comments section, his twin babies had a direct impact on his performance on Broadway.
We’re definitely of differing opinions on Broderick’s range as a movie actor. I’m more than willing to agree to disagree on that point. It’s hard to quantify an actor’s range and I find that people use the term to mean different things.
It’s not that Broderick’s movie career faultered. He could be an actor with a lot of range who chose less commercial projects. The reason I say I think he lacks range as a film actor is that I didn’t find him to be very convincing in a lot of his adult film roles. It doesn’t help that he gravitated towards a lot of really banal movies.
As an adult, he tended to play the flustered loser a lot. His role wasn’t to take center stage, but to give Jim Carrey someone to bounce off of. Or Meg Ryan. Or Godzilla. He was there to hold the movie together while not taking away from the star of the movie. That takes a certain kind of talent and I don’t want to diminish the importance of the straight man in a comedy.
He also had a lot of supporting roles in smaller movies where I think he got to show a little more range. This is where I think he shines later in his career. But even these roles feel like variations on that smarmy guy persona to some extent.
Since you brought up Hanks, I’ll continue the comparisson. Hanks has definitely had a more successful film career. But he is also an actor with a somewhat limited range. He has never been very convincing as a film nasty. He’s tried a few times, but can’t escape his “aw shucks, good guy” image. He’s more of a movie star than an actor with a lot of range.
That’s common for lead actors in movies. Characters actors rely more on their range to survive. They will play more diverse roles in diffent kinds of pictures. Whereas the lead actor will have the entire movie built around their screen image. (I’m generalizing here.)
Anyway, there’s no denying that Broderick is a talented actor. And I’m sure his stage career reflects a great range. But based on his film career, I don’t think he has displayed a very wide range.
Thanks for the civil discourse. It’s always welcome round here.
I posted this on your Facebook page, but I’ll bring it here too. By most accounts (just go on the trivia page for “Family Ties” on IMDb), the real reason why Matthew Broderick backed out of the role of Alex P. Keaton was because he wanted to be near his terminally ill father, James (who coincidentally, was on the show “Family” as Meredith Baxter’s father).
Thanks TMC!
I haven’t gotten by the FB page as often as I would like. I have access to WP during the work week. But I usually only check the FB page on weekends. Like I have said elsewhere, my shedule will open up more in the spring and summer.
I’m slowly working my way through the old articles and adding additional info here and there. I’ll need to flesh out the Family Ties bit when I update this article.
For the life of me, I can’t figure out why Broderick is better known as “Sarah Jessica Parker’s Husband” Why is she more famous? She’s only done one thing worth remembering. Broderick’s filmography is nothing fancy but certainly far more diverse than hers.
Her one thing is far more recent. He hasn’t had a box office hit in decades.
One thing of note regarding “Inspector Gadget” is how really little it had to do w/ the old cartoon from the ’80s (w/ Don Adams voicing Gadget). If you ever get a chance to watch Doug Walker’s reviews of Matthew Broderick’s movies (both “Inspector Gadget” and “Godzilla”) for his “Nostalgia Critic” series he lets it be known quite clearly that he isn’t really much of a fan of Matthew Broderick as an actor.
I have to admit, I was barely familiar with the cartoon. My younger brothers watched it. I never sat through the movie because I didn’t care and it looked plain awful.
Doug Walker further elaborates (at approximately the 1:37 mark) why he doesn’t like Matthew Broderick as an actor:
It really all boils down to Doug finding Matthew’s acting bland and insecure. He adds that Matthew Broderick is the type of actor who doesn’t seem to be totally convicted to his characters.
10 Terrible Actors Who Got Lucky Breaks:
http://whatculture.com/film/10-terrible-actors-who-got-lucky-breaks.php/9
3. Matthew Broderick
It pains me to say it, but Matthew Broderick really is not a very good actor. Though he’s widely-beloved for the excellent Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Broderick is another instance of an actor who just seems to be playing themselves.
While this works wonders for a likeable, off-the-tracks character like Bueller, it’s not exactly something he could continue to play as he got older, and in failing to diversify, demonstrating his lack of range, the job offers dried up.
Though Broderick enjoyed a brief run of successful post-Bueller roles in the 80s, he soon enough ended up playing Inspector Gadget in the widely-panned reboot movie, and basically saw his career swirl down the toilet.
Why? Because he is, in fact, a bad actor. Nowadays he just comes across as stilted and awkward; the only remotely entertaining thing I’ve seen him in the last decade was an episode of Louie, but that was more down to Louie CK’s brilliant script more than anything. It pains me to admit it, but it’s true.
Whoever this Doug Walker guy is, he isn’t making a whole lot of sense, and I turned off the interview. I enjoy lebeau’s writing style, analysis and criticism with humor, but Doug just sounds like he has a personal vendetta when he criticizes Matthew Broderick. Watching MB, I get the total opposite sense: that he gets way into his characters, but occaisonally, his own magnetism can threaten to overwhelm the character. Which is not the same at all as saying he ‘isn’t convinced” of the character. MB is often subtle and self-effacing; that just makes me respect him more. We have seen on here that there are vast differences of opinion, and for those of us who are fans, there is not a movie he can make that we won’t see. Example; I loved “Deck the Halls” and watch it a couple times a year, didn’t care what critics said. It is hilarious, good family comedy and MB absolutely delivered a KO punch in his “straight man” role. In fact he, Kristen Davis and Kristen Chenoweth even managed to make up for the annoyance of Danny DeVito’s character, which wouldn’t seem like an easy task. Now, to be clear, it does try to be “Christmas Vacation” and doesn’t measure up to that standard. But it’s watchable enough that I went out and bought the DVD. There are also movies that I NEVER would have wasted money on EXCEPT for the fact that MB was in them.
Enjoyed the writing, but I truly despise Broderick (the actor) for too many reasons to enumerate.
Thanks.
It’s All Downhill From Here: Ten Actors Who Will Never Surpass Their Earliest Roles:
http://www.pajiba.com/seriously_random_lists/its-all-downhill-from-here-ten-actors-who-will-never-surpass-their-earliest-roles.php
Matthew Broderick
Seminal Role: Ferris Bueller (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)
Broderick had a couple successes early in his career: Ladyhawke, Project X, Wargames. He seemed the go-to guy for fragile, impish nerdlings. But John Hughes gave him the opportunity to play the greatest high school student of all time. Though he’s turned into a nebbishy, closeted version of Ferris, and though he’s simply mah-velous on stage, Broderick won’t ever be able to do better than that Wayne Newton singing kid in the leatherette leopard jacket.
The writer of that piece doesn’t come as very credible to me because he makes sweeping statements about the actor that in no way do justice to his career. This is made all the more obvious by the jibe in the last sentence, “as much as it pains me to say it, it’s true.” If it pains the writer to take potshots then maybe he could refrain from doing so?
Someone needs a refresher on the difference between opinions and facts. I think many would disagree with the supposed fact that Broderick is a bad actor. I am not his biggest fan, but I certainly wouldn’t say Broderick is a bad actor.
But hey, whatever drives hits to your site, amIright?
Disclaimer: RB is about to get overly excited. OK. So, over the weekend we were watching “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (good, btw, but not if you like fast paced action movies!) Anyway, among the previews, a movie called “Margaret” I’ve never heard of. Must be from a few years ago, anyway in the preview there was Matthew Broderick! He appeared to be playing an English teacher as he was quoting a famous poem by Hopkins, “Spring and Fall to a Young Child” – specifically, the last line, “It is Margaret you mourn for”! In those couple of seconds, I saw the best of the stage actor, in a supporting movie role! I must get this movie ASAP!!
Good cast! Anna Paquin, Mark Ruffalo, Broderick, Matt Damon.
It’s from Kenneth Lonergan who directed Broderick and Ruffalo in You Can Count on Me. That was a great movie. Reviews for Margaret aren’t as good, but it still has a 71% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes. That’s respectable. I’ll have to look for it as well.
COMMENTARY TRACKS OF THE DAMNED:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-stepford-wives,22297/
Crimes
Blowing the opportunity to comment incisively on the backlash against feminism
Solidifying the reputation of screenwriter Paul Rudnick as a glib mechanical gag machine
Regularly killing the comic momentum so stars Nicole Kidman and Matthew Broderick can hold painfully earnest conversations about the state of their marriage
Combining comedy and horror in a way that detracts from both
Matthew Broderick starring in CBS comedy pilot:
https://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.tv/browse_thread/thread/1225ed8e89ccea52#
The Broadway star has been tapped to headline the network’s untitled
Tad Quill comedy pilot, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
The multicamera comedy revolves around Jack, a recently widowed father
raising his 12-year-old son while jumping back into the dating pool.
Broderick, who is currently starring on Broadway in the musical Nice
Work If You Can Get it, will star as Jack, a confident and
effortlessly charming self-aware dad who’s completely committed to his
son, Sebastian. When the advertising executive finds himself pushed
back into the dating scene by his well-intentioned son and married
colleague, he’s initially hesitant but surprised when it goes well and
he opts to sow his wild oats again.
Scrubs alum Quill will write and executive produce the CBS Television
Studios comedy, with James Burrows on board to direct.
Two-time Tony winner Broderick, repped by CAA and Jackoway Tyerman,
most recently guest starred on ABC’s Modern Family and episodes of
Louie and 30 Rock. Broderick was previously attached to star in NBC’s
2010 failed pilot Beach Lane. The casting comes as his wife, Sarah
Jessica Parker, has been recurring on the fourth season of Fox’s Glee.