The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:05Read transcript
- Wilford Brimley qualifies and therefore wins; David Strathairn, Holly Hunter, Paul Sorvino playing a mob boss again after Goodfellas, the actor beside Sorvino and Gary Busey make up the rest of the top five.
- Brimley is his own planet in the film: the hosts quote his 'oral and whatnot' speech, note that Hackman was five years older yet Brimley seemed born at fifty, recall him as the Quaker Oats man and the manager in The Natural, and perform his catalog monologue, which the Ringer's president Jeff Chow does best.
- Brimley had never played a bad guy before, brings an unexpected edge, and the blockbuster hinges on him checking whether the fax machine has paper; it is traumatic to watch Cruise fall on him and kick him, and whether he died is left for unanswerable questions.
- Brimley carried himself like a hated stepfather and makes the office scene before the chase feel like Mitch is about to be killed; the 'oral and whatnot' line is recited again and he is declared the winner.