just watched a video of david straithairn performing john brown’s final address to the court and man talk about a guy, straithairn that is, who looks like he’s from the 19th century
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1) John Brown was the craziest correct person ever.
2) David Straithairn is a national treasure.
3) Sneakers is one of the most flawless movies of all time.
I think he is a great actor! I have seen him in many things. He is a chameleon, he blends into a character so well that sometimes your half way through the movie before you realize who he is.
David Strathairn’s face is basically a time machine. He could've been handing out abolitionist pamphlets in another life—what a perfect match for that speech!
Just a great character who stood out among so many great characters. He and Drummer chewing each other's faces off in every scene together was some good teevee
Even in The Expanse, his character was like a time traveler that showed up in the asteroid belt and was like, "ok I'll just be a pirate in this century"
Saw him on stage in Dance of Death in NY, 2001 with Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren. Amazing cast! The play opened on September 18, 2001 just a week after 9/11. They sold signed posters to raise money for disaster efforts and I still have mine.
I remember Straitharn leaning into Daniel D's ear after Elizabeth Marvel & her husband explained why they wouldn't be against ending slavery (unless it was necessary for winning the war) and saying archly, "The pee-pul."
Such a great movie. (Should've ended when he walked away without his gloves.)
I dunno. I felt like everyone other than Daniel Day was "ACTING" in that movie. "Grand themes" and all that. Lots of people functioning as Greek choruses. Whereas DDL simply *was*.
Oh, and Spader, he was also operating near DDL's level. He was terrific.
I adore that movie and everyone in it. DDL was BRILLIANT, but so were Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field, amongst others. I’ve seen it several times now…it’s one of my all time favorites
The monologue he gives at about 25 minutes about the necessity of the 13th Amendment and the tenuous postwar prospects of the Emancipation Proclamation is one of the sharpest insights into the two-(three, really) level game he (and Grant) had to manage and it gets so overlooked. Love it!
I did this a couple nights ago. Truly a masterpiece. One of Spielberg's best. So. Many. GUYS. You should do a bonus pod on this for fun. I'd finally spring for the patreon if you did.
Been thinking about that movie a lot lately. It sort of captures how I think about politics, about how the messiness and back room dealing can sometimes yield something wholly good. I always love Spielberg waxing poetic on these small ‘d’ democratic values (see also: “Bridge of Spies”)
Lincoln's lecture about the compass in that scene was SO Lincoln.
I don't know if that was drawn from anything he actually did write or say; but man it feels authentic.
If you haven't seen it, he's fantastic in "Eight Men Out"--a film about the Chicago White Six throwing the World Series at the beginning of the last century.
I love the scene where Grant throws cold water on the peace commissioners. For some reason Infond myself watching that scene over and over again. I would really like to see Spielberg direct a Grant film starring Jared Harris. https://youtu.be/ZSS5SscrLoU
". . . I believe that to have interfered as I have done — as I have always freely admitted I have done — in behalf of His despised poor, was not wrong, but right.. . ." -- John Brown, November 2, 1859
Straithairn has always been very versatile as an actor (see: Sneakers), but since Good Night and Good Luck he's sort of been pigeonholed by most large productions into that tense, buttoned down kind of role. Which is why it's always great to see him stretch in something like The Expanse.
Sam Waterston and David Strathairn could appear in a remake of "Dumb and Dumber" and make it a great movie. Make it happen. Call it "Older, Dumber, and Dumberer."
He's one of my favorite actors of all time. Simply amazing talent. I watched "Good Night And Good Luck" probably ten times just so I could watch him. He's brilliant.
Very eery. I just watched that last night. I have been on a John Brown kick for a while as I've tried to figure out if I'm directly related to one of his raiders, Albert Hazlett.
Yeah, I saw it live at Georgetown, and it was incredibly powerful. The only other time a one-man show has grabbed me like that was Lawrence Fishburne as Thurgood Marshall
Honestly the fact that SyFy nabbed him as a lead then a featured guest on two separate shows has to be an unheard of casting coup (obligatory RIP Alphas, obligatory that was a hell of a run The Expanse)
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David Straithairn, Mary McDonnell, Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones, Bonnie Prince Billy
Great film that keeps to the history
2) David Straithairn is a national treasure.
3) Sneakers is one of the most flawless movies of all time.
I appreciate when the world connects like this.
Before the first game.
Cash."
Such an underrated movie and he is phenomenal in it.
https://sopranos.fandom.com/wiki/David_Strathairn
I should listen to your podcast episode on that again...
Such a great movie. (Should've ended when he walked away without his gloves.)
Oh, and Spader, he was also operating near DDL's level. He was terrific.
To the extent they were functioning as a chorus, that's the point of the chorus: to help clarify the protagonist.
The monologue he gives at about 25 minutes about the necessity of the 13th Amendment and the tenuous postwar prospects of the Emancipation Proclamation is one of the sharpest insights into the two-(three, really) level game he (and Grant) had to manage and it gets so overlooked. Love it!
so damn good
The only one working near the same stratosphere as DDL.
I don't know if that was drawn from anything he actually did write or say; but man it feels authentic.
Also loved how Spielberg thought it showed an example of what our politics should return to when half the movie was straight up bribery.
"Lincoln @ Gettysburg," narrated by David Stratharin, is also very good. His reading of the Gettysburg Address is superb.
I had asked the filmmakers if they happened to have Stratharin's reading in one take.
It was available on Amazon Prime for streaming but not right now. https://www.pbs.org/show/lincoln-gettysburg/
His soul's marching on!
Reading by David Strathairn ⬇️
https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/john-brown-last-speech
(I know that's another McGill performance, he is great as Stanton lol)
https://bsky.app/profile/pumpkinhoundpdx.bsky.social/post/3lazdn2neqc2c
Anyway… hey Chris!
https://rememberthiskarskifilm.com
He can be William Seward advising Lincoln one moment and the next he’s a US Navy admiral chasing down Godzilla.
Range.