Roger Ebert called a 24-year-oldJack Nicholsonmovie the actor’s best performance, but is the underrated movie really that good? One of the cornerstones of modern acting, Jack Nicholson helped to blaze a trail on the big screen during the New Hollywood era. Known for his naturalistic performances, Nicholson made film acting a legitimate art form.
From the 1960s all the way until the 2010s,Nicholson played dozens of characters, all of whom carried a piece of himself into the performance. No matter the genre, the actor excelled at bringing humanity into the project, which could make him frightening, lovable, or sympathetic, depending on what the movie called for.
Even as he neared retirement, Jack Nicholson hadn’t missed a step, and some of his later films are bona fide hidden gems. Roger Ebert particularly liked one of the actor’s later works, and even went as far as to call it his greatest performance ever. While that might be debatable, the thriller is certainly worth watching nearly 25 years later.
Roger Ebert Called The Pledge Jack Nicholson’s Best Performance
The Critic Was Smitten With The 2001 Thriller From Sean Penn
Though it has largely faded into the background inJack Nicholson’s impressive filmography,The Pledgewas popular withRoger Ebert. The critic reviewed the film in 2012, and wrote that the movie “may be Nicholson’s finest performance,” noting that it has"none of the relish of characterization, none of the sardonic remove" of his more popular films.
Ebert isn’t off the mark about Nicholson’s performance, and his turn as jaded retired detective Jerry Black is a far cry from the over-the-top heroes and villains from earlier films. Though the movie’s serial murder case is somewhat cliche,it’s Nicholson’s performance and the depth of his character that makesThe Pledgeso compelling.
It’s a character study instead of a procedural, though it does have the familiar elements of a cop thriller.Ebert awardedThe Pledgea four-star review, which is much better than the 78% score the film currently holds onRotten Tomatoes. There are quite a fewunderrated Jack Nicholson movies, andThe Pledgeis one of the better examples.
The Pledgewas a minor box office bomb, grossing only $29 million against a $35 million budget (viaBox Office Mojo).
Is The Pledge Really A Better Jack Nicholson Movie Than The Shining, Chinatown, Etc?
The Pledge Is Good, But It Isn’t That Good
The Pledgeis a pleasant surprise from the later era of Nicholson’s career, but it isn’t excellent. The actor has so many brilliant movies on his resume, thatanything from the later days has no chance of supplanting his classics. Films likeThe ShiningandChinatownaren’t just great Nicholson movies, they’re important pieces of cinema.
Films likeThe ShiningandChinatownaren’t just great Nicholson movies, they’re important pieces of cinema.
While the film is worth watching,Ebert might have gone a bit overboard when he called it Nicholson’s best performance. It’s one of his best, but it wilts in comparison toOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s NestorTerms of Endearmentin terms of pure acting skill.Jack NicholsonelevatedThe Pledgeto underrated gem status, but only just so.
