Teresa Taylor – Slacker
Slacker was the first of several Linklater movies that followed an ambitious narrative structure where not much happens aside from deep conversations between characters. In the movie There are just over twenty speaking roles, all of whom have no more than ten minutes of total screen time. With that little time available for an actor, it takes an ardent commitment for them to make their presence give a lasting impression on the viewer. One person manages to capture that goal in Slacker, which is Teresa Taylor as a hipster that attempts to push a pair of people into buying a vial of Madonna pap smear. Best known as one of the drummers for the punk band, The Butthole Surfers, Taylor completely disappears into character to the point that you forget about her music career. Her portrayal of the pusher is very natural and charismatic, which is a praise that not many musicians-turned-actors receive in their careers. It’s a shame that Taylor hasn’t done another acting role since Slacker, but we can all thank Linklater for giving her those impressive three minutes of independent cinema fame.-Tyler
Patricia Arquette-Boyhood
Oscar winning for a reason, Patricia Arquette delivers a powerful performance over the span of 12 years, growing with her character over time. Everyone talks about her last, heartbreaking scene but what a way to minimize an astonishing performance down to a few minutes. Throughout the film she commits to a steely but vulnerable performances as a woman and mother doing her very best to give herself and her children as good a life as she can.-Ally
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