Jack Black- School of Rock
Although Linklater doesn’t often dabble in directing movies geared towards mainstream audiences, School of Rock is without question the biggest success he’s had in the field. A lot of it is attributed to the maniacally passionate performance given by Jack Black, where he plays a role that is catered to both his energetic comedy style and love for rock music. Linklater has a trademark of holding a high belief in his actors playing well in their respected roles, and him letting Black have at it is beyond entertaining to watch. There was no point in the movie where I didn’t have a gleeful smile on face watching Black tear into the role, and I’m glad I didn’t play one of the kids in the movie because I wouldn’t have been able to stop laughing at his antics. Black’s hard work paid off immensely with a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical, and was the first of two he’d receive in his collaborations with Linklater. -Tyler
Rory Cochrane – Dazed and Confused
Since it’s a crime in my opinion to single out only one memorable performance in Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, I felt that it’d be best to add one more for my favorite character in the film, Ron Slater, who’s played marvelously by Rory Cochrane. Slater is perpetually stoned throughout the film, but his usage leads to him hilariously tying it into his faux take on American history, most notably his belief that George Washington grew fields of pot all across the country, which is also why thinks it’s spooky that the dollar bill is green. If that’s not enough to sell you on his eccentric personality, I don’t know what else would do. Cochrane pristinely sells the role with the relaxed voice, but goes even further with a sputtering dialogue delivery that naturally embodies Slater’s crazy beliefs. His approach also greatly benefitted the character’s comical awkwardness towards people that don’t share his affinity for smoking pot. Because of his unforgettable performance as Slater, Linklater went on to cast Cochrane in a key role in 2006’s A Scanner Darkly. -Tyler
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