ROTTEN TOMATOES: Five Favorite Films with Mickey Rourke Comments

Five Favorite Films with Mickey Rourke

by Jen Yamato | December 26, 2008

Summary

Thanks to his powerful turn in Darren Aronofsky's critically-acclaimed drama The Wrestler, Mickey Rourke has become the year's biggest comeback kid. Rourke spoke with Rotten Tomatoes about his favorite films of all time, and also reflected on the great reception that The Wrestler (and his own performance, for which he's received a Golden Globe nomination) has enjoyed. Back to Article

(1-40 of 40 posts) | Reply

FinalDestination019 writes:
on Dec 26 2008 05:26 PM

I agree with pretty much all his picks. Maybe not Gilda, even though it was a good movie. On The Waterfront and The Godfather... brilliant.

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tomwaitsjr writes:
on Dec 26 2008 06:02 PM

Thanks Jen!

I'm jelous you got to meet him. I've loved him in ANGEL HEART and BARFLY. . .

I like Evan Rachel Wood a lot as well. It's telling that she's been in some HORRIBLE films, but still gave a good performance.

I HATED "Running with Scissors" but she was awesome in it. "The Life before her eyes" was crap by lifetime standards, but again she killed in it. I remember seeing her as a child in "Digging to China" and she was great. She obviously is a born talent.

I really hope Rourke gets the oscar for this film.

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BathHouse writes:
on Dec 26 2008 06:43 PM

Got a thing for Brando.

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indiephantom writes:
on Dec 26 2008 07:24 PM

Mickey really likes Evan Rachel Wood. She's been in lots of films I like, too.

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ledawg1138 writes:
on Dec 26 2008 07:44 PM

Okay list. I still don't wanna see The Wrestler.

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snickerskicker writes:
on Dec 26 2008 08:48 PM

In reply to this comment (#2206485)
You'll be missing out, I promise.

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Floor Man writes:
on Dec 26 2008 08:55 PM

Gawdamn! Decent (if not simultaneously innocent and seemingly pretentious?) list....

I reeeally want to see The Wrestler now. :/ Damn limited release films.

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Almost.Famous writes:
on Dec 27 2008 02:04 AM

I have been wondering who mickey rourke is since he was in the wrestler. I saw that picture. Man. Thats the same guy? He looks like a completely different person in the wrestler.

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acton acton writes:
on Dec 27 2008 02:12 AM

In reply to this comment (#2206238)
I would have to say harley davidson and the marlboro man is my all time fav. He plays his bad *** self. the other would have to be domino. followed by man on fire then dont know from there.

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acton acton writes:
on Dec 27 2008 02:16 AM

In reply to this comment (#2206238)
I would have to say harley davidson and the marlboro man is my all time fav. He plays his bad *** self. the other would have to be domino. followed by man on fire then dont know from there. a little extra to add, who comments on this page, you listed movies only people above 50 would even bother to watch. Everyone says the Godfather is a great movie, well not my generation I was born on 1980 I would rather watch buckaroo banzai over and over again than to watch that borefest.

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tia s. writes:
on Dec 27 2008 04:19 AM

Hi,
This is very useful and nice website.It was fun reading articles,Forum discussions and people's comments.
Thanks for such a nice blog!!

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(Reply to this)

tia s. writes:
on Dec 27 2008 04:20 AM

Hi,
It was fun reading articles,Forum discussions and people's comments.
Thanks for such a nice blog!!

Tia,
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(Reply to this)

StonetheCrow writes:
on Dec 27 2008 04:49 AM

Excellent list.
Who is this ' Evan Rachel Wood ' ?

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StonetheCrow writes:
on Dec 27 2008 04:54 AM

Oh wait, I remember.
She's the boring lady in that crap sandwich ' Across the Universe ' , right ?
THAT good ? Wow.

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jokerboy1991 writes:
on Dec 27 2008 09:42 AM

RUMBLE FISH!

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rt_hire_me writes:
on Dec 27 2008 10:28 AM

Great actor, plays the rugged character in a way that's genuine. I had to look up the director for Deer Hunter because I thought it was Scorcese. I'd love to see a feature on "What happened to Michael Cimino". He directed one of the seminal movies of our time, then *poof*.

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lancerbird13 writes:
on Dec 27 2008 10:56 AM

In reply to this comment (#2207659)
to answer your question as to what happened to Michael Cimino, I have two words for you: Heaven's Gate.

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tomwaitsjr writes:
on Dec 27 2008 12:23 PM

I don't technically believe that "Across the Universe" is actually a film. i thought she(Wood) was good in it, not great. The only thing I really liked was Eddie Izzard making "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite" his own. Otherwise, yes, that was a crapfest.

It may be noted that Rourke acted in Cimino's version of "Desperate Hours."

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markbart0305 writes:
on Dec 27 2008 06:09 PM

In reply to this comment (#2207758)
It wasn't only Heaven's Gate. I recently saw Desperate Hours, which Rourke starred in alongside Anthony Hopkins. It was a very mediocre film. The directing was all over the place, never really focusing on establishing tension within the confines of the plot, resulting in a film that was good on paper, but lazily executed.

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ledawg1138 writes:
on Dec 27 2008 06:16 PM

Mmmm, crap sandwich.

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eltouche writes:
on Dec 28 2008 07:40 AM

Nice call with 'Lonely are the brave' ... haven't seen that in years. A solid film.

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thejerk1126 writes:
on Dec 28 2008 04:39 PM

In reply to this comment (#2206931)
you young kids don't understand why he picked the movies he did.The GOdfather is long but it's one of the first if not the first movies to tell two stories aqt the same time.You see the godfather growing up and the way things were when he first came to America.Most movies these days are based on the same formula, especially action movies.They cut so fast I can't understand what's happenening.It's ruining movies because people just don't have the attention span they used to.Watch a music video and you can't even grasp what's happening because they don't keep the same shot for more than the blink of an eye.The Godfather is one of the best movies ever made.

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Funky_Monk writes:
on Dec 28 2008 06:55 PM

I love these Favorite Film things. It's always great to see the film geek come out of these cinema icons for the film geeks who strive to become cinema icons. :)

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rodge d. writes:
on Dec 29 2008 06:00 AM

he looks like a lesbian taking hormones in that picture.

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reapermad writes:
on Dec 29 2008 07:52 AM

Mickey rourke is easily my favorite actor of the 80's. So many people need to rewatch his work. Just an amazing actor. His most underrated film: Johnny Handsome. The ending of that film just tears me up.

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nathanpoitras writes:
on Dec 29 2008 01:18 PM

Haven't seen The Wrestler yet (not in my city yet) but I'm pretty sure it will be the best Mickey Rourke film ever made or ever to be made.

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The Truth About Jack Hair writes:
on Dec 29 2008 01:27 PM

Funny, I thought this year belonged to Robert Downey Jr's comeback. Oh wait, who is bringing in the box office? Yeah, that's right.

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Wheaton J. writes:
on Dec 30 2008 01:11 AM

In reply to this comment (#2212123)
Most underated,easy, RUMBLE FISH!!!

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mzpad writes:
on Dec 30 2008 04:46 PM

For those of you too young to remember Mickey Rourke at his best, rent "Barfly", "Nine 1/2 Weeks", or "The Pope of Greenwich Village"!! He really was one the best actors in the late 1980s! Can't wait for "The Wrestler" to come to our area, altho' he sure doesn't look like he used to look!! Patti

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LillyVon writes:
on Dec 30 2008 05:27 PM

In reply to this comment (#2206485)
Why would you bother saying that? Having a bad day and just need to be a sour puss?

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Dharshana K. writes:
on Dec 30 2008 09:43 PM

seems she has a knack for getting along well with older actors onscreen. I really liked her in King of California, as Michael Douglas's daughter. She looked very authentic and un-hollywood like.

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Tim P. writes:
on Dec 31 2008 07:41 AM

To the earlier comments about Evan Rachel Wood. A lot of great actors have been in crap sandwiches. As far as her performance in the wrestler it was genuine and heartfelt. I really felt the damage in the relationship she had with her father and mickey's performance was like looking in on a persons life without them knowing. He made that character real on so many levels. Great movie.

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Timothy M. writes:
on Jan 03 2009 11:25 AM

As a neighbor of Mickey's back in the '70's, I can certify that he is one of the most eccentric actors of his day. However, he is also one of the best. Unfortunately ashis own worst enemy he has stunted what could have been one of the great careers in the business. That said, if you haven't seen him in The Pope of Greenich Village, you really are in for a treat. And "The Wrestler", leaves us hope for him in the future.

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tomwaitsjr writes:
on Jan 04 2009 12:14 PM

I love how "The Pope of Greenwich Village" ends. I was like. . . What? that's it? Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

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danyull writes:
on Jan 07 2009 09:03 AM

In reply to this comment (#2206931)
Your WHOLE generation hates The Godfather? You sure about that? Well, I was born in 1989, and I own all the whole Godfather trilogy. But, I suppose you would know what every single person in your generation would think about that movie. You seem to be that intelligent.

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Jake D. writes:
on Jan 08 2009 11:13 AM

I just registered with RT this moment to share in celebration with Mickey Rourke the 1962 Dalton Trumbo/Kirk Douglas/Walter Matthau picture LONELY ARE THE BRAVE. Truly a masterpiece, one of the finest I've ever seen. So glad the people who have seen it remember it and hold it in such high esteem. The back half of the flicks plot is virtually cribbed in First Blood some 20 years later (which is no barometer for how great Lonely Are the Brave is, but a clear similarity). As Rourke alluded to, the film is considered by Douglas as his favorite of his own films. Not only that, I've heard Michael Douglas talk about how the film is one of his favorites of his father, an under appreciated gem that he equates with his own film Falling Down (in terms of a flick never getting the due recognition it deserves). The final shot of Lonely Are the Brave is flat out seared into my brain, I love it so. The shame however, the flick is NOT available on DVD - you have to keep your eyes peeled and hope to catch on cable and DVR it for good.

The other picks are just about as perfect as you can get from a guy like Rourke, don't you think? Big ups Mick!

Can't wait to peep The Wrestler!

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Jen Yamato writes:
on Jan 08 2009 03:29 PM

Jake D., glad you joined us! I'm really loving all of these reactions to Mickey Rourke's 5 Faves...I love doing this series and finding the film geek within a celebrity!

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tfan27 writes:
on Jan 08 2009 05:53 PM

Mickey is right about Evan Rachel Wood. Across the Universe was a very light movie so she couldn't really show her acting chops too much in it. But if you watch Thirteen or pretty much any other movie she's been in, you'll see that she's a phenomenal actress.

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D D. writes:
on Mar 25 2009 08:42 PM

Great list, great actor.

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D D. writes:
on Mar 25 2009 08:46 PM

In reply to this comment (#2212669)
We're talking about acting here, not the box office.

(Reply to this)

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