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News / Columns / Five Favorite Films
Five Favorite Films with Mickey Rourke
Chatting with the Golden Globe-nominated star of The Wrestler
by Jen Yamato | December 26, 2008
Discuss Article
Mickey Rourke

Thanks to his powerful turn in Darren Aronofsky's critically-acclaimed drama The Wrestler, Mickey Rourke has become the year's biggest comeback kid. It's a story not lost on critics and pundits, who place Rourke's washed-up ex-ring champ Randy "The Ram" Robinson among the year's best performances; the tragic portrait of a proud man living in the shadow of his former glory has proven a much-needed career redemption for Rourke, for whom success had been elusive in the decades since Diner and Rumble Fish. Mickey 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. "It's a movie I'm very proud of," Rourke said. "It's the best movie I've ever made, the hardest movie I've ever made. I think Darren Aronofsky is one of the best directors I've ever worked with. I'd put him right up there with [Michael] Cimino, [Francis Ford] Coppola and Adrian Lyne."

The Wrestler is currently in limited release and is Certified Fresh at 98 percent on the Tomatometer.


The Deer Hunter (1978, 91% Tomatometer)
The Deer Hunter The Deer Hunter. I think the subject matter was very interesting. The way Michael Cimino works, he just got so much out of his actors, especially De Niro, Walken, and John Cazale, even secondary characters like the French guy in the movie. I've probably seen the movie 30 times, and you're just on the edge of your seat the whole time, you don't know what's going to happen next. I think the interesting relationship that Walken and De Niro had with Meryl Streep is very complex. Really great movies are made out of special moments, and there were just so many moments in the movie, like when Chris Walken broke down when they were asking him his family's name while he's sitting in the window. I always remember that. The way that Bobby De Niro went back to rescue his friend. I think the movie had a lot of layers and a lot of integrity, and I think the love these men had for one another was so real you could identify with it. It was like going back to get your brother, you know?

The Godfather (1972, 100% Tomatometer)
The Godfather I love the first Godfather movie, part one. And two. Another great director, Coppola. And then of course, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro. I had heard the stories about how they wanted a whole other cast, and Francis was under the gun and he rose to the occasion. He got great performances out of Pacino, and De Niro was unbelievable. All the secondary guys from Joe Spinell to Michael Gazzo. The casting was impeccable. He got a lot of great performances from people who were just getting into the business themselves.

Duvall, everybody had so many layers. The performance he got out of Lee Strasberg, who never really did much acting in front of the camera. When I was in the Actor's Studio, the only actor that Lee actually spoke to was Al, so [Coppola] used the relationship that the two had and that was quite interesting.


Lonely Are The Brave (1962, 100% Tomatometer)
Lonely Are The Brave There was a movie Kirk Douglas did that I loved a lot, Lonely Are the Brave. You'll have to look that one up. I actually met him about 14 years ago, and he actually said that was his favorite movie.


RT: Just like you have said that The Wrestler is your favorite movie of your own .

MR: Hands down. It's kind of nice being able to say that after so many years of my answer being: "I haven't made it yet." [Darren] surrounded me with a great stunt coordinator, and he took the time [for me] to put all the muscle on and to learn how to wrestle, and the scenes that he allowed me to rewrite.

RT: Which scenes did you rewrite?

MR: The scenes with Evan Rachel Wood and the speech at the end. Working with Evan, she's only 21 and she's just so f***ing professional. She's so good and each take she got better and better. She's probably the best actress I've ever worked with.

RT: She's tremendous for her age.

MR: She's tremendous for even beyond her age.


On the Waterfront (1954, 100% Tomatometer)
On the Waterfront

I really liked On the Waterfront, I have to put that up there. Those great scenes with Marlon Brando and Rod Steiger. Really great scenes with Marlon Brando and Eva Marie Saint.


Gilda (1946, 96%)
Gilda There's an old movie that Rita Hayworth was in that I really loved because I thought she was just smokin' in it. [Gilda.] She just reminds me of all the girls that I want to be with. It was a movie where she was driving all the men crazy. I was going crazy, too. [My] favorite female actresses: Rita Hayworth, Ingrid Bergman. And Evan Rachel Wood.



For the latest reviews, trailers, and news on The Wrestler, click here.

Want more Five Favorite Films? Check out previous installments with Don Cheadle, Robert Pattinson, Kevin Smith, and Judd Apatow.


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Darren Aronofsky
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Comments (1-20 of 40 posts) | Reply
FinalDestination019
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.

(Reply to this)
tomwaitsjr
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.



(Reply to this)
BathHouse
BathHouse writes:
on Dec 26 2008 06:43 PM

Got a thing for Brando.

(Reply to this)
indiephantom
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.

(Reply to this)
ledawg1138
ledawg1138 writes:
on Dec 26 2008 07:44 PM

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

(Reply to this)
snickerskicker
snickerskicker writes:
on Dec 26 2008 08:48 PM

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

(Reply to this)
Floor Man
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.


(Reply to this)
Almost.Famous
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.

(Reply to this)
acton acton
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.

(Reply to this)
acton acton
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.

(Reply to this)
tia s.
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!!

Tia,

[url=http://www.freecarforum.com]New Cars[/url]





(Reply to this)
tia s.
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,
New Cars



(Reply to this)
StonetheCrow
StonetheCrow writes:
on Dec 27 2008 04:49 AM

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


(Reply to this)
StonetheCrow
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.


(Reply to this)
jokerboy1991
jokerboy1991 writes:
on Dec 27 2008 09:42 AM

RUMBLE FISH!

(Reply to this)
rt_hire_me
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*.

(Reply to this)
lancerbird13
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.

(Reply to this)
tomwaitsjr
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."


(Reply to this)
markbart0305
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.

(Reply to this)
ledawg1138
ledawg1138 writes:
on Dec 27 2008 06:16 PM

Mmmm, crap sandwich.

(Reply to this)
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