Danny DeVito: Five Films for Newcomers
Happy birthday to Danny DeVito! Here are his five best roles:
5) Frank Reynolds
4) Frank Reynolds
3) Frank Reynolds
2) Frank Reynolds
1) The Warthog, aka Frank Reynolds
Okay, so we’re a film specific website that only occasionally dabbles with television, and placing DeVito’s work in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is kind of cheating. Let’s actually look at his film works. What I’ve found is that DeVito has been a fantastic character actor that fits the supporting role in films so effortlessly. He essentially knows what exactly a film calls for, and how he can bring his very best capabilities usually not as the leading role. So, I will do something a little different for today’s edition of Five Films for Newcomers, but it won’t be Frank Reynolds five times. Instead, I’m finding it very difficult to rank such starkly different performances; it feels a bit silly this time around. So, I’ll just use five different examples of what Danny DeVito can bring to the table (all film examples), and they won’t be ranked in any order. Let’s try our best! Here are five films for newcomers of the works of Danny DeVito.
Hercules: Voice Acting
Whether it’s Homer’s ruined brother Herb in the second season of The Simpsons or one of the very few redeemable elements of Space Jam, DeVito’s signature voice was clearly meant to be a part of the animation world. One great example is as the titular demi-god’s sidekick Phil in Disney’s Hercules. Supplied as comic relief within the spaces of the protagonists (Hades was far too charming to be a villain), DeVito is immediately recognizable and beloved in this wholesome, silly take on Hercules’ various trials.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: Complete Transformation
Even though he has signature traits, something that DeVito isn’t credited with enough is the occasional time he completely disappears into a role. One such case is his breakthrough work in the Best Picture winning One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Entirely unrecognizable, DeVito plays patient Martini, who is constantly stealing each scene that he is prominent in. Loveable and sympathetic, Martini is well intentioned but accidentally an instigator; mischief is something DeVito excels in as well.
Matilda: Direct Himself
It’s no secret that DeVito is also a notable director and quite the producer (attached to works like Pulp Fiction and Erin Brockovich. It’s also an understated capability to be able to direct one’s self in a feature, and a great example of DeVito doing just this is as the vile Harry Wormwood in his adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda. He is the perfect mixing of awful and hilarious, without mugging to the camera too much or being entirely unlikeable either. I can guarantee his nonsense and lies were a major part of many millennial childhoods, and we all loved to hate him.
L.A. Confidential: Take On Dramatic Roles
As funny as DeVito can be, it’s also nice to see what he can deliver in more serious roles, say Terms of Endearment or The Rainmaker. The example I’m picking today is his work as the slimy tabloid publisher Sid Hudgens in L.A. Confidential. Also a narrator of sorts, DeVito is somewhat his eccentric self here, but he dials his performance back and delivers heavy hitting emotion and tension exactly when needed. It’s a balancing act of tone that he is just oh-so good at.
Batman Returns: Create the Absurd
Then, there’s letting Danny DeVito just go all in into the insane, and seeing what comes out on the other side. This doesn’t happen too often, not even with Tim Burton (who usually has DeVito going fully comedic, or partially dramatic). There’s the occasional example, including his first tenure with DeVito in Batman Returns as The Penguin. Matching Burton’s dark visuals perfectly, DeVito is completely deranged here, making for one of the most interesting comic villains before the twenty first century. I may be tempting fate here, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Danny DeVito get unhinged (outside of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, that is) more often.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.