Happy Tuesday, dear readers! Each week, we’ll rank the top 10 films in a specific category. While we aim to tie these lists to big releases, that won’t always be the case. Our goal? For you to enjoy, share your own lists, and join in on a lively, friendly debate. This is an interactive space to build community here at The Contending.
No fancy intros, no long essays – just a category and a list. Sound good?
Gene Hackman was an acting legend. The 2-time Academy Award winner passed away on February 17 at the age of 95, leaving behind a long and illustrious career spanning more than 70 movies and TV shows over five decades. Though he had been retired for over 20 years, the mark he left on cinema remains undeniable.
My introduction to Gene Hackman was as Lex Luthor in Superman (1978), like many of us born in the mid-70s. But it was his portrayal of Coach Norman Dale in Hoosiers (1986) that made me fall in love with the man. Hackman was the kind of actor who could inhabit any role. From the tough-as-nails Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection (1971) to the paranoid and meticulous Harry Caul in The Conversation (1974), from comedic turns in Young Frankenstein (1974) to The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), there was nothing Hackman couldn’t do.
Here’s to Gene Hackman, a legend and an icon of American cinema. May he rest in peace.
10. Captain Ramsey – Crimson Tide (1995)
9. Buck Barrow – Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
8. Reverend Frank Scott – The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
7. Rupert Anderson – Mississippi Burning (1988)
6. Lex Luthor – Superman (1978)
5. Royal Tenenbaum – The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
4. Norman Dale – Hoosiers (1986)
3. Little Bill Daggett – Unforgiven (1992)
2. Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle – The French Connection (1971)
1. Harry Caul – The Conversation (1974)
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