With the release of “Last Flag Flying” in select theaters this weekend, and with “Battle of the Sexes” still in a number of theaters across the country, I thought I’d rank Steve Carell’s 10 Best Movies.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
1.) I haven’t seen every movie starring or featuring Steve Carell, but I think 20 is a pretty good number.
2.) This list doesn’t include animated films, though his voice work in “Over the Hedge”, “Horton Hears a Who!” and the “Despicable Me” movies is some of the best this century.
3.) I really like “Bewitched”, but Carell’s barely in it, so I’m not going to count it on this list.
1. “SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD” (2012)
In this indie drama, Carell starred alongside Keira Knightley as an unlikely pair who meet-up and spend the final days of the existence of the planet together. Carell’s performance is genuine, dramatic and wholesome.
2. “GET SMART” (2008)
One of my favorite movies of that year, this big screen version of the classic 60s TV series is, as the title suggests, smart. Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson and Alan Arkin all deliver in this fun and highly engaging action comedy.
3. “LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE” (2006)
Another Carell/Arkin film – this one earned Arkin the Supporting Actor Oscar. It’s a quirky, delightful road trip ensemble comedy, with an undeniable sense of spirit.
4. “THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE” (2013)
It’s a shame this sharp and unique magician comedy flat-out bombed at the box office. You’d think that with Carell and Jim Carrey back together (following “Bruce Almighty” and “Horton”), this would’ve been a smash hit.
5. “ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY” (2004)
Carell’s Brick isn’t one of my all-time favorite characters, but I laughed often while watching this modern cult classic for the first time in ’13 – to get ready for that year’s highly-anticipated sequel.
6. “BATTLE OF THE SEXES” (2017)
Emma Stone delivers a terrific performance as Billie Jean King, and Carell’s Bobby Riggs is quite the match, with a number of great lines and some poignant moments.
7. “LAST FLAG FLYING” (2017)
Though Carell does well with the tough role of a grieving father, who just lost his son due to war, this is really Bryan Cranston’s movie. The former “Breaking Bad” star has twice as many lines and twice as much screen time as the former “Office” star.
8. “THE WAY, WAY BACK” (2013)
In this coming-of-age indie, Carell plays the mean new boyfriend to the mom of 14-year-old Duncan. Carell’s vicious nature was really effective in a couple of intense, dramatic scenes.
9. “ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES” (2013)
Not as good as the original, but enough clever material.
10. “FOXCATCHER” (2014)
Carell earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his excellent performance as John DuPont. However, I wish the film actually focused more on DuPont (Carell, frankly, should’ve been in the Supporting Actor category instead).
Barely Missed the Cut: “The Big Short” and “Evan Almighty”