NEWSLETTER
In my college years, I became obsessed with Paul Thomas Anderson’s films. To this day, “Magnolia” remains my favorite movie of all time. The love for PTA was, in no small part, thanks to the consistently magnificent performances of Philip Seymour Hoffman. The roles were sometimes leading – “The Master” – and sometimes supporting – “Magnolia,” “Boogie Nights” – and sometimes so small you’d miss him if you blinked (and if he weren’t so damn captivating every time he was on the screen) – “Hard Eight.” Sometimes he jumped out of an otherwise spotty movie – “Punch Drunk Love” – and lived into a character so completely that you’d watch it again just to see that guy. And those are just the PTA movies!
Damn. It was incredibly tough to hear yesterday that, at age 46, Hoffman had died. He could carry the biggest lead you could throw at him – “Capote” or “Love Liza” or “Synecdoche, New York” – or he could steal the scene with the smallest, must subtle bit part – “The Big Lebowski” or “Hard Eight” – and I haven’t even mentioned “Almost Famous” or “Moneyball” or “Patch Adams” or “Doubt” or “Charlie Wilson’s War” or … it’s too much. Too many fantastic performances. I am so bummed.
You know, if the Cubs finally made it to the World Series again, only to get blasted like this … I'd still take it.
— Brett Taylor (@BleacherNation) February 3, 2014
