Pollock (2000)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Ed Harris

Writers (WGA):

Steven Naifeh (book) and
Gregory White Smith (book) ...

Release Date:

18 May 2001 (Poland)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

A True Portrait of Life and Art.

Plot:

A film about the life and career of the American painter, Jackson Pollock.

Plot Keywords:

Life Magazine | Artist | New York City | 1940s | Painting

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Ed Harris	...	Jackson Pollock
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Lee Krasner
Tom Bower	...	Dan Miller
Jennifer Connelly	...	Ruth Kligman
Bud Cort	...	Howard Putzel
John Heard	...	Tony Smith
Val Kilmer	...	Willem DeKooning
Robert Knott	...	Sande Pollock
David Leary	...	Charles Pollock
Amy Madigan	...	Peggy Guggenheim
Sally Murphy	...	Edith Metzger
Molly Regan	...	Arloie Pollock
Stephanie Seymour	...	Helen Frankenthaler
Matthew Sussman	...	Reuben Kadish
Jeffrey Tambor	...	Clem Greenberg

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

122 min | Germany:132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:16 | Malaysia:U | Canada:18+ (Ontario) | Australia:MA | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 | South Korea:15 (original rating) (cut) | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | UK:18 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

East Hampton, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Brant-Allen

Trivia:

Ed Harris had to gain about 30 lbs. to do the later scenes in the movie when Jackson Pollock is an alcoholic.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: We see a post-1958 Chevrolet truck (with four headlights) when Pollock takes the sick dog to the veterinarian in 1956.

Quotes:

Lee Krasner: Jackson Pollock, I'm Lee Krasner. I thought I knew all the outstanding artists in New York and I don't know Jackson Pollock.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Sean Hayes/Shaggy (#26.12)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

He's Funny That Way

Great Artist, Lousy Person

Jackson Pollock was not a likable person. He was an alcoholic, an adulterer, an egotist and simply a plain jerk. He also was a pioneer in the field of modern art, so he became famous and hence, even had this movie about his life.

Ed Harris, a jerk himself, was a good choice for the role. Harris, who looks like Pollock, did a fine job of portraying this "tormented" soul, a word critics love to use for famous artists (see Van Gogh).

This was an interesting film and I watched it twice. It inspired me to become an artist and I did a handful of Pollock imitations, several of which sold for a decent price. I love Pollock's work, and I enjoy character studies of people on film . But this gets a little sordid as the film goes on with a definitely-unhappy ending.

Hat's off to Marcia Gay Harden for her performance as Pollock's wife. She has the New York City accent down pat. She is shown worshiping her husband and it's painful to see her get hurt.

The story is a bit soap operish but if you enjoy art, and especially Pollock's work, you'll find this story fascinating. More than one look, however, changes the canvas, so to speak. The story, more than the art, then will come through more and that can be too much of a downer. So, visit this "art show" once and leave it at that.