Journalism of Courage
DENNIS LIM
If there is one facet of Brad Pitt that could be considered somewhat obscure,it may be oddly enoughhis acting career. For much of his two decades in the spotlight,since his breakthrough as a ripped,sweet-talking grifter in Thelma and Louise (1991) and even more so since Mr. and Mrs. Smith,a movie that spawned a tabloid cottage industry,Pitt has been a star first and an actor second. His every move,often with a hard-to-miss entourage that includes his partner,Angelina Jolie,and their six childrenprovides endless fodder for the celebrity media. But the Brad Pitt on screen remains surprisingly elusive.
The central contradiction can be summed up thus: Pitt is a superstar who also happens to be something of a wild card. Although he has not shied from big rolesthey dont come much bigger than Achilles (Troy) or Death (Meet Joe Black) he has often sought the camaraderie of ensembles,as in the Oceans movies and Inglourious Basterds. People seldom talk about his range,but hes equally capable of flamboyance (12 Monkeys) and restraint (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). At 48,Pitt has been nominated for an Academy Award twice. Hes poised to earn a best actor nod for his coolly commanding turn in Moneyball as Billy Beane,the iconoclastic general manager of the Oakland As. Hes a longer shot in the supporting category,for his role in The Tree of Life,as an authoritarian 1950s Texas father.
In an interview in December,Pitt said he was grateful that both films,are figuring in awards-season conversations. Im just happy after all the work,and for the friends who put so much work into it all, he said. Ive been around long enough to know its very fickle and its a cyclical wheel, he said.
Fatherhood is what links Pitts roles in Moneyball and The Tree of Life which suggests that advancing age,at least for certain actors,can be a boon. Thats certainly not my father, he said of the films clenched patriarch. But I do understand the father-knows-best mentality,the oppression the father figure can have on his kids,the pressures he is under to be the leader and feeling like hes falling short and having wants and desires himself. The marvel of Pitts performance is how vividly this knot of contradictory impulses registers amid the often wordless drift of Terrence Malicks fragmentary reverie. I think its fair to say that mostly hes excelled at character work, Bennett Miller,the director of Moneyball,said. Calling Pitts performance an inside-out job, Miller said,I really do think he reveals more of who he is here than in any other performance.
Pitt said David Finchers Seven was the first film where I recognised the feeling of when things are clicking. Fincher has also directed him in Fight Club and Benjamin Button. So much of it is written off as natural magnetism, Fincher said of what he called the cant-take-your-eyes-off-them quotient of movie stars like Pitt. People dont realise how much of that is part of the conduit hes providing for the audience to connect to
the character. In a 1999 Rolling Stone profile Pitt talked about his fight to avoid becoming a personality. Reminded of this goal,he said,I do remember being very conscious of that. For actors whose off-screen selves shadow their every role,he added,Theres baggage youve got to get out of the way before you start seeing the character. Pitt said he tries to keep a tunnel vision on the work. I want to make things,and I want them to say something. I dont think beyond that, he said.
Dede Gardner,Pitts partner at Plan B,his production company described the company as a safe haven for filmmakers with unconventional ideas. He helps interesting films get made. This driven,multitasking Hollywood player of today is a far cry from the overwhelmed newcomer of 20 years ago. I hid out a lot, Pitt said.
I was uncomfortable with the focus, he said. But there are a lot of nice things that can be done with it,and I accept it. Its part of our business.
