The late James Caan had a massive body of work with some truly outstanding gems that may have flown under the radar for some. Having starred in a number of film and TV projects in his early career, Caan had his breakthrough performance in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather, playing Sonny Corleone, the hot-headed brother to Al Pacino's Michael Corleone. From there, Caan's career took off, netting a number of strong roles that would cement him as a true Hollywood star.
Born in New York in 1940, Caan has had a long career of playing gruff, intemperate, and rebellious characters, be it mobsters, hitmen, cops, or otherwise. The actor had a great year in 1975, starring opposite Barbara Streisand in the hit Funny Lady, Robert Duvall in The Killer Elite, and both Maud Adams and John Beck in the sci-fi action film Rollerball. He would go on to appear in films by Steven Spielberg, Rob Reiner, Warren Beatty, Wes Anderson, James Grey, Christopher McQuarrie, Jon Favreau, and Lars von Trier, among others.
James Caan ed away on July 6th at the age of 82, leaving behind a diverse legacy of work. Best known to modern audiences for his work in the long-running TV series Las Vegas and his role as Buddy the Elf's father in Elf, Caan has a lot of hidden and forgotten gems in his filmography, many of which served to make him the household name he is. Below are some of his notable roles that are oft-forgotten or rarely seen, but left an indelible mark on his career.
Rollerball (1975)
Directed by Norman Jewison and based on a script by William Harrison, Rollerball was a big hit for Caan, made even bigger when he won his first and only Oscar for the role. Taking place in a violent corporate-controlled world where the game of rollerball is king, Caan played Jonathan E., a star player in the sport who rebels against those that want to keep him (and the world) in his place. Caan showed an emotional toughness that stretched beyond a simple, unbeatable action hero. This gave a depth to Jonathan E. that was essential to the story, which revolved around individualism and the power that a single person can represent. Bloody and brutal, Rollerball is regarded as a classic of the genre, still reigning superior long after its time, with the 2002 John McTiernan movie not even coming close to topping the original James Cann movie.
Thief (1981)
Directed by Michael Mann (Miami Vice, Heat, Collateral), Thief stars Cann as a safe-cracking master thief who attempting to retire after one last big score for the mob. Things get tricky when his fence is murdered by a local gangster and he's forced to work for him in order to get his money back. It's a strong neo-noir feature for Mann, who would later exhibit this filmmaking style with the Miami Vice TV series and later films, which makes ample use of the underground criminal world filled with anxious tension and explosive violence. A mesmerizing score by Tangerine Dream helps illuminate the film, as well as Caan's performance, playing a man stuck between his criminal lifestyle and a family life he desires. It all ends in a beautifully-orchestrated finale that lets Caan shine in the director's dark and violent aesthetic, which has made Thief an underappreciated Michael Mann gem.
Alien Nation (1988)
In Alien Nation, Caan plays Matthew Sykes, a gruff L.A. cop who has to show his new alien partner, Sam (Mandy Patinkin), the ropes as the city integrates their visitors from another world into their daily lives. Played out as a buddy-cop action movie, the alien invasion concept works wonderfully here, giving the standard tropes more life with a fish-out-of-water story as Sykes and Sam bond over life, family, and work, all while being two completely different species. Terence Stamp is great as the main villain and the film capitalizes on the charisma and interactions of Caan and Patinkin, making it one of Caan's best team-up films of his career. The action is strong, the concept inspired, and Caan shines in the role of the wise-yet-rebellious cop. Playing much like a Lethal-Weapon-with-aliens, Alien Nation would later spawn a TV series and put another feather in the cap of Caan's career.
Misery (1990)
Based on the novel by Stephen King, Caan plays Paul Sheldon in Misery, a romance novelist who travels to a remote area in Colorado to finish his final book in a long-running series, but finds himself crashed and injured on the way out. He awakens in a remote home owned by Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), an obsessed fan who caused the author's crash in order to make him a prisoner in her home. Injured and dealing with a psychopath, Caan's Sheldon must find a way to escape, creating a dilemma that unfolds with palpable intensity from director Rob Reiner. Caan is at his most vulnerable here, playing a myriad of emotions in a cat-and-mouse game of survival amidst crushing circumstances. Bates rightfully won an Oscar for her part in Misery as Wilkes and Caan plays against her with precision in one of his most memorable and distinctive roles that veered away from the tough-guy persona to a more relatable every-man type character.
The Way of the Gun (2000)
This James Cann movie is the first directorial effort from Christopher McQuarrie after writing The Usual Suspects. The Way of the Gun is one of the best crime thrillers of the last few decades that is frequently overlooked. Starring Ryan Phillippe and Benicio del Toro as Parker and Longbaugh, two guns for hire that get embroiled in a kidnapping-for-ransom of a pregnant surrogate woman (Juliette Lewis) who is carrying the baby for a high-level criminal (Scott Wilson). What follows is a dangerous back-and-forth that has Parker and Longbaugh facing an army of hitmen led by Caan, with the prize being the ransom. Caan has some amazing scenes here, acting as the old and wizened hitman who tries to make things easy for Parker and Longbaugh, showing a sense of shared perspective with them, but also a window into what they could become. Caan is a rock in The Way of the Gun, which also features one of the best finale gun battles ever put to film (and frequently forgotten about).
Elf (2003)
Jon Favreau's Christmas comedy, Elf is a staple of the genre, watched endlessly by millions of people every holiday season. Starring Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf, a human raised as an elf in the North Pole who goes to New York City to find his real father, Walter Hobbs, played by Caan. In what would seem like a fairly formulaic role, Caan ends up serving as the heart of the film, as Hobbs must contend with his selfish and emotionally unavailable ways, as it begins to affect everyone around him once Buddy arrives. The comedy in the film is top-notch, particularly from Ferrell, but James Caan delivers some great dry humor and a truly heartfelt performance that helps make Elf the Christmas comedy classic that it is. As sad as it is to say goodbye to such a great actor, it is a welcome treat to know that audiences will continue to enjoy his work every year with Elf, as well as his other notable films spanning over 60 years.
