With the beginning of a new year, people begin to consider the next step in life. No matter your profession, everybody wants to end their career on a high. The problem is, you can’t always get what you want. While some actors finished strong before retiring, others may have wished for a do-over.
One thing is clear: whether good or bad, a final film role certainly doesn't take away from the many accolades built up after a long career. That said, a good role can cement a legacy while a questionable call will keep people talking. At the end of the day, even the worst of films have their fans.
Gene Hackman - Welcome to Mooseport - 5.2
Rent on iTunes and Amazon Video.
Gene Hackman was nominated for five Academy Awards over the course of a career that started in the 60s. He took home Oscars for both Unforgiven. He retired in 2004 after the release of Welcome to Mooseport for health reasons at 74 years of age. Hackman is currently enjoying his retirement as a published novelist.
Hackman starred alongside Ray Romano in the forgettable Welcome to Mooseport. The movie follows a retired US president who decides to run for Mayor in his hometown of Mooseport, Maine. The movie bombed with critics earning just 13% on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 5.2 on IMDb. However, this political comedy does deliver a few laughs thanks to a strong cast and may be worth a watch if viewers are after some lighthearted, easy viewing comedy.
Cameron Diaz - Annie - 5.3
Stream on Roku
Diaz came out the gates S-ssss-ssss-sssss-smokin as Jim Carey’s love interest in 1994’s Annie.
The re-imagining of a classic story, Annie saw Diaz chewing scenery as the villainess Hannigan. Despite the fun performances and heartwarming story, audiences couldn't connect to the remake with an audience score of 59% on Grammy winner Jamie Foxx, the movie still ended up grossing $136,853,506 worldwide on a 65 million budget.
Jack Nicholson - How Do You Know - 5.4
Stream on Starz.
Jack Nicholson holds the lofty position as the One Flew Over The Cuckoo Nest, of Endearment, and As Good As It Gets. Starting his career in 1956, Nicholson walked away in 2010 after the romantic comedy How Do You Know.
From Director James L. Brooks, How Do You Know co-starred Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, and Owen Wilson so Nicholson bowed out in good company. The film follows a former U.S.A softball member past her prime evaluating her life in the middle of a love triangle. The star cast was unable to elevate the average comedy that grossed $48,668,907 worldwide on a $120 million budget, securing a rating of just 5.4 on IMDb.
Meg Ryan - Ithaca - 5.5
Rent on iTunes.
There's no denying that You've Got Mail she arguably kept the genre afloat single-handedly for over a decade. However, Ryan last appeared on the big screen back in 2015 with her directorial debut Ithaca.
Reuniting with frequent collaborator Tom Hanks and her son Jack Quaid, Ithaca has a 31% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and just a 5.5 rating on IMDb. The story follows a fourteen-year-old telegram messenger who comes of age in the summer of 1942 with his older brother off to war. The World War II drama is a nice enough watch, but never strays far from the beaten path.
Phoebe Cates - The Anniversary Party - 6.3
Stream on Kanopy.
Debuting as the go-to Hollywood crush for many a teenage boy in the 80s, Cates seemed to be on track for a long and lucrative career before calling it quits after appearing in just 13 movies on the silver screen. Starring in Gremlins and Drop Dead Fred, the actress retired in 1994 before making a final screen appearance to a friend in 2001.
The Anniversary Party follows a married couple going through an unexpected transformation during a party with their friends. The comedy is 61% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and co-stars Cates husband and fellow actor Kevin Kline along with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming. Strong acting leads the movie about a group of friends trying to figure out their lives.
Sidney Poitier - The Jackal - 6.4
Stream on IMDb TV.
Poitier got his start in Hollywood back in 1950 and is best known for his performances in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of the Night. He won an Oscar for 1963's Lilies of the Field and received an honorary award in 2002 for his extraordinary performances and unique presence on screen. Outside a few TV movies, he last appeared on the big screen in 1997.
The Jackal stars Poitier, Richard Gere, and Bruce Willis in one of his best action movies. Featuring J.K. Simmons and Jack Black, the action-thriller follows an imprisoned I.R.A. fighter who is freed to help stop a brutal, seemingly faceless assassin from completing his next job. The fast-paced thriller gives audiences exactly what they sign up for and makes a fun watch for fans of the genre.
Robert Redford - The Old Man & The Gun - 6.7
Rent on iTunes and Amazon Video.
After 84 acting credits and ten directed movies, Robert Redford announced he was hanging it up in 2018. His career saw him nominated for four Oscars with a Best Director victory for Ordinary People in 1980 along with an honorary award in 2002. Redford's charisma and presence were on full display in The Old Man & the Gun.
Based on a true story, the movie follows a bank robber and his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. The comedic caper has an audience rating of 6.3 on IMDb and sits at 93% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an audience score of 62%. Redford uses his charm once more to captivate audiences for a final time.
Amanda Bynes - Easy A - 7.0
Stream on HBO Max.
Hosting her own show at 13, it's hard to find any millennial who isn't familiar with Amanda Bynes. Leaving Nickelodeon, the actress would quickly find success on the big screen with comedies like What a Girl Wants, She's The Man, and Sydney White. Bynes would leave acting after 2010's Easy A due to struggles with her mental health. She is now a fashion school graduate.
In one of Amanda Bynes' forgotten movie roles, she added to the comic relief as a foil to the main character in the Emma Stone fronted comedy. Easy A follows a clean-cut high school student who relies on the school's rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing. The teen comedy was aided by a strong ing cast including Stanley Tucci, Lisa Kudrow, and Patricia Clarkson and harks back to classic high school comedies of the past.
Daniel Day Lewis - Phantom Thread - 7.5
Rent on iTunes and Amazon Video.
Day-Lewis was no stranger to successful acting when he called it quits back in 2017. Racking up 30 credits in a career starting in 1971, the actor was nominated for six Oscars. He won three for My Left Foot, Phantom Thread.
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, The movie follows a renowned dressmaker in 1950s London whose life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman who becomes his muse and lover. The refreshing adult love story holds a score of 7.5 on IMDb and is 91% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an audience score of 71%.
Joe Pesci - The Irishman - 7.8
Stream on Netflix.
When one thinks of gangster epics, one thinks of Joe Pesci. Known for his roles in The Irishman.
Directed by Martin Scorsese, The Irishman brought together Pesci, Robert De Niro, and Al Pacino in a movie nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Picture and acting nods for Pesci and Pacino. It follows a hit man looking back at the secrets he kept as a loyal member of the Bufalino crime family. The movie has an IMDb score of 7.8 and is 95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an audience score of 86%. The crime drama remains engaging despite a run-time (over three hours) and won't leave fans of the genre disappointed.
