Prodigious Filmdom 5: Brad Pitt Characters

I’m listing my five favorite Brad Pitt characters in celebration of his new film, Ad Astra, hitting theaters. I started to think of how far Pitt has come in the cinematic world. It all began way back in 1991 with his feature film debut in a small role in Thelma & Louise as a pretty boy up to no good.

Through the years, he has made sure to never be caged in romantic comedies or taking on stale characters with nothing to say. Believe it or not, only recently has he become an Oscar winner and it’s not for what you think it is. Pitt was a producer on 12 Years A Slave, and since it won Best Picture in 2014, he was able to finally touch that golden man (not the one in his pants, ladies). Frankly, it can be argued that some of his best work has come from the past seven years, and he’s assuredly not stopping anytime soon.

So wouldn’t it be a delight to take a look at the five best Brad Pitt characters he’s brought in to our lives so far?

Absolutely!

BILLY BEANE

(Moneyball)

There’s no flash here. In Bennett Miller’s baseball drama, he commands every scene as the General Manager of the Oakland A’s. With every move and flow of dialogue, an accumulation of aptitude is front and center. This sharp and funny inside look at baseball and those willing to challenge the establishment is dynamite and Pitt provides the explosion.

LT. ALDO RAINE

(Inglourious Basterds)

Yes I know. The world will never forget Christoph Waltz and his extraordinarily terrifying Col. Hans Landa. Rightfully so. Yet, in Tarantino’s entertainingly unmerciful film, we see a side of Pitt we have not seen since Snatch. This isn’t his kind of genre, but I’ll be damned if he doesn’t fit right in. From the accent and twisted humor to his brutal artwork with a knife, Raine is outrageous, but so is the entire atmosphere he is playing in. You can’t help but entrust and appreciate his willingness to go for it.

BENJAMIN BUTTON
(The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

You’re probably thinking this shouldn’t count because most of this performance is done on a computer. I appreciate your concern, but back off! David Fincher’s epic fantasy is ground-breaking and Pitt’s transformation is simply astonishing to see on screen. Beneath the EFX and make-up is a brilliantly beautiful performance of holding on to moments in a backwards, complicated life where love seems impossible. Maybe you can’t recognize Pitt’s face in each scene; nonetheless, his talent, heart and soul is bursting through.

TYLER DURDEN
(Fight Club)

Here we are again. This became Fincher and Pitt’s second time teaming up (their first time was Seven) with a crazy, controversial social satire about self-absorption. It’s a cult classic now and it’s Pitt we all remember. To be in such an inventive, bracing film, his portrayal of Tyler is magnetic and mercurial, making him unforgettable. Now that’s impressive. And this is coming from a guy who liked Fight Club but didn’t love it.

JACKIE
(Killing Them Softly)

This might appear to be the most surprising entry on my list. Most of you probably don’t even remember this film, and on the slight chance you do, you probably didn’t see it anyway. So, this is the time to search it out and watch it. Pitt’s Jackie is a human sledgehammer used to restore order for the Mob after some cash is stolen causing the criminal economy to collapse. While Andrew Dominik’s film is diverting, stylish, and turbulent, Pitt’s calmness may be the most unnerving of them all. He knows exactly where he stands in the world and the abhorrent business he represents. Beginning with the previews of the film and the Johnny Cash tune in it, Jackie and the man playing him are the definition of cool.

Now all I ask is for you take a moment out of your day to please Cherish the Pitt.