Worst big-name actor working

Casey Affleck, on the other hand, is incredible.

 

Cage had a good run in the mid-90s. Maybe not the best movies, but some enjoyable and rewatchable ones (The Rock, Face/Off, Con Air).
But the longer his career goes, that Oscar for "Leaving Las Vegas" looks more and more like Brady Anderson hitting 50 home runs, doesn't it?

 

Looking at acting Oscars, especially the last 15-20 years, it seems more of the right actor finding the right role. You don't see that many traditional leading actors winning, rather you see the Ben Kingsleys, Forrest Whittakers, Kathy Bates, Marion Cottilard, etc. Used to be the categories were filled with A-Listers and they'd throw a bone to an "outsider." Now it's the other way around. It's a lot easier for someone without a lot of career baggage to be "discovered."

 

Completely disagree. Cage makes his share of bad films, but check out

Lord of War
The Weatherman
Adaptation
Family Man

I know I'm probably in the minority, but I liked both National Treasure movies.

 

Cage's Oscar can't really be considered an anomaly since he's been nominated twice...

 

I liked Cage in Matchstick Men - of course he was playing someone with OCD.

 

Another good one... I get the sense Cage does one film for himself and then he does one for the check... If the film is good and he gets a huge check, that's a bonus.

His bad movies do pretty well at the Box Office...

 

I voted for Reeves. Outside of the Matrix, I haven't liked a lot of his stuff.

 

And SC, you are dead to me. Con Air is my favorite guilty pleasure movie out there.

 

Con Air is the greatest movie of all time and I will not tolerate anyone saying anything less. Sure, a case COULD be made for Citizen Kane but I don't even think it's close.

 

While this is a tempting choice, as is Nicolas Cage, I've got to go with Ben Stiller.

"Night at the Museum" was funny. And that ends the tolerable filmlogue of the untalented spawn of Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.

 

I'll defend Owen Wilson inasmuch as I'm a huge Wes Anderson fan, and he fits those films very well.

John Travolta has milked a hell of a career out of two good performances: "Saturday Night Fever" and "Pulp Fiction." Outside of those, meh.

If we include actresses it's a walkover for Nicole Kidman. Her performance in "Eyes Wide Shut" was one of the most distractingly awful things I've ever seen.