Jake Gyllenhaal, one of Hollywood’s greatest actors, picks his movies carefully. Over 25 years (more if you count his minor roles in his dad’s movies), he has made a dozen great films, with “Brokeback Mountain’, “Prisoners” and ‘Nightcrawler” being bona fide classics, and “Lovely and Amazing,” “Jarhead,” “End of Watch,” “Zodiac,” “October Sky,” “Source Code,” “Stronger,” “Wildlife” and the just released “The Covenant,” being among the best films of the past two decades. With this list, it is astonishing that he has only garnered a single Oscar Nomination – Best Supporting Actor for “Brokeback Mountain.”
The rest of his work ranges from moderately interesting: “The Good Girl” (2002), “The Day After Tomorrow” (2004), “Enemy” (2013), “Everest” (2015), “Nocturnal Animals” (2016), “Okja” (2017, and “The Sister Brothers” (2018) to bad: “Moonlight Mile” (2002), “Proof” (2005), “Rendition” (2007), “Brothers” (2009), “Love and Other Drugs” (2010), “Accidental Love” (2015), “Demolition” (2015), “Southpaw” (2015), “Life” (2017), “The Guilty” (2021), and “Ambulance” (2022) to trash: “Highway” (2002) and “Velvet Buzzsaw” (2019) to he did it for the money: “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” (2010), “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019), and “Spider-Man: No Way Out” (2021)
He is the proud owner of two cult movies, both from the same year: “Donnie Darko” (2001) and “Bubble Boy” (2001).
Of note, three of his worst movies are remakes of Danish originals (how did that happen?), so maybe he should stay away from those in the future.
In the fifty-four years since Dyan Cannon won the first won Best Supporting Actress in NY in 1969, fourteen of their choices have failed to get a nomination.
Alec Guinness, Dennis Price, Charles Laughton, and Laurence Harvey were all known to be gay throughout their careers. Their adoring public may have felt there was something.
