Flashback Five - The Best Harrison Ford Roles You've Never Seen
Harrison Ford is best known for his roles as Han Solo and Indiana Jones, but if you really look at his résumé, you can't help but notice he's made some very interesting choices in between doing multi-million-dollar blockbusters. With Crossing Over opening this week (starring Ford as an L.A. immigration cop), we here at Flashback Five thought we'd take account of his lesser-known roles.
1. Allie Fox, The Mosquito Coast (1986)
In this Peter Weir drama, Ford takes all his charm and charisma and flips it inside out, as he plays a father who moves with his family to Central America in search of a dream. Ford's rule-breaking maverick is bent on living free.
2. John Book, Witness (1985)
As a cop in Pennsylvania Amish country, Ford delivers one of his greatest stealth performances, sneaking romance, good humor, and real emotion into ticking-clock suspense. His scenes opposite Kelly McGillis's widow have a sweet sadness to them.
3. Henry Turner, Regarding Henry (1991)
The plot's pure cliché, as a corporate heel takes a bullet to the brain and awakens from a coma as a wide-eyed amnesiac innocent. But Ford's performance consists of more than just warmed-over sentiment. (Imagine Robin Williams in the title role -- and shudder with fear.)
4. Rusty Sabich, Presumed Innocent (1990)
In this Scott Turow adaptation, Ford plays a prosecutor accused of murder when his mistress is found dead. The ensemble cast (Greta Scacchi, Bonnie Bedelia, Brian Dennehy, and Raul Julia) is impressive, but Ford anchors the film as the kind of complex, complicated character you don't often see in courtroom thrillers.
5. Jack Trainer, Working Girl (1988)
If ever Ford came close to unlocking Cary Grant's secret -- the trick of being a handsome man who seemed even more handsome as a fool -- it was in this Mike Nichols comedy. Yes, Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver got Oscar nods, but watch closely and see how Ford gave them great backup.
Five Honorable Mentions:
1. Richard Walker, Frantic (1988): As Ford chases his missing wife through Paris, he evokes the Jimmy Stewart of Hitchcock classics like Vertigo and Rear Window.
2. Captain Alexei Vostrikov, K-19: The Widowmaker (2002): Yes, the accent's laughable -- but Ford tackles a tough role in a true-life tale about a Soviet submarine captain that most movie stars wouldn't have touched with a ten-foot pole.
3. Dr. Richard Kimble, The Fugitive (1993): Ford infuses what could have been a by-the-book TV-to-big-screen action film with real emotion.
4. Dr. Norman Spencer, What Lies Beneath (2000): Robert Zemeckis's mean, moody ghost story gets considerable support from Ford's work opposite a haunted Michelle Pfeiffer. (What is it with Ford and doctors, anyway?)
5. Bob Falfa, American Graffiti (1973): Ford may have a bit part in American Graffiti as a drag-racing, hat-wearing, trash-talking hot-rodder, but he bites down hard on that morsel.
That is a great article, but you're wrong about one thing. Grisham did not write Presumed Innocent. It was written by Scott Turow. Also, you can keep all of the other roles. Ford has never been better than he was as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner.
bcd -- first of all, thanks for the catch on the '80s/'90s legal thriller author mix-up; the piece has been corrected. Second, I agree with you that Blade Runner is one of Ford's best Roles -- so much so that putting it in this list of his lesser-known work (or less iconic parts) would have felt a little silly. You're quite right -- the better question I'd ask you is whether you prefer the theatrical release of Blade Runner or the director's cut?
Whaddya mean, John Book is a "lesser" character???
I've seen all these movies (most of them multiple times), with the exception of K-19, and I personally think they're among his greatest roles...especially "Witness". OK, they weren't blockbusters and there are a few that I'd call slightly obscure, but mostly I think they show a lot of depth and "real" acting. But I'm a girl...
Stop putting ads for shows on the screen during movies, it is VERY annoying and only makes me NOT watch the show advertised! If you don't stop soon, I will stop watching your channel all together!
Amen to Rick!!!!!!! Stupid a$$ quarter screen moving ads are so annoying that I have stopped watching a movie, and gone to get it at the rental place. Commercials are for commercial breaks not during a movie I'm watching. Its redicilous and like Rick I will boycott any movie I see advertised this way.
DRK -- see, that's just it -- you're a fan who's seen most of the films, but if you said to people, name a Harrison Ford Role, do you think you'd get anything less than 95% naming either Han or Indy? I agree, these roles are great .. but, for better or for worse, Ford's become a guy on a lunchbox as an icon more than he's an actor.