View Poll Results: Who has had a better acting career?
Nicolas Cage
36
40.00%
Sean Penn
54
60.00%
Voters: 90. You may not vote on this poll
Who's had a better acting career, Sean Penn or Nicolas Cage?
03-18-12, 01:57 AM
#1
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Thread Starter
Who's had a better acting career, Sean Penn or Nicolas Cage?
Now I know this may seem like an odd pairing and maybe even an obvious answer but I truly believe Nic Cage has had an oddly deceptive career. Much like a Chris Walken or Dennis Hopper, at first glance they seem like the type of actor who will attach there name to any script that lands on their desk(and they kind of are), but when you go through their resume's and wade through all the garbage you'll notice out of every 4/5 films, theres a real gem of a movie or a great performance. And Cage is no different.
The reason I chose Penn is because I seem to remember back about a decade ago Sean Penn ranting on Nic Cages career choices.
Now from my perspective I really believe Cage has had at the very least as good of a career as Penn, if not better.
And I break it down as follows.
Nicolas Cage Arthouse fair/Critical Hits/great performances:
Raising Arizona
Wild at Heart
Leaving Las Vegas
Bringing Out The Dead
Adaptation
The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans
Sean Penn Arthouse fair/critical hits/great performances:
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Casualties of War
Carlito's Way
Dead Man Walking
U Turn
The Thin Red Line
Sweet & Lowdown
Mystic River
21 Grams
Milk
good studio popcorn flicks:
Face Off
Con Air
The Rock
Lord of War
Gone in Sixty Seconds
The Weather Man
The Family Man
good studio popcorn flicks:
The Interpreter
Fair Game
To me their careers match up pretty evenly. But I'd take Cage by a hair. The only difference in my opinion is that Cage has a higher volume of crap.
Thoughts?
The reason I chose Penn is because I seem to remember back about a decade ago Sean Penn ranting on Nic Cages career choices.
Now from my perspective I really believe Cage has had at the very least as good of a career as Penn, if not better.
And I break it down as follows.
Nicolas Cage Arthouse fair/Critical Hits/great performances:
Raising Arizona
Wild at Heart
Leaving Las Vegas
Bringing Out The Dead
Adaptation
The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans
Sean Penn Arthouse fair/critical hits/great performances:
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Casualties of War
Carlito's Way
Dead Man Walking
U Turn
The Thin Red Line
Sweet & Lowdown
Mystic River
21 Grams
Milk
good studio popcorn flicks:
Face Off
Con Air
The Rock
Lord of War
Gone in Sixty Seconds
The Weather Man
The Family Man
good studio popcorn flicks:
The Interpreter
Fair Game
To me their careers match up pretty evenly. But I'd take Cage by a hair. The only difference in my opinion is that Cage has a higher volume of crap.
Thoughts?
03-18-12, 02:02 AM
#3
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Thread Starter
Re: Who's had a better acting career, Sean Penn or Nicolas Cage?
I thought so.
03-18-12, 02:11 AM
#4
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Who's had a better acting career, Sean Penn or Nicolas Cage?
I'd rather watch Cage than Penn. Even in bad movies, Cage is worth watching for me. Penn only grabs me sometimes - hated Mystic River,loved Milk.
03-18-12, 03:31 AM
#6
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Thread Starter
Re: Who's had a better acting career, Sean Penn or Nicolas Cage?
I didn't include Tree of Life because Penn is in it for about 5 minutes. and the runtime is somewhere in the vaccinty of 2.5 hours. It would have been akin to including Cage in Fast Times At Ridgemont High.
03-18-12, 06:23 AM
#7
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Who's had a better acting career, Sean Penn or Nicolas Cage?
Why don't you list all of their films instead of picking and choosing?
Some of the ones you have not named that I am a fan of; Falcon and the Snowman, At Close Range, Hurly Burly, The Game, The Assassinantion of Richard Nixon, Colors...
Looking at their entire film resume and not just what you wanted to list...Penn by a wide margin. He has consistently chosen more interesting films, much more challenging roles and is obviously not a money whore like Cage.
The fact that there are people here who feel that Cage has had a better career than Penn boggles my mind.
Some of the ones you have not named that I am a fan of; Falcon and the Snowman, At Close Range, Hurly Burly, The Game, The Assassinantion of Richard Nixon, Colors...
Looking at their entire film resume and not just what you wanted to list...Penn by a wide margin. He has consistently chosen more interesting films, much more challenging roles and is obviously not a money whore like Cage.
The fact that there are people here who feel that Cage has had a better career than Penn boggles my mind.
Last edited by Jaymole; 03-18-12 at 06:33 AM.
03-18-12, 06:45 AM
#8
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Re: Who's had a better acting career, Sean Penn or Nicolas Cage?
Sean Penn for sure. Cage has had a better financial career but if you're taking them for their quality in craft? Penn. Cage doesn't even come close. 4 shit films to get to a good Cage movie? Fuck that.
03-18-12, 09:14 AM
#12
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Who's had a better acting career, Sean Penn or Nicolas Cage?
As much as I can't stand Sean Penn's politics, the guy is a great actor had a much better career compared to the much overrated Cage.
03-18-12, 10:59 AM
#16
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Who's had a better acting career, Sean Penn or Nicolas Cage?
Sean Penn is probably the better of the two technically, but I enjoy Nicolas Cage more personally.
03-18-12, 12:01 PM
#19
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Re: Who's had a better acting career, Sean Penn or Nicolas Cage?
Can't really answer this until I get some kind of definition of what "better acting career" might possibly mean....Appeared in better movies? More likeable on the screen? More likeable off the screen? Made more money? Has more innate talent? Did more with what he's got?
03-18-12, 12:14 PM
#20
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Who's had a better acting career, Sean Penn or Nicolas Cage?
But I still think Penn is the choice on both.
03-18-12, 12:46 PM
#22
Re: Who's had a better acting career, Sean Penn or Nicolas Cage?
Penn hasn't performed a single starring role I'd want to see again (except maybe for CASUALTIES OF WAR), but Cage has done two I'd happily watch again: RED ROCK WEST and FACE/OFF, so Cage wins it for me.
03-18-12, 02:50 PM
#25
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