10 Greatest Films of Chris Cooper
Chris Cooper is one of my favorite actors. More often than not he is in a supporting actor role, but he always adds class and authenticity to a film. He brings a laconic imperturbable southern presence that can on a dime turn into rage, passion, despair, or malevolence.
Chris Cooper was born in Missouri in 1951, but raised in Texas. He majored in agriculture and acting at the University of Missouri.
His first film was the John Sayles film Matewan, in 1987. In 2003, he won both an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his supporting actor role in Adaptation. Thus far, he has appeared in almost 60 films.
10. The Town (2010) — Cooper’s role in this film is small, but important because he serves as both a pushing and pulling mechanism for the main character, played by Ben Affleck.
“Look, I gotta die six times before I get out of here; but I’ll see you again — this side or the other.” — Stephen MacRay
9. Capote (2005) — The film is about Truman Capote’s experiences in 1959, when he decided to write about a family murdered on a farm in Kansas. It starts Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Capote, Cathleen Keener as Harper Lee, and Cooper as the lead detective on the murder investigation.
“Ever since I was a child, folks have thought they had me pegged, because of the way I am, the way I talk. And they’re always wrong.” — Truman Capote
8. American Beauty (1999) — Cooper plays a pretty unlikeable character in this film and yet engenders more sympathy for the character than any of the other characters in the film. He’s the only character with a real reason to be in pain.
“This country is going straight to hell!” — Colonel Frank Fitts
7. Breach (2007) — This film is based upon the true story of Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent that spied for the Russians, for decades. Cooper does a great of job with the character’s ambiguity and keeping the audience unsettled about how to feel about the character.
“One might propose that I am either insanely brave or quite insane. I’d answer neither. I’d say, insanely loyal. Take your pick. There’s insanity in all the answers.” — Robert Hanssen
6. Matewan (1987) — This is Cooper’s film debut and a starring role. He stars alongside James Earl Jones and Mary McDonnell. Cooper plays a union organizer at a mine in West Virginia in 1920. The miners are striking, the company has brought in un-unionized workers to take their place and also mercenaries to disrupt the striking miners.
“You think this man is the enemy? Huh? This is a worker! Any union keeps this man out ain’t a union, it’s a goddam club! They got you fightin’ white against colored, native against foreign, hollow against hollow, when you know there ain’t but two sides in this world — them that work and them that don’t. You work, they don’t. That’s all you get to know about the enemy.” — Joe Kenehan
5. The Bourne Identity (2002) — Cooper plays Alexander Conklin, the CIA manager responsible for the Treadstone project that made and ran Bourne. When Bourne appears to have gone rogue, Conklin is tasked with eliminating the threat.
“You’re U.S. Government property. You’re a malfunctioning $30 million weapon. You’re a total goddamn catastrophe, and by God, if it kills me, you’re going to tell me how this happened.” — Conklin
4. Seabiscuit (2003) — Based upon the true story of the horse that captured the nation’s attention during the Great Depression. The film stars Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, and William R. Macy. Cooper plays Tom Smith, Seabiscuit’s trainer.
“You know, you don’t throw a whole life away just ’cause he’s banged up a little.” — Tom Smith
3. Adaptation (2002) — An entertaining and quirky film from Charlie Kaufman. The film is both an adaptation of The Orchid Thief and a story about adapting The Orchid Thief. Meryl Streep plays Susan Orleans, the author of The Orchid Thief. Nicholas Cage plays Charlie Kaufman, the adapting screenwriter. Chris Cooper plays John Laroche, the quite odd orchid thief.
“Well, I was a weird kid. Nobody liked me. But I had this idea. If I waited long enough, someone would come around and just, you know… understand me. Like my mom, except someone else. She’d look at me and quietly say: “Yes.” Just like that. And I wouldn’t be alone anymore.” — John Laroche
2. Lone Star (1996) — An extremely underrated and under seen film. This John Sayles’ film stars Cooper, Matthew McConaughey, Kris Kristofferson, and Elizabeth Peña. Cooper plays a sheriff investigating a long ago murder, possibly committed by his father, after a body is found.
“No telling yet if there’s been a crime, but this country’s seen a fair amount of disagreements over the years.” — Sam Deeds
1. October Sky (1999) — This movie is Homer’s story. It would be very easy for the filmmakers to have made Homer’s father, John, a two-dimensional character. Chris Cooper ensures that doesn’t happen. He provides a three-dimensional character that can serve as both an antagonist and as inspiration for the main character.
“It’s about what’s best for Coalwood. If this mine doesn’t produce, then the town dies. Think the union gives a damn about that? They’re nothin’ but a bunch of greedy sons of bitches…” — John Hickam
Other films considered for this list include A Time to Kill, City of Hope, This Boy’s Life, The Horse Whisperer, Syriana, August: Osage County, Guilty by Suspicion, The Patriot, Jarhead, and The Kingdom. What would make your list?
