Top 5 Jake Gyllenhaal Performances
By Austin Johnson
The first time I ever saw Jake Gyllenhaal on the screen was when my 6th grade history teacher showed us October Sky. The last time I saw him was on my couch a few weeks ago in that strange Netflix film, Velvet Buzzsaw. And you bet your ass that I’ve seen everything in between, and can’t wait to see what he does next, which happens to be Spider-Man: Far From Home. Jake is only 38 years old, but his resume is jam-packed with hit after hit. Even if the actual film didn’t do well financially, he does his job spectacularly damn near every time.
I’ve done some Top 5 lists for directors, but this is my first Top 5 for an actor. I will rank my favorite roles that Gyllenhaal has portrayed ever since his film debut as Danny Robbins in City Slickers (1991). I chose Jake because he is my favorite actor that is in his prime. He may not be my favorite of all time, but right now, if he’s in it, I’m seeing it. It’s hard to believe that he has only been nominated by the Academy one time for his efforts in Brokeback Mountain as Jack Twist. He won the BAFTA for that role, got nominated for a couple Golden Globes, but he hasn’t won anything big yet. I personally think that will change one day, as Jake finds himself in roles nonstop. In 2018, he appeared in The Sister Brothers and Wildlife, both great films that not nearly enough people saw. This July, he will be in the biggest film he’s ever taken part in. That’s pretty much the case for anyone who joins a Marvel film. His IMDb says that he has eight projects in production or development. Now, that’s what I would call a working actor.
I’ve done some Top 5 lists for directors, but this is my first Top 5 for an actor. I will rank my favorite roles that Gyllenhaal has portrayed ever since his film debut as Danny Robbins in City Slickers (1991). I chose Jake because he is my favorite actor that is in his prime. He may not be my favorite of all time, but right now, if he’s in it, I’m seeing it. It’s hard to believe that he has only been nominated by the Academy one time for his efforts in Brokeback Mountain as Jack Twist. He won the BAFTA for that role, got nominated for a couple Golden Globes, but he hasn’t won anything big yet. I personally think that will change one day, as Jake finds himself in roles nonstop. In 2018, he appeared in The Sister Brothers and Wildlife, both great films that not nearly enough people saw. This July, he will be in the biggest film he’s ever taken part in. That’s pretty much the case for anyone who joins a Marvel film. His IMDb says that he has eight projects in production or development. Now, that’s what I would call a working actor.
5.) Donnie Darko in Donnie Darko (2001)
”Okay. But you're not listening to me. There are other things that need to be taken into account here, like the whole spectrum of human emotion. You can't just lump everything into these two categories and then just deny everything else.”
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Donnie Darko is most certainly the role that got people’s attention. Some would say it was October Sky, but Donnie Darko has become a cult classic over time and it stands out among the rest when you hear the name, Jake Gyllenhaal. The cultural impact that Donnie Darko has had is vast, affecting young people with its raw intentions and twisted plot. I saw this at the perfect time, eighth grade, when everything is starting to come to life and you want to question everything. Donnie Darko was and still is a hero in my world, representing a whole group of teens that don’t get much love in other teen films. It was a small budget project for Richard Kelly, who hasn’t done much else, but when you make a character as unforgettable as Darko, it doesn’t really matter.
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4.) Detective Loki in Prisoners (2013)
“There’s a bag of lye in your basement; it’s half-empty… Your wife thinks you’ve been helping us… But, we both know that’s not true…”
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Denis Villeneuve has become a household name among directors and Prisoners was the first film we saw that showed us his grace and ability to story-tell differently than anyone else. It was 2013, the same year he directed Enemy, which also stars Gyllenhaal, a film that would appear here if I had more spots. Detective Loki does have a spot here though, as this character stands out among other detectives due to his awesome slicked back haircut, strange ticks, and tenacious style of figuring out how two girls went missing. We get to see Jake pushed to his absolute best on screen with the likes of Hugh Jackman, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo, Maria Bello, and Paul Dano raising the bar each scene. This film is adored by those who have seen it, unfortunately that still hasn’t been enough, but with performances as strong as it contains, I see the film having a long afterlife. Loki is waiting for you to join him on one hell of a ride.
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3.) Louis Bloom in Nightcrawler (2014)
“That's my job, that's what I do, I'd like to think if you're
seeing me you're having the worst day of your life.” |
Nightcrawler is Dan Gilroy’s first film, and Gyllenhaal’s strangest performance to date. The film didn’t make much money, but it got Gilroy a nod for Best Screenplay at the 87th Academy Awards and raised a whole new standard for Jake. Lou Bloom slithers through Los Angeles, observing, filming, and even participating in crimes. He is an adrenaline injection coming through the screen, forcing your eyes to peel back, and your heart to race. I had a stint when I really wanted to be in crime journalism, because I had access to a camera and owned a car. Haha, that didn’t pan out…
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2.) Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain (2005)
“Tell you what, we coulda had a good life together! Fuckin' real good life! Had us a place of our own. But you didn't want it, Ennis! So what we got now is Brokeback Mountain!”
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Jack fucking Twist. Oh man, I can’t say enough about the brilliance of Jack Twist, which is easily the most hailed performance that Gyllenhaal has ever given. It got him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and was a part of a film made by the legendary Ang Lee that received a total of eight nominations at the 78th Academy Awards. It’s very rare to find the kind of chemistry we get from Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain, both of them upstaging the other in every single scene. The story of Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist is one of the most beautiful love stories I have ever seen on a screen. I grew up in a pretty conservative area in Texas, and it really sucks that this film wasn’t really talked about much among my peers. Love is love and this story fucking nails it, lots of that due to Gyllenhaal’s Jack Twist.
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1.) Robert Graysmith in Zodiac (2007)
“I... I need to know who he is. I... I need to stand there, I need
to look him in the eye and I need to know that it's him.” |
If you know me or have read any of my previous stuff here on Filmgazm, you probably know about my adoration for the film by David Fincher, Zodiac. Gyllenhaal plays a cartoonist who turns detective when he becomes obsessed with the Zodiac Killer during the late 60’s and 70’s. Jake shows his ability to work with other great actors again in Zodiac, performing side by side with legends, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo. It takes someone really special to shine next to guys like that and Jake has done it time and time again next to some of the best to do it. Graysmith’s tenacity is contagious and inspiring, even though he doesn’t quite figure out who the killer is. His journey is what I find to be most compelling, and quite frankly it’s the best performance inside one of the best films of this century.
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