ALSO APPEARING
Grace Kelly deservedly won an Oscar as the long-suffering wife of a washed-up entertainer in The Country Girl (1954). And yet, it is Bing Crosby’s outstanding, heart-rending performance as her husband that sticks with me. I mean, here is a guy best known for crooning with big bands and playing straight man to Bob Hope in stupid Road movies. Who woulda thought it? 
Everyone raved about the performance of child actor Haley Joel Osment in the creepy and splendid The Sixth Sense (1999), and he is exceedingly good. But- it is Bruce Willis, a consummate pro, whose solid performance sells the somewhat shaky premise of the movie. Because of his appearance in so many action flicks, Willis is grossly underrated as an actor, but has proved time and again he can do the job.
Ordinary People (1980) is a wonderful film chock full of great performances. Timothy Bottoms, as the troubled son, Donald Sutherland as the father, and Judd Hirsch as the compassionate psychiatrist are all excellent. But it is comedienne Mary Tyler Moore, as the distant mother in uncomprehending denial, that makes the movie great. I thought Moore a strange choice when the cast was selected, but she is nothing short of superb in this, by far her best performance. 
Dustin Hoffman deserved and won an Oscar as the idiot-savant Rain Man (1988), who can remember everything except the most fundamental social graces. But it is Tom Cruise, as the short-suffering brother, that makes this movie go. His part is twice as difficult, and he pulls it off with grace and humility. For me, this is Cruise’s best
performance, and it is one that most viewers don’t notice. 
Both Sean Penn and Tim Robbins won Oscars for Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River (2003), a harrowing tale about three friends growing up together after something horrible happens to one of them. Penn and Robbins get the juicy, emotion-packed parts and they excel in them. But Kevin Bacon is the third friend, and his solid performance as the blue collar cop from the old neighborhood glues the somewhat jumpy movie together. 
Tex (1982) is an underrated small film about two teenage boys left parentless and trying to cope without much guidance or money. It provided Matt Dillon with his break-out role as the younger brother. Mr. Dillon is, as always, quite good. But it is the unheralded Jim Melzer as the older brother who steals this under-the-radar movie.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD and for streaming. All are for adults. 
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