Day 23

Prior to seeing Synecdoche, New York, I commented that maybe I'd seen fifteen or so Philip Seymour Hoffman films. It turns that this was an underestimation. As of today I've watched nineteen. Here's an annotated list, in chronological order for me, complete with character names and number signs from IMDb.

# Twister (1996) .... Dustin Davis
Pretty much all I know is that I watched this movie and that Helen Hunt was in it. I would have to look it up to say any more.

# Almost Famous (2000) .... Lester Bangs
I think I watched this on DVD shortly after it came out, around the same time I would've first learned who Lester Bangs was. PSH was one of the few things I can recall really liking about it. Cameron Crowe has never struck me as particularly worthwhile.

# Punch-Drunk Love (2002) .... Dean Trumbell
# Magnolia (1999) .... Phil Parma
# Boogie Nights (1997) .... Scotty J.
# Hard Eight (1996) (as Phillip Seymour Hoffman) .... Young Craps Player

The PT Anderson films. Probably saw all of these on DVD 2002-2003. Magnolia and Boogie Nights turned me into a fan of PSH, along with John C. Reilly and Philip Baker Hall. Pretty much anybody who uses all three initials, really.

I can't really recall his role in Hard Eight. Punch-Drunk Love is more vivid in my memory, though I didn't really like it all that much.

# Love Liza (2002) .... Wilson Joel
# Happiness (1998) .... Allen
# Owning Mahowny (2003) .... Dan Mahowny
# State and Main (2000) .... Joseph Turner White
# The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) .... Freddie Miles
# The Big Lebowski (1998) .... Brandt

The remainder seen in college. State and Main was shown on campus. I'm surprised PSH hasn't worked with the Coens more. Love Liza I watched on tape, which is really uncommon for something not viewed with anyone else. Owning Mahowny was probably at the Lagoon Theater, but not particularly memorable.

# Capote (2005) .... Truman Capote
# Empire Falls (2005) (TV) .... Charlie Mayne

I remember seeing most of Empire Falls in a hotel somewhere with my family, but I don't recall where. Probably Arizona or something. Amanda and I watched Capote at the Harvard Exit in the little theater. Didn't recall until just now that Catherine Keener co-starred in that.

# Strangers with Candy (2005) .... Henry
# The Savages (2007) .... Jon Savage
# Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) .... Andy Hanson

I missed the first couple minutes of the Lumet film at BAM due to unfamiliarity with their showtime policy (they print the time at which the feature starts, not the trailers or ads) and would someday like to make amends. The Savages was at the multiplex in Chelsea. Amy, Swetha and I watched Strangers with Candy on DVD almost immediately after the Buckeyes lost their second BCS championship in a row.

# Synecdoche, New York (2008) .... Caden Cotard
# Charlie Wilson's War (2007) .... Gust Avrakotos

Not counting The Big Lebowski, which I consider more a frequently recurring social event than an actual movie, weirdly enough Synecdoche brings the tally of non-family members I've watched PSH films with to 7 women and 1 man. Odd.

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Seven days left. I may need to pre-post the final five in order not to worry about them around Thanksgiving.