"Never Go Full retard" - A Cinema History - Tropic Thunder

Monday December 29, 2008

If you've seen Tropic Thunder you will be familiar with the "Never go full retard " scene. Where Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Junior are walking through the jungle having a conversation about Ben Stiller's failure in his latest film, Simple Jack. A heart warming tale about a mentally challenged man who's "got a good brain". Ben Stiller plays the part of an actor (Tugg Speedman) who is trying to pull himself back to the top of Hollywood's A list after a dismal performance as a retarded man in a recent flop. This performance was intended to win the Oscar but only got Speedman a Raspberry award. Anyhow! The "No Body goes full retard" scene is below if anyone hasn't seen it.
 

 

Well I though that this scene asked a very interesting question about the history of the mentally challenged in the movies, and how many of them won Oscars. Is this a proven formula for actors to go by to receive the ultimate accolade in the world of cinema? Become a retard = receive an Oscar? But how many of them go Full retard, and how many only go Half retard? According to Robert Downey Junior you can only get it if you go Half retard. It will be very interesting to see if this formula works. Here is an in depth look at retards, a cinematic history!

 

Above is the Simple Jack clip from Tropic Thunder Tugg Speedman's own full retard Oscar attempt.

 

My Left Foot - Daniel Day Lewis Ok, Daniel Day Lewis is a phenomenal actor. That much cant be denied. This role must have been an incredibly difficult one to play. In my left foot Daniel Day Lewis plays the part of Christy Brown, an Irish author, painter and poet who had severe cerebral palsy. He is most famous for his autobiography My Left Foot, which was later made into an Academy Award-winning film of the same name. In My left foot Day Lewis doesn't exactly play a retard. He has cerebral palsy which is a very serious condition. Guess this would qualify him for the "Half Retard" category because he spends the entire film doing everything with his left foot, the only part of his body that seems to work. Brown manages to write books, paint pictures and even draw perfect triangles with his toes. Daniel Day Lewis  won the best actor award at the 1990 Oscars for his role as the physically challenged genius. This is a very good piece of evidence that our theory is correct. Half retard = Oscar!    My left foot is an incredible movie and should be watched by all. 5 stars   Of Mice and Men - John Malkovich John Malkovich tries his giant hands at the full retard variety in this film adaptation of the classic John Steinbeck novel, of mice and men. Malkovich plays the part of Lenny, the boy man sidekick of George played by Gary Sinise. It seems that Sinise has a habit of supporting retards in movies (Forest Gump anyone?) Malkovich really does go full retard in this one, he even gets into a real heap of trouble when he kills some young girl in the town. Lenny is not cleaver in any way, and he has some very anti social habits, crushing puppies being one of them. Not many people get along with puppy crushers. So he would surely fit into the category of "Full retard". John Malkovich who grunts his way through this classic is not really that great as the boy like simpleton, guess that might be why he never received any kind of nomination. Another strong piece of evidence that Full retard = No Oscar!   Although Malkovich's performance was far from Oscar winning, of mice and men is still a good movie and a great adaptation of an American Classic. 4 Stars   Shine - Geoffrey Rush Geoffrey Rush plays the part of Australian Pianist David Helfgott. Who has a schizoaffective disorder as he is for his piano playing. I guess having a schizoaffective disorder cant be much of a picnic. Although technically, having a schizoaffective disorder is not the same as being retarded, although it sure feels like it to people around the schizoaffective disorder sufferer. David Helfgott was unaccepted at the local pub so he had to show those suckers how to play flight of the bumble bee. That showed em! They didn't talk to him before because he couldn't hold a conversation, now they don't talk to him because they are scared stiff of him. What kind of man can run around flashing his privates at passers buy, but as soon as you put him in front of a piano he turns into a bloody prodigy? A half retard that's what kind. And you know what that means Half retard = Oscar!   Geoffrey Rush received a well deserved Best Actor Award at the 1997 Oscars. Shine is an excellent film 5 stars Bad Boy Bubby - Nicholas Hope Bad Boy bubby seems to be an exception to our rule. But then again Bad Boy Bubby is an exception in almost every way. Probably one of sickest movies ever made, but at the same time, one of the most interesting. Bubby isn't at all retarded, he's just been brought up by a complete psycho. In 30 odd years he's never been allowed to leave the room and every time his mother goes outside she tells him that there is poison in the air, and if he gets off the chair Jesus is going to kill him. He finally figures out that his "Mam" is a fony when he sees the cat going in and out the house without expiring from poison. He makes the decision to Kill his "mam". This Australian Classic would never be nominated for an Oscar, its just too damn strange. But  a great performance from Nicholas Hope anyway. Although later in the film he does join a rock band and becomes quite popular, so I recon this role would fall into the Half retard category. Sadly no Oscar, but the film did receive critical acclaim and won 3 major awards.   Half retard = No Oscar But it did win Australian equivalents in the form of a AFI award in the category of Best Actor and Best Director. Which is probably more respected than an Oscar anyway.  Just thought I would throw it in because its one of those forgotten classics.   Bad boy bubby is a classic Australian film but is not for the light hearted. Don't show it to your grandma, she wont like it. 4 stars Forest Gump - Tom Hanks We all loved Tom Hanks in forest Gump, I mean how could you not! When he was going on about sideways rain and rain that came from below. Adorable! This was also the movie that gave Tom Hanks a big boost after a couple of non event movies. Forest Gump walked away with 6 Oscars in 1994 including a best actor for Tom Hanks. As far as our theory is concerned, Forest Gump may have been a bit slow, he may have talked a bit strange but he was defiantly not retarded. That Bubba Gump shrimp co stuff and the ping pong world championship stuff. I mean that's some cleaver shit!  So the evidence continues, as far as Gump is concerned. In fact I think that Ben Stillers Simple Jack Character was loosely based on Forest Gump himself.  Half retard = Oscar!   Forest Gump has gone down in history as one of the greatest movies ever made. A piece worthy of any DVD collection. 5 stars I Am Sam - Sean Penn The ultimate "Never go full retard" situation. Sean Penn attempted to touch our hearts with his portrayal of Sam Dawson, a mentally retarded man who fights for the custody of his 7 year old daughter. Supporting Penn is the lovely Michelle Pfeiffer and the then 7 year old Dekota Fanning. Sean's portrayal of Sam must have been difficult but that image of Sean Penn in dungarees has become the iconic movie "retard" poster, that's been difficult to live down. Next to that kid Corky that was on the television a while ago. I wonder if that kid ever got an award. But I think he was Down Syndrome, for real! Which is obviously a very serious condition. And should be treated as such. I am Sam didn't win any Oscars in 2001. Although Sean Penn was nominated for best actor, he still walked away empty handed. Which means ....... Full retard = No Oscar!   I am Sam was a good movie. It just lacked the lovable charm that Forest Gump did so well. Although I am Sam was a more serious film. It failed to reach that needed understanding of the audience. 4 stars Rain Man - Dustin Hoffman Dustin Hoffman plays the part of savant oddball Raymond Babbitt. Nutcase scientologist Tom Cruise supports as his selfish yuppie brother (well cast) Charlie. Hoffman really pulled all the stops here, with his trademark mumbling that must have got him the role as mumbles in Dick Tracey. Being able to memorize the phone book is pretty out there and could never be considered retarded. For in-flight viewing, several airlines deleted the sequence in which Raymond reels off statistics on airline accidents. Imagine having a head full of that much useless information. Definitely not retarded which means .... Half retard = Oscar!       In 1988 Rain Man walked away with 4 Oscars including best actor for Dustin Hoffman. An amazing movie worth a place on the DVD shelf. 5 stars That's about it for the roundup of movie retards. I think its clear that if an actor wants an Oscar really badly all he has to do is find a role as a lovable mentally challenged individual. Just remember the golden rule "Never go full retard" tvterrorist out. ... Disclaimer: It is not my opinion that various mental conditions should be referred to as "retarded" this article was merely a look at the amount of actors that receive Oscars for playing the part of mentally challenged people. And its relation with the scene from Tropic Thunder, in which they refer to the topic as "Full retard". This article is not intended to offend and should be taken with a pinch of salt. If I have offended anyone please accept my apology and never return to this page again. Because I am not taking the article down. Many thanks ...... TVterrorist.......