Breaking In

Burt Reynolds is getting some of the best reviews of his career for his performance in the upcoming film Dog Years. So today I thought I would take a look back at another film of Mr. Reynolds that featured a terrific,but overlooked, performance. 1989's Breaking In.

In the late 70's and early 80's, Reynolds was one of the biggest box office draws in America. But by the late 80's it felt like he was just coasting on his star status. And audiences began to see this and stayed away in droves from vehicles of his like Rent A Cop. Wanting to revive his career and remind his fans that he could act, Reynolds shed his good ol' boy persona and took the lead in this small, quirky comedy.

Reynolds plays Ernie Mullins, a professional safe cracker who decides to take a young, wannabee thief named Mike, Casey Siemaszko, under his wing and teach him the ropes of how to be an expert in the field. Ernie has always played it safe, pardon the pun, and lives a low key lifestyle. He tries to teach Mike that it's best not to be flashy, but Mike gets greedy and has to show off his new wealth. This causes friction between the teacher and student.

This should have been a big comeback for Reynolds. It's one of his best performances, but I guess the fans weren't ready for him in a more low key role. I give a lot of credit to Reynolds for taking on a less flashy role and trusting his director, Bill Forsythe. Forsythe is a Scottish director best known for films like Gregory's Girl and Local Hero. Two films that are quirky character studies. A far cry from the driving fast cars films that Reynolds was accustomed to. This was Forsythe's first American film, and he handles it wonderfully, showing that his brand of filmmaking isn't limited to just his homeland.

He had a great script to work from as well. It was written by director John Sayles. I have to say, I do love Sayles work as a director. He has helmed some terrific masterpieces like Eight Men Out, Matewan, Baby, It's You, Brother From Another Planet, and Lone Star. But I really get excited when he just writes the screenplay. It feels like he doesn't have an Oscar on his mind and just cuts loose and has some fun. Some of his other scripts include Alligator, Battle Beyond The Stars, and The Howling.

I should also mention Siemaszko. I also forget what a great actor he is. If I was just going off of this, I would just think he was obnoxious. But then I think about the wimpy nerd he played in Three O'Clock High and really notice his range. He has always been a smart performer who's never been too greedy to try and upstage his costars. That might be why he isn't a household name.