The Best 25 films of Phillip Seymour Hoffman

by jacobyjhn-18-315763 | created - 21 Oct 2011 | updated - 21 Jan 2015 | Public

Phillip Seymour Hoffman's acting ability is beyond excellent, it's mind boggling. He is arguably the best actor working today and continues to turn in one sensational performance after another. Hoffman's redefining the acting skill is reminiscent of Brando and Clift in the 50's; Pacino, De Niro, Dustin Hoffman in the 70's; and Hanks, Spacey, and Penn a in the 90's; and, Spencer Tracy, all time and any time! It is a pleasure to watch this wonderful actor grow and stretch and set a very high standard with each performance. Here are 25 of his best. Added 3/26/14 -- RIP, Phillip Hoffman. A great tragedy and a huge loss. This one really hurts, and will haunt this writer for a long time. JCJ

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1. Capote (2005)

R | 114 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

88 Metascore

In 1959, Truman Capote learns of the murder of a Kansas family and decides to write a book about the case. While researching for his novel In Cold Blood, Capote forms a relationship with one of the killers, Perry Smith, who is on death row.

Director: Bennett Miller | Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Clifton Collins Jr., Catherine Keener, Allie Mickelson

Votes: 140,660 | Gross: $28.75M

2. Doubt (I) (2008)

PG-13 | 104 min | Drama, Mystery

68 Metascore

A Catholic school principal questions a priest's ambiguous relationship with a troubled young student.

Director: John Patrick Shanley | Stars: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis

Votes: 136,017 | Gross: $33.42M

3. Charlie Wilson's War (2007)

R | 102 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama

67 Metascore

A drama based on a Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.

Director: Mike Nichols | Stars: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams

Votes: 124,817 | Gross: $66.66M

4. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

R | 117 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

86 Metascore

When two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelry store the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that sends them, their father and one brother's wife barreling towards a shattering climax.

Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei

Votes: 111,544 | Gross: $7.08M

5. The Ides of March (2011)

R | 101 min | Drama, Thriller

67 Metascore

An idealistic staffer for a new presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail.

Director: George Clooney | Stars: Paul Giamatti, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ryan Gosling

Votes: 230,598 | Gross: $40.96M

6. The Savages (2007)

R | 113 min | Comedy, Drama

85 Metascore

A sister and brother face the realities of familial responsibility as they begin to care for their ailing father.

Director: Tamara Jenkins | Stars: Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco, Peter Friedman

Votes: 38,621 | Gross: $6.61M

7. Magnolia (1999)

R | 188 min | Drama

78 Metascore

An epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Tom Cruise, Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Votes: 328,191 | Gross: $22.46M

8. Moneyball (2011)

PG-13 | 133 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

87 Metascore

Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to assemble a baseball team on a lean budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.

Director: Bennett Miller | Stars: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Votes: 464,027 | Gross: $75.61M

9. The Master (2012)

R | 138 min | Drama, History

86 Metascore

A Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by the Cause and its charismatic leader.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons

Votes: 186,052 | Gross: $16.38M

10. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

R | 139 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

76 Metascore

In late 1950s New York, a young underachiever named Tom Ripley is sent to Italy to retrieve Dickie Greenleaf, a rich and spoiled millionaire playboy. But when the errand fails, Ripley takes extreme measures.

Director: Anthony Minghella | Stars: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett

Votes: 240,789 | Gross: $81.30M

11. Scent of a Woman (1992)

R | 156 min | Drama

57 Metascore

A prep school student needing money agrees to "babysit" a blind man, but the job is not at all what he anticipated.

Director: Martin Brest | Stars: Al Pacino, Chris O'Donnell, James Rebhorn, Gabrielle Anwar

Votes: 328,282 | Gross: $63.90M

12. Boogie Nights (1997)

R | 155 min | Drama

86 Metascore

Back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, an idealistic porn producer aspires to elevate his craft to an art when he discovers a hot young talent.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Luis Guzmán

Votes: 281,807 | Gross: $26.40M

13. Red Dragon (2002)

R | 124 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

60 Metascore

A retired FBI agent with psychological gifts is assigned to help track down "The Tooth Fairy", a mysterious serial killer. Aiding him is imprisoned forensic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter.

Director: Brett Ratner | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel

Votes: 290,644 | Gross: $93.15M

14. Almost Famous (2000)

R | 122 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama

90 Metascore

A high-school boy in the early 1970s is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies them on their concert tour.

Director: Cameron Crowe | Stars: Billy Crudup, Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand

Votes: 293,100 | Gross: $32.53M

15. The Boat That Rocked (2009)

R | 117 min | Comedy, Drama, Music

58 Metascore

A band of rogue DJs that captivated Britain, playing the music that defined a generation and standing up to a government that wanted classical music, and nothing else, on the airwaves.

Director: Richard Curtis | Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Nick Frost, Michael Hadley

Votes: 116,024 | Gross: $7.99M

16. Patch Adams (1998)

PG-13 | 115 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama

26 Metascore

The true story of a heroic man, Hunter "Patch" Adams, determined to become a medical doctor because he enjoys helping people. He ventured where no doctor had ventured before, using humour and pathos.

Director: Tom Shadyac | Stars: Robin Williams, Daniel London, Monica Potter, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Votes: 122,182 | Gross: $135.03M

17. Nobody's Fool (1994)

R | 110 min | Comedy, Drama

86 Metascore

A stubborn man past his prime reflects on his life of strict independence and seeks more from himself.

Director: Robert Benton | Stars: Paul Newman, Bruce Willis, Jessica Tandy, Melanie Griffith

Votes: 22,510 | Gross: $39.49M

18. The Big Lebowski (1998)

R | 117 min | Comedy, Crime

71 Metascore

Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire of the same name, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.

Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi

Votes: 859,472 | Gross: $17.50M

19. Mission: Impossible III (2006)

PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

66 Metascore

IMF agent Ethan Hunt comes into conflict with a dangerous and sadistic arms dealer who threatens his life and his fiancée in response.

Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Tom Cruise, Michelle Monaghan, Ving Rhames, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Votes: 390,423 | Gross: $134.03M

20. The Invention of Lying (2009)

PG-13 | 100 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

58 Metascore

A comedy set in a world where no one has ever lied, until a writer seizes the opportunity for personal gain.

Directors: Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson | Stars: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K.

Votes: 148,868 | Gross: $18.44M

21. State and Main (2000)

R | 105 min | Comedy, Drama

75 Metascore

A movie crew invades a small town whose residents are all too ready to give up their values for showbiz glitz.

Director: David Mamet | Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Rebecca Pidgeon, Michael Higgins

Votes: 22,161 | Gross: $6.92M

22. A Most Wanted Man (2014)

R | 122 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

73 Metascore

A Chechen Muslim illegally immigrates to Hamburg, where he gets caught in the international war on terror.

Director: Anton Corbijn | Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Daniel Brühl, Robin Wright

Votes: 80,093 | Gross: $17.24M

23. A Late Quartet (2012)

R | 105 min | Drama, Music

67 Metascore

Members of a world-renowned string quartet struggle to stay together in the face of death, competing egos, and insuppressible lust.

Director: Yaron Zilberman | Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener, Mark Ivanir

Votes: 15,321 | Gross: $1.56M

24. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015)

PG-13 | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

65 Metascore

Katniss and a team of rebels from District 13 prepare for the final battle that will decide the fate of Panem.

Director: Francis Lawrence | Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson

Votes: 372,636 | Gross: $281.72M

25. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)

PG-13 | 123 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

64 Metascore

Katniss Everdeen is in District 13 after she shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta and a nation moved by her courage.

Director: Francis Lawrence | Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson

Votes: 502,244 | Gross: $337.14M



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