Any time I need a moment of zen, I find myself putting on a Jeff Bridges movie and relaxing. Even in his most intense films, there’s this layer of calm over him that allows me to lean in.<\/p>\n
Today, I wanted to go over ten of his performances that I think are his personal best. There are some great movies where Bridges is the star and shines. <\/p>\n
Let’s dive in. <\/p>\n
1. The Big Lebowski (1998)<\/p>\n
– YouTube www.youtube.com<\/a> <\/p>\n Director: Joel Coen, Ethan CoenWriters: Joel Coen, Ethan CoenCast: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, John Turturro, Sam Elliott<\/p>\n I know it’s obvious and clich\u00e9, but it really is that good. I don’t want to live in a world without Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski. What makes this performance special is how Bridges handles the Coens’ rhythmic dialogue with ease and personality. <\/p>\n In lesser hands, the Dude’s hyper-specific vernacular could feel gimmicky. Bridges embodies the character so thoroughly that it feels like he just…is him. <\/p>\n 2. True Grit (2010)<\/p>\n – YouTube www.youtube.com<\/a> <\/p>\n Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan CoenWriters: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (based on the novel by Charles Portis)Cast: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper<\/p>\n When this movie was first announced, I was skeptical that Bridges would be able to fill the shoes of John Wayne<\/a>, but the Coens always have a vision. And somehow, Bridgessurpassed him. He became this rotund, aging cowboy that you believed could not die. <\/p>\n In some ways, we saw him reimagine an iconic archetype by exploiting human flaws that still make this character deeply compelling.<\/p>\n 3. Crazy Heart (2009)<\/p>\n – YouTube www.youtube.com<\/a> <\/p>\n Director: Scott CooperWriter: Scott Cooper (based on the novel by Thomas Cobb)Cast: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall<\/p>\n This is the role that finally won Bridges his well-deserved Best Actor Academy Award, and he absolutely crushed it. He’s perfect as this againg booze hound musician that plays in bowling alleys and backrooms. He gives the character a profound sense of wasted genius and stubborn pride.<\/p>\n Notice how Bridges handles the scenes where Bad Blake realizes he has hit rock bottom and has to change. It’s all in his posture, and just like slumping down. <\/p>\n 4. Starman (1984)<\/p>\n – YouTube www.youtube.com<\/a> <\/p>\n Director: John CarpenterWriters: Bruce A. Evans, Raynold GideonCast: Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith, Richard Jaeckel<\/p>\n This is one of the most underrated movies. I remember seeing it for the first time and kind of being blown away at the emotionality and heart that it wears on its sleeve. It is also a rare science fiction<\/a> movie that earned its star an Oscar nomination. <\/p>\n Bridges plays an alien clone of a woman’s dead husband. He’s learning to be human, so he has these erratic movements, and it feels like he’s wearing a suit; it’s kind of magical to watch. <\/p>\n 5. The Last Picture Show (1971)<\/p>\n – YouTube www.youtube.com<\/a> <\/p>\n Director: Peter BogdanovichWriters: Larry McMurtry, Peter BogdanovichCast: Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Ben Johnson, Cloris Leachman<\/p>\n To me, this is one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. It’s a landmark of 1970s American cinema that kind of ushered in the glory that was that decade. It’s the movie that gave Bridges his very first Oscar nomination at just 22 years old.<\/p>\n He plays Duane Jackson, a popular high school football star in a dying Texas town that can’t seem to find his way in life. He’s too poor to become someone else, too. <\/p>\n There’s a tragedy hidden inside his story that takes the whole movie to play out, and pay off. <\/p>\n 6. Hell or High Water (2016)<\/p>\n – YouTube www.youtube.com<\/a> <\/p>\n Director: David MackenzieWriter: Taylor SheridanCast: Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges, Gil Birmingham<\/p>\n In Taylor Sheridan\u2019s modern Texas western, a line is drawn between outlaws and lawmen. These lines blur as the task becomes increasingly personal. <\/p>\n Bridges plays Marcus Hamilton, a brilliant but cynical Texas Ranger on the verge of forced retirement who just wants to see everyone go home, but that’s never the case. He delivers Sheridan’s sharp, biting banter with a relaxed, casual cruelty that masks a brilliant investigative mind and a profound grief over his impending post-career life.<\/p>\n And we lean in because everything is to the point that the tension has us on the edge of our seats. <\/p>\n 7. The Fisher King (1991)<\/p>\n – YouTube www.youtube.com<\/a> <\/p>\n Director: Terry GilliamWriter: Richard LaGraveneseCast: Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer<\/p>\n This is undoubtedly Robin Williams’ movie, but in order for Williams to be so big, you have to be grounded. And Bridges knows how to hold on for the audience. <\/p>\n He’s the emotional anchor of the film and holds the ground so firmly that Williams’ eccentricities feel emotionally real rather than purely theatrical.<\/p>\n 8. The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)<\/p>\n – YouTube www.youtube.com<\/a> <\/p>\n Director: Steve KlovesWriter: Steve KlovesCast: Jeff Bridges, Beau Bridges, Michelle Pfeiffer<\/p>\n This movie rocks. It’s kind of hard to find. I had to buy it on DVD, but it is so charming and sexy, you kind of can’t look away. <\/p>\n Bridges teamed up with his real-life brother, Beau Bridges, to play a fading jazz piano duo whose act gets shaken up by a talented lounge singer (Michelle Pfeiffer). They are so good playing off one another, and you have all this pent-up realness that I just think pops off the screen and into your living room. <\/p>\n This movie is all about layers of people that unravel. <\/p>\n 9. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)<\/p>\n