Sean Penn's best performances
by johan4449 | created - 10 Jul 2013 | updated - 02 Mar 2014 | PublicRealized a while back that I had only seen a few of Sean Penn's films, so I'm currently havning a Sean Penn marathon where I watch his movies, and here I will rank his performances.
Movies excluded from my marathon are:
Summerspell (1983) small part and nowhere to find
Judgment in Berlin (1988) - Couldn't find it
Loved (1997)
Hugo Pool (1997)
Pauly Shore is dead (2003)
Persepolis (2007)
What Just Happened (2008)
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1. The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004)
R | 95 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Based on real life events, Assassination is set in 1974 and centers on a businessman who decides to take extreme measures to achieve his American dream.
Director: Niels Mueller | Stars: Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Don Cheadle, Jack Thompson
Votes: 26,110 | Gross: $0.70M
The title scared me a little, but this is a great character study with an amazing performance. Taxi Driver light.
2. Milk (I) (2008)
R | 128 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of American gay activist Harvey Milk, who fought for gay rights and was elected as California's first openly gay official.
Director: Gus Van Sant | Stars: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna
Votes: 179,832 | Gross: $31.84M
Acting at its best. In my experience actors portraying homosexuals tend to act over the top by being "too gay" to make it credible. This performance is not to be placed in that tray. Penn made an honest, almost perfect achievement in acting as he won the Oscar for portraying politician/gay rights activist Harvey Milk's life during the seventies.
3. The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)
R | 131 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The true story of a disillusioned military contractor employee and his drug pusher childhood friend who became walk-in spies for the Soviet Union.
Director: John Schlesinger | Stars: Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Pat Hingle, Joyce Van Patten
Votes: 12,675 | Gross: $17.10M
Didn't like the movie that much and it hardly engaged me at all, but Penn is brilliant.
4. She's So Lovely (1997)
R | 100 min | Drama, Romance
After being released from a psychiatric institution, a man tries to redeem himself in the eyes of his now-ex wife from the events that led up to his incarceration.
Director: Nick Cassavetes | Stars: Sean Penn, Robin Wright, John Travolta, James Gandolfini
Votes: 8,740 | Gross: $7.22M
Expecting a horrible film thanks to the title, i started watching this when I lacked something better to do in the middle of a summer night. But I was pleasantly surprised, and believe me I am rarely pleasantly surprised... this is indeed a odd film with very.. interesting dialogue throughout. Sean is great as a man released from a 10-year visit at a mental institution.
5. Bad Boys (1983)
R | 123 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Chicago crime kid Mick O'Brien is sent to reform school after accidentally killing a rival's kid brother.
Director: Rick Rosenthal | Stars: Sean Penn, Reni Santoni, Jim Moody, Eric Gurry
Votes: 17,059 | Gross: $9.20M
Great early Penn-movie with an equally great Penn.
6. I Am Sam (2001)
PG-13 | 132 min | Drama
An intellectually disabled man fights for custody of his 7-year-old daughter and in the process teaches his cold-hearted lawyer the value of love and family.
Director: Jessie Nelson | Stars: Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dakota Fanning, Dianne Wiest
Votes: 155,289 | Gross: $40.31M
There are many opinions on Sean Penn as Sam, personally I've seen it a few times and I must admit I cried at some point every time. I think this is a beautiful film with a beautiful performance!
7. Sweet and Lowdown (1999)
PG-13 | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
In the 1930s, jazz guitarist Emmet Ray idolizes Django Reinhardt, faces gangsters and falls in love with a mute woman.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Sean Penn, Samantha Morton, Woody Allen, Ben Duncan
Votes: 36,665 | Gross: $4.20M
Penn's unsympathetic character makes a great pillar to build a city of "mean comedy" on.
8. U Turn (1997)
R | 125 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A man heading to Vegas to pay off his gambling debt before the Russian mafia kills him is forced to stop in an Arizona town where everything that can go wrong does go wrong.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte, Billy Bob Thornton
Votes: 54,762 | Gross: $6.63M
Some similarities to "She's so Lovely", again an unpredictable film which I liked really much. Love how Penn takes on these odd roles, he played brilliant here too. I feel the urge to praise Oliver Stone a little aswell for very intriguing directing.
9. Mystic River (2003)
R | 138 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The tragic murder of a 19-year-old girl reunites three childhood friends still living in Boston--the victim's gangster father, a detective, and the disturbed man they both suspect of killing her.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Emmy Rossum
Votes: 485,772 | Gross: $90.14M
Penn shines along with the rest of the great cast.
10. Carlito's Way (1993)
R | 144 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A Puerto Rican former convict, just released from prison, pledges to stay away from drugs and violence despite the pressure around him and lead on to a better life outside of N.Y.C.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, John Leguizamo
Votes: 232,331 | Gross: $36.95M
Penn is really good as Carlito's coke-addicted lawyer (and I can ensure you this is the worst haircut he's ever had).
11. Dead Man Walking (1995)
R | 122 min | Crime, Drama
A nun, while comforting a convicted killer on death row, empathizes with both the killer and his victim's families.
Director: Tim Robbins | Stars: Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Robert Prosky, Raymond J. Barry
Votes: 101,760 | Gross: $39.39M
I admire how Penn can change his voices like this and still sound believeable (compared to his latest film Carlito's Way where he has a high-pitched voice). This lower voice fits his character well just a small detail in his first Oscar-nominated performance.
12. 21 Grams (2003)
R | 124 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A freak accident brings together a critically ill mathematician, a grieving mother, and a born-again ex-con.
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu | Stars: Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Naomi Watts, Danny Huston
Votes: 245,839 | Gross: $16.29M
13. State of Grace (1990)
R | 134 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A New York cop is recruited to return to his hometown and infiltrate the mob ran by his best friend's brother.
Director: Phil Joanou | Stars: Sean Penn, Ed Harris, Gary Oldman, Robin Wright
Votes: 24,771 | Gross: $1.91M
14. This Must Be the Place (2011)
R | 118 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Cheyenne, a retired rock star living off his royalties in Dublin, returns to New York City to find the man responsible for a humiliation suffered by his recently deceased father during W.W.II.
Director: Paolo Sorrentino | Stars: Sean Penn, Frances McDormand, Judd Hirsch, Eve Hewson
Votes: 36,970 | Gross: $0.14M
15. We're No Angels (1989)
PG-13 | 106 min | Comedy, Crime
Two fugitives pass themselves off as priests in the hope of evading capture and passing the police blockade at the border with Canada.
Director: Neil Jordan | Stars: Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, Demi Moore, Hoyt Axton
Votes: 24,668 | Gross: $10.56M
16. At Close Range (1986)
R | 111 min | Crime, Drama
Reunited with his career criminal father, tough teen Brad thinks he's found his ticket to an exciting life of crime, only to find out he's wrong.
Director: James Foley | Stars: Sean Penn, Christopher Walken, Mary Stuart Masterson, Chris Penn
Votes: 17,739 | Gross: $2.35M
17. Taps (I) (1981)
PG | 126 min | Drama
Military cadets take extreme measures to ensure the future of their academy when its existence is threatened by local condo developers.
Director: Harold Becker | Stars: George C. Scott, Timothy Hutton, Ronny Cox, Sean Penn
Votes: 20,090 | Gross: $35.86M
18. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
R | 90 min | Comedy, Drama
A group of Southern California high school students are enjoying their most important subjects: sex, drugs and rock n' roll.
Director: Amy Heckerling | Stars: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Robert Romanus
Votes: 115,707 | Gross: $27.09M
It's a stupid and stereotypical character, but a funny one that I would've liked to see more of.
19. Hurlyburly (1998)
R | 122 min | Comedy, Drama
Hollywood movers and shakers dissect their own personal lives when everything seems to clash together.
Director: Anthony Drazan | Stars: Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, Chazz Palminteri, Robin Wright
Votes: 10,455 | Gross: $1.80M
20. All the King's Men (2006)
PG-13 | 128 min | Drama, Thriller
Based on the Robert Penn Warren novel. The life of populist Southerner Willie Stark, a political creature loosely based on Governor Huey Long of Louisiana.
Director: Steven Zaillian | Stars: Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Anthony Hopkins
Votes: 25,589 | Gross: $7.22M
21. Racing with the Moon (1984)
PG | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
In 1942 California, two young men await induction into the U.S. Marines and say goodbye to their girlfriends.
Director: Richard Benjamin | Stars: Sean Penn, Elizabeth McGovern, Nicolas Cage, John Karlen
Votes: 5,246 | Gross: $6.05M
Very enjoyable little film though he doesn't stand out as much as in his other early films. Still liked it a lot, a little treasure!
22. Fair Game (I) (2010)
PG-13 | 108 min | Biography, Drama, Thriller
CIA operative Valerie Plame discovers her identity is allegedly leaked by the government as payback for an op-ed article her husband wrote criticizing the Bush administration.
Director: Doug Liman | Stars: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Sonya Davison, Vanessa Chong
Votes: 51,049 | Gross: $9.53M
23. The Tree of Life (2011)
PG-13 | 139 min | Drama, Fantasy
The story of a family in Waco, Texas in 1956. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence and struggles with his parents' conflicting teachings.
Director: Terrence Malick | Stars: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Hunter McCracken
Votes: 184,103 | Gross: $13.30M
24. The Game (1997)
R | 129 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
After a wealthy San Francisco banker is given an opportunity to participate in a mysterious game, his life is turned upside down as he begins to question if it might really be a concealed conspiracy to destroy him.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Michael Douglas, Deborah Kara Unger, Sean Penn, James Rebhorn
Votes: 429,222 | Gross: $48.32M
25. Colors (1988)
R | 120 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An experienced cop and his rookie partner patrol the streets of East Los Angeles while trying to keep the gang violence under control.
Director: Dennis Hopper | Stars: Sean Penn, Robert Duvall, Maria Conchita Alonso, Randy Brooks
Votes: 29,818 | Gross: $46.62M
26. The Interpreter (2005)
PG-13 | 128 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Political intrigue and deception unfold inside the United Nations, where a U.S. Secret Service agent is assigned to investigate an interpreter who overhears an assassination plot.
Director: Sydney Pollack | Stars: Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, Catherine Keener, Jesper Christensen
Votes: 110,919 | Gross: $72.71M
27. The Thin Red Line (1998)
R | 170 min | Drama, History, War
Adaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, focusing on the conflict at Guadalcanal during the second World War.
Director: Terrence Malick | Stars: Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Kirk Acevedo
Votes: 199,571 | Gross: $36.40M
A fine piece of art though the cast is too big for an actor to really stand out individually. But that's not a complaint, it woluld've been wrong if one of the actors were able to stand out from the others.
28. Casualties of War (1989)
R | 113 min | Action, Crime, Drama
During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, Don Harvey, John C. Reilly
Votes: 48,120 | Gross: $18.67M
Unfortunately Penn's performance feels a little over the top here. I can see how the crew thought he would be perfect for the part though.
29. Gangster Squad (2013)
R | 113 min | Action, Crime, Drama
It's 1949 Los Angeles, the city is run by gangsters and a malicious mobster, Mickey Cohen. Determined to end the corruption, John O'Mara assembles a team of cops, ready to take down the ruthless leader and restore peace to the city.
Director: Ruben Fleischer | Stars: Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Giovanni Ribisi
Votes: 222,722 | Gross: $46.00M
Not a very good performance.
30. The Weight of Water (2000)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A newspaper photographer researches an 1873 double homicide and finds her own life paralleling that of a witness who survived the tragic ordeal.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow | Stars: Catherine McCormack, Sean Penn, Sarah Polley, Elizabeth Hurley
Votes: 10,034 | Gross: $0.10M
31. Before Night Falls (2000)
R | 133 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
The life of Cuban poet and novelist, Reinaldo Arenas.
Director: Julian Schnabel | Stars: Javier Bardem, Johnny Depp, Olatz López Garmendia, Giovani Florido
Votes: 26,373 | Gross: $4.22M
Just a cameo ten minutes in as a cuban farmer.
32. Shanghai Surprise (1986)
PG-13 | 97 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Shanghai, 1938: A missionary woman hires a fortune hunter to help her find 1100 lbs. opium lost, as wounded need the morphine. Adventure and romance follows.
Director: Jim Goddard | Stars: Sean Penn, Madonna, Paul Freeman, Richard Griffiths
Votes: 5,765 | Gross: $2.32M
Neither the film nor the actors are 2.8-bad, though... they are pretty bad. Why did they have to make this movie...
33. It's All About Love (2003)
R | 106 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Two lovers attempt to save their relationship in a near-future world on the brink of cosmic collapse.
Director: Thomas Vinterberg | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Claire Danes, Sean Penn, Douglas Henshall
Votes: 9,873 | Gross: $0.01M
34. Crackers (1984)
PG | 91 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Reduced to minding the counter at a crusty pawn shop, Weslake tumbles onto a scheme by some disgruntled misfit clients to rob the place. Rather than blow the whistle, however, he insinuates himself as the heist's mastermind.
Director: Louis Malle | Stars: Donald Sutherland, Jack Warden, Sean Penn, Wallace Shawn
Votes: 1,545 | Gross: $0.13M
Terrible film where Penn has a very anonymous role.
35. Up at the Villa (2000)
PG-13 | 115 min | Drama, Romance
A widow finds choosing a new husband might not be her choice at all, as the actions of her various prospects confine her freedom.
Director: Philip Haas | Stars: Kristin Scott Thomas, Sean Penn, Anne Bancroft, James Fox
Votes: 2,845 | Gross: $2.93M
Do not ever watch this movie, regardless of the circumstances.
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