James Caan was one of cinema’s great “macho” guys. Immortalized as the hotheaded Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather,” Caan would often bring that menace to other roles. That power got flipped on its head when he played the wounded, bed-bound writer in the 1990 thriller “Misery.”
Jon Favreau tells a great story about how he prodded Caan during the filming of “Elf.” When Caan wasn’t delivering enough in a needed scene, Favreau walked up to him and whispered, “You’re James f—-ing Caan.” Favreau stepped back behind the camera and Caan raised his game.
What’s also notable is how close Caan came to starring in some major hits. He turned down roles in “MASH,” “The French Connection,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Kramer vs. Kramer,” “Apocalypse Now,” “Blade Runner,” “Love Story,” and “Superman.”
Here’s how to watch the best films of this one-of-a-kind actor.
The Best of James Caan
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The Godfather
March 14, 1972Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.
Often cited as one of the greatest movies ever made, “The Godfather” is endlessly rewatchable and endlessly quotable. Francis Ford Coppola created a masterpiece with an unforgettable cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, John Cazale, and Diane Keaton.
The film won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Mario Puzo and Coppola). From the first line (“I believe in America”) to the last image of a closing door, this movie is a phenomenon.
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Elf
October 9, 2003When young Buddy falls into Santa’s gift sack on Christmas Eve, he’s transported back to the North Pole and raised as a toy-making elf by Santa’s helpers. But as he grows into adulthood, he can’t shake the nagging feeling that he doesn’t belong. Buddy (Will Ferrell) vows to visit Manhattan and find his real dad, a workaholic publisher (James Caan).
If you love this holiday treat, check out Netflix’s “Movies That Made Us” to learn more about the making of this modern classic.
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Misery
November 30, 1990After stalking and saving the life of her favorite fiction author in a car accident, his manic obsessor holds him captive in her remote Colorado home then forces him to write back to life the popular literary character he killed off.
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Brian's Song
November 30, 1971Based on the real-life relationship between teammates Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers and the bond established when Piccolo discovers that he is dying.
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The Gambler
October 2, 1974New York City English professor Axel Freed outwardly seems like an upstanding citizen. But privately Freed is in the clutches of a severe gambling addiction that threatens to destroy him.
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Funny Lady
March 15, 1975Famous singer Fanny Brice has divorced her first husband Nicky Arnstein. During the Great Depression she has trouble finding work as an artist, but meets Billy Rose, a newcomer who writes lyrics and owns a nightclub.
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Rollerball
June 25, 1975In a corporate-controlled future, an ultra-violent sport known as Rollerball represents the world, and one of its powerful athletes is out to defy those who want him out of the game.
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Bottle Rocket
February 21, 1996Upon his release from a mental hospital following a nervous breakdown, the directionless Anthony joins his friend Dignan, who seems far less sane than the former. Dignan has hatched a harebrained scheme for an as-yet-unspecified crime spree that somehow involves his former boss, the (supposedly) legendary Mr. Henry.
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Mickey Blue Eyes
August 16, 1999An English auctioneer proposes to the daughter of a mafia kingpin, only to realize that certain “favors” would be asked of him.
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Alien Nation
October 7, 1988A few years from now, Earth will have the first contact with an alien civilization. These aliens, known as Newcomers, slowly begin to be integrated into human society after years of quarantine.
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The Killer Elite
December 19, 1975Mike Locken is one of the principal members of a group of freelance spies. A significant portion of their work is for the CIA, and while on a case for them one of his friends turns on him and shoots him in the elbow and knee. His assignment, to protect someone, goes down in flames. He is nearly crippled, but with braces is able to again become mobile. For revenge as much as anything else, Mike goes after his ex-friend.
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A Bridge Too Far
June 15, 1977The story of Operation Market Garden—a failed attempt by the allies in the latter stages of WWII to end the war quickly by securing three bridges in Holland allowing access over the Rhine into Germany. A combination of poor allied intelligence and the presence of two crack German panzer divisions meant that the final part of this operation (the bridge in Arnhem over the Rhine) was doomed to failure.
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Thief
March 27, 1981Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids. To accelerate the process, he signs on with a top gangster for a big score.
