Actors have an inside understanding of the world of filmmaking. It is literally their job to stand in front of the camera, say the lines, interpret the role, follow the director’s orders, and make the whole affair come together.
But how good are they on the other side of the veil, without the camera pointing at them? Some would say they are ideal: They have seen countless directors on the job. Others would say the opposite: They simply cannot switch sides so easily. This list proves that actors-turned-directors have both their great and failed moments (pretty much like anyone else).
Great: Big (By Penny Marshall)
Today, Penny Marshall is much more well-known as a director rather than as an actress, her biggest roles on film and TV having happened decades ago. Big is without a doubt her best film and the first-ever female-directed film to gross an amount exceeding $100 million at the United States box office.
This comedy film tells the story of 12-year-old Josh Baskin, who – being frustrated with his young age and small size – wishes to become at last an adult (“to be big”). His wish is granted and he grows to adulthood overnight. Tom Hanks was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role.
Failed: Renaissance Man (By Penny Marshall)
If there ever was a bad attempt to incorporate Shakespeare into a film, then Renaissance Man was it. Danny DeVito portrays Bill Rago, a divorced advertiser. When he is rendered unemployed, the agency finds him a brief job teaching elementary literacy skills at a U.S. Army base, Fort McClane, where the majority of soldiers are unresponsive.
Not managing to bond with his pupils and anxious to trigger their curiosity, Rago starts introducing them to Shakespeare’s plays. With a 12% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Renaissance Man fails to work as a comedy or drama, even with DeVito in the lead role.
Great: The Jungle Book (By Jon Favreau)
Praised for its visual magnificence, flawless use of CGI, and as a rare live-action adaptation of a Disney animated classic that actually works, Favreau has every right to be proud of this film.
An adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's homonymous combined works and building on Walt Disney's 1967 animated movie of the same name, The Jungle Book is a live-action film that narrates the tale of Mowgli, a parentless young boy and “man-cub.” Advised by his animal carers (the wolf Akela, the bear Baloo, and the black panther Bagheera), Mowgli embarks on a voyage of self-discovery while eluding the menacing tiger Shere Khan.
Failed: Cowboys & Aliens (By Jon Favreau)
From the title alone one understands that this movie will be weird; now, there is nothing wrong with a weird work of art, provided that the weird factor actually works or has a purpose. Here, it does not.
Starring Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, and Olivia Wilde, Cowboys & Aliens centers around amnesiac bandit Jake Lonergan (Craig), affluent and cruel cattle owner Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Ford), and enigmatic voyager Ella Swenson (Wilde), who are forced to partner up to rescue a band of townsfolk kidnapped by aliens. The movie has good enough performances but some definite tonal issues.
Great: Good Night, And Good Luck (By George Clooney)
This is a definitive masterpiece. Hailed as Clooney's best directorial contribution to the film industry (he also co-wrote it), Good Night, And Good Luck was nominated for and received many accolades and is still regarded as a brilliant neo-noir drama and one of the best modern black-and-white films.
It narrates the story of Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn), the reporter who presented CBS’s news documentary show See It Now, and his relations with his co-producer Fred W. Friendly (Clooney) and CBS correspondent Joseph Wershba (Robert Downey, Jr.). The title is a reference to the phrase Murrow always used at the closure of his show: “Good night…and good luck.”
Failed: Suburbicon (By George Clooney)
A criticism many made concerning this film is that it did not know what it wanted to be, do, or say. The setting is 1959 and an African-American family arrives in a “peaceful” all-white neighborhood, causing the community to lash out and become even more oblivious to the actual crimes and corruption happening in their midst.
With a 28% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, Suburbicon struggled to balance its central murder mystery plot with social commentary, leading to a disappointing final product.
Great: Lost In Translation (By Sofia Coppola)
The best way to describe Lost In Translation is beautiful. Apart from its universal critical acclaim (it was nominated for four Academy Awards [including Best Picture] and Coppola won for Best Original Screenplay; Murray and Johansson won BAFTAs for their roles), it was also an audience favorite.
This comedy-drama narrates the story of the relationship between aging and existentially fatigued actor Bob Harris and disillusioned young college graduate/wife Charlotte. They meet in their hotel in Tokyo and come close due to their shared issues with loneliness, fear, culture shock, and disappointment in their careers.
Failed: The Bling Ring (By Sofia Coppola)
While not the best (or worst, depending on how you look at it) example of a failure on this list, other gems created by Coppola do show that she could have done better with the material here.
This satirical crime film with its ensemble cast (featuring Emma Watson) is grounded on the 2010 Vanity Fair piece "The Suspects Wore Louboutins" by Nancy Jo Sales; the article concerned an actual band of thieves called the Bling Ring. The narrative follows an assembly of fame-obsessed adolescents who stalk celebrities online and learn their whereabouts so that they can raid their houses and steal from them.
Great: Mystic River (By Clint Eastwood)
Mystic River was brilliant in every aspect. Based on an iconic crime drama novel by Dennis Lehane, this neo-noir mystery thriller follows childhood friends Jimmy Markum, Sean Devine, and Dave Boyle, as the latter is kidnapped and sexually abused by two men while the other boys are left alone.
This incident causes them to drift apart until a cruel crime reunites them decades later; only this time they are on opposing sides. Mystic River is fantastically acted, splendidly written, and features a strong central storyline.
Failed: The 15:17 to Paris (By Clint Eastwood)
This more recent directorial attempt (2018) by Clint Eastwood shows that he is not without artistic mistake. This biographical drama is an adaptation of the autobiographical book The 15:17 to Paris: The True Story of a Terrorist, a Train, and Three American Heroes by Jeffrey E. Stern, Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler, and Alek Skarlatos.
In what proved to be a poor decision, they starred as themselves in the movie. While they are very well acquainted with the events, they most certainly are not actors. The film was a critical failure and disliked by audiences, averaging a 38% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.