Last week came the ultra sad news that Brian Dennehy passed away at the age of 81. The revered character actor amassed more than 180 big and small screen credits since making his debut in the TV series Kojack in 1977. Over the course of four decades, Dennehy scored a Golden Globe win for his work in the 2001 TV adaptation of Death of a Salesman, and another five Prime Time Emmy nominations for various roles on the small screen.
Unfortunately, not all of Dennehy's credits have been cataloged with critical ratings on everyone's favorite internet aggregator. That said, here are Brian Dennehy's 10 Best Movies, According to Rotten Tomatoes!
Trumbo (2007) 83%
No, not the 2015 film of the same name that landed Bryan Cranston a much-deserved Oscar nod. We're instead talking about the 2007 film, Trumbo, a documentary on Hollywood's top screenwriter that Dennehy and several other well-respected actors.
Dalton Trumbo is most famous for being a blacklisted writer in Hollywood following the discovery of his communist beliefs. Dennehy is joined by Michael Douglas, Nathan, Lane, Paul Giamatti, Liam Neeson, Donald Sutherland, and many more as they read intimate letters left behind by Trumbo.
First Blood (1982) 87%
Dennehy gives one of his strongest and most memorable performances as Teasle in First Blood, the relentless lawman out to catch John Rambo before he does more damage to his small mountain town.
Of course, said damage was ignited by Teasle's abusive harassment of Rambo in his ramshackle holding cell. As a result, Teasle gets precisely what he deserves by igniting a ticking timebomb in Rambo's fragile, PTSD-ridden psyche. Few actors have the size and stature to go toe-to-toe with Stallone, and Dennehy was one of them!
F/X (1986) 88%
If First Blood is Dennehy's finest hour as a supporting villain, then F/X just might be his crowning achievement as a leading protagonist.
Directed by Robert Mandel, the film boasts a super-cool plot in which a top Hollywood special effects man named Rollie (Bryan Brown) is recruited by a shady government agency to stage a phony assassination. When the agency double-crosses Rollie, Lt. McCarthy (Dennehy) steps in to help save the day.
Semi-Tough (1977) 89%
The free-sex movement of the '70s is met with gridiron ferocity in Semi-Tough, a lusty football picture starring the likes of Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson. It also happens to be the second feature film of Dennehy's career!
The film amounts to a light bedroom farce about two football buddies and their mutual girlfriend, Barbara (Jill Clayburgh), who can't quite decide between the two. The film also spoofs the new-age self-help movement made popular during the '70s.
The Challenger Disaster (2013) 92%
The 2013 TV-movie The Challenger Disaster drew near-unanimous praise for its truthful exploration of the calamitous 1986 space shuttle mission. Along with William Hurt and Bruce Greenwood, Dennehy was right on the frontlines!
On January 28, 1986, the Challenger Space Shuttle disassembled midair in 73 seconds. The shocking tragedy propelled a massive investigation for the technical failure of the craft, prompting the venerated scientist Richard Feynman (Hurt) to oversee the analysis and ultimately improve the safety of U.S. spaceflight.
Ratatouille (2007) 96%
Ratatouille remains one of Pixar's towering achievements, thanks in no small part to Dennehy's voice-role as daddy Django, the paterfamilias of Remy (Patton Oswalt) and Emile (Peter Sohn), and leader of all rats!
The story centers on Remy, an epicurean rat with a sophisticated pallet who lives in the kitchen of a famous French bistro. Desperate to become an innovative chef of his own, Remy goes on a death-defying adventure when the restaurant discovers their rat infestation. The film took home the Oscar for Best Animated Film!
Never Cry Wolf (1983) 100%
One of the most obscure but well-received movies in Dennehy's canon includes Never Cry Wolf, which tells the story of a U.S. researcher sent to the Arctic to study the predatory patterns of wolves.
Dennehy plays Rosie in the film, an unstable pilot who drops wildlife expert Tyler (Charles Martin Smith) into the wilderness to begin his research. Tyler makes friends with a native named Ootek before discovering wolves do not feast on caribou as believed by the U.S. government. The harrowing survival tale earned an Oscar nod for Best Sound.
Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam (1987) 100%
With an approval rating of 100%, Dear America is not the first nor will it be the last time it's included in an actor's litany of top 10 movies. However, as a former Marine himself, the words of Dennehy resonate a little bit louder than most.
In the film, high-profile actors literally recite letters written home from soldiers stationed in the Vietnam War. Dennehy served as a U.S. Marine for five years, stationed at home, Japan, and Korea during the late 1950s. Dear America won two Primetime Emmys in 1988.
Fail Safe (2000) 100%
The 2000 TV-adaptation of Fail Safe boasts nary a dissenting voice among critics, in part due to the timeless story of nuclear deterrence, but also due to its stellar ensemble. As General Bogan, Dennehy took fourth billing!
Directed by Stephen Frears, the film charts the growing tensions between the U.S. and Russia after the former accidentally drops a nuclear bomb on the latter. Dennehy is joined by Richard Dreyfus, George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Don Cheadle, Sam Elliott, and many more. The film landed a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Made for Television.
Driveways (2019) 100%
Not to editorialize, but it's pretty damn cool that Dennehy's highest-rated film, according to RT, features one of his last truly great performances in an equally touching film. In many ways, it's a perfect swan song!
In Driveways, a lonely boy named Cody (Lucas Jaye) relocates with his mother, Kathy (Hong Chau), to clean out the house of his deceased aunt. While there, Cody forges an unlikely friendship with his aunt's elderly neighbor, Del (Dennehy), a kindhearted retiree who not only provides Cody with companionship but also imparts pearls of wisdom that the boy can carry with him forever. In many ways, it's a microcosm of Dennehy's career!