Free to be an Asshole

I emailed my Mom, an early appreciator of Philip Seymour Hoffman, for her thoughts. She wrote back and said that she thought he didn't mean as much to her as he did to other people, but she did offer this nugget, which shows me that she really got him: 

I wish I could find some more eloquent way to say this: what  I admired the most about PSH was his ability to play a character that was a big asshole (Next Stop Wonderland) with absolutely no vanity. That commitment to the project, total and with fervor, no matter how large or small the part, transcended the art form--it is a lesson for any artist.

well said, Mom. 

Mollie Murphy appreciates Magnolia, Next Stop Wonderland and The Savages. See her latest here or here.

[Editor's Note: It is worth noting that I protested watching all of those at first. It is also worth noting that I loved them all. My Mom never said "I told you so."]