Many people act as if Johnny Depp has just arrived in Hollywood. The success of the two Pirates of the Caribbean movies have totaled almost $700 million dollars so far, making Johnny one of the hottest commodities in Hollywood (especially since Mel Gibson seems to have left a huge opening). But, I have always loved Johnny and have been a big fan of his movies, even the less popular ones. So here is a list of my favorite Johnny Depp movies (sans the Pirate movies of course):
10. Arizona Dream
Watching this movie will make you feel like you are in a dream. In this one, Johnny plays an Innuit hunter racing home with halibut, but he is sidetracked in Arizona. Sounds crazy, but with a diverse cast that includes Jerry Lewis, Faye Dunaway, and Michael J. Pollard, you may want to give this one a chance.
9. Nick of Time
In this one, we get to see widower Gene try to rescue his daughter from kidnappers. The only problem is the kidnappers want him to kill the governor in order to get his daughter back. He has one hour and fifteen minutes to do this –the movie is set in real time.
8. Nightmare on Elm Street
A horror classic, this was Johnny’s first movie. He plays Glen Lantz, the boyfriend of Nancy who didn’t believe in Freddy Krueger until he was sucked into his bed and killed by Freddie. It was after Nightmare that Johnny said he would only take movie roles he enjoyed in the future.
7. Platoon
Now if you have seen Platoon before, you are probably thinking “Johnny Depp? Where?” But after the platoon ravages the village, look for a young Johnny carrying a village girl. Oliver Stone considered him for the lead but went with the more established Charlie Sheen as Johnny was mostly an unknown at this point.
6. Secret Window
One of my favorites, this thriller is based on a Stephen King novel, so look for odd twists and turns. Johnny plays Mort, who has secluded himself because his wife left him. Things get exciting when John Turturro shows up to claim Mort plagiarized a story of his.
5. Ed Wood
Yes, it is a movie about a cross dressing movie director. But Johnny gave a great performance as Edward D. Wood, Jr. and really showed us both his dramatic and comedic side in this one movie.
4. Blow
My third favorite Johnny Depp movie is Blow. In this, Johnny portrays George Jung, the real life drug dealer who is as at least partially responsible for bringing cocaine to America. The subject manner is not pretty, but Johnny plays Jung so well, you end up feeling sympathetic towards him in the end.
3. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
This Johnny movie also stars Juliette Lewis and a young Leonardo DeCaprio (he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this role). Johnny plays the son of an morbidly obese mom who tries to keep his family together, take care of his mentally ill brother, and still find a life for himself.
2. Bennie and Joon
An unusual love story, this movie features Johnny as Sam, a sort of savant Buster Keaton clone. He falls in love with schizophrenic Joon (played by Mary Stuart Masterson), despite her brother’s protests. As a double bonus, we get to see dreamy Aidan Quinn as Joon’s brother Bennie.
1. Don Juan DeMarco
My all time favorite, I not only fell in love with Johnny all over again, but also an aging, obese Marlon Brando. Johnny plays Don Juan DeMarco, a guy who is convinced he is the real Don Juan. Brando plays the psychiatrist who tries to convince him he isn’t, but instead falls into his romantic delusions.
Okay, so there they are. Yes, I know Edward Scissorhands is not on the list. As much as I love Johnny, I have never seen this classic. Convince me that I should watch it!