Keaton Flies Again

By JOE FARLEY

Michael Keaton, 63, is one of the most respected actors of his generation. His intensity and commitment to craft are renown throughout the film industry. Director Tim Burton, who directed Keaton in the iconic films, Batman, Batman Returns and Beetlejuice, said, “Michael is always on, he has an intensity of discipline. He doesn’t follow any traditional path.”

Keaton is generally regarded as the best actor to dawn the black cape and mask because of the complexities  he brought to the role. Originally, Keaton’s take on the character was seen as too dark, or intense, but admiration for the performance has only grown over time and is one of his defining roles.

In regards to who is the best dark knight, Ramapo Student Devin Hartmann, said “Probably, I’d say most likely. He’s definitely up there.”

Comedic roots

Keaton, originally Michael John Douglas, got his first crack at performing on the stand-up comedy stage in the ‘70’s. Although the stand-up career was ultimately unsuccessful, he did perform with Larry David on To Catch a Rising Star. His comedic roots, however, would help him develop his comedic acting chops while also mixing in a dark sensibility that usually follows stand-up comedians, which would help later dramatic roles come to life.

Starting in 1982 with Ron Howard’s Night Shift, Keaton gained notoriety for his comedic roles. He’d star in Mr. Mom, Johnny Dangerously and Gung Ho, respectively. It wasn’t until 1988’s Clean & Sober that Keaton gained admiration as a serious actor with seemingly infinite range. He’d begin taking on more serious roles, such as his most famous ones in Batman and Beetlejuice, but also notably in Pacific Heights and The Paper.

 Laid Back Lifestyle

The star is famously laid back and often difficult to locate, and calls a large ranch in Montana home. He’s more comfortable in jeans and work boots, driving a pickup truck, and prefers sipping whiskey common people can afford, rather than the glitz and glamour Hollywood offers. As a man of various interests he likes hunting and studying history, and is a voracious reader, to which he said on episode 349 of WTF with Marc Maron, “I’m always surrounded by a pile of books, man.” In addition, Keaton is highly selective, and doesn’t make films just to make them; he needs to understand the character and its motivations.

Return

In 2014, Keaton starred in Birdman, a highly acclaimed black comedy-drama from the idiosyncratic mind of Mexican director Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu. Keaton plays Riggan Thomson, a faded Hollywood actor known mainly for the superhero Birdman, and his attempt at a comeback with a Broadway adaptation of a Raymond Carver story.

His need to understand a characters motivations were perfect for the role because who knows more about being an actor sometimes known only for playing a certain role than him?  Keaton was praised overwhelmingly for his performance and he took home the Golden Globe for best actor. Inarritu was said to cast Keaton because of his “profound depth.”

“I think he’s a great actor and I think Birdman was an amazing movie, and I really hope he wins best actor,” Ramapo Student Matt Gilbert said.

In the end, Keaton didn’t win best actor at the Oscars, but perhaps that’s fitting, as too many trophies would only cramp his almost folk hero status.