Get Low -- what a fantastic Duvall movie. Also loved The Apostle extremely much (watched it several times), his grumpy old dad role in Something to Talk About, of course Tender Mercies and Apocalypse Now, his Tom Hagen role in the first two Godfather films, Gods and Generals, Secondhand Lions, Open Range, The Great Santini (you would looove that one), A Family Thing, and his unforgettable first movie role -- Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird. There are many other of his films I've seen, but those are the standouts for me.
My top movie consumption for actors I like is around six films. His films, I've seen dozens.
A longtime woman friend of mine used to live near his yuge horse ranch out in Virginia, and for awhile he owned a small restaurant at a country crossroads, where he and his wife used to go there to eat and, presumably, keep tabs. My friend and I absolutely adore him and we used to go over there for lunch just to sneak peeks at him. He did not seek adulation and usually sat with his face to the windows and his back to the room, for privacy, and we never disturbed him, but suppressed a lot of totally immature giggles. He is surprisingly not that tall -- maybe 5'9", but what a screen presence.
He has since sold the restaurant, and my friend moved away, but I often wish I had slipped him a thank-you note for his extraordinary story-telling. He wrote and/or directed Get Low, The Apostle, A Family Thing and several other of his art films, IIRC. He is a Navy brat, raised not far from here in Annapolis. And—he is a conservative and has said so publicly.
In short, he has no equal. No wonder those vain, insecure award-show d***heads in Hollywood ignore him.
I love the faces of elderly people (I am old enough to see already what I will look like...I think like my dad...lots of crow’s feet and smile lines...I can live with that!) there is so much...life and experience there.
Ha...I could have guessed he must have been a brat! When I first saw “The Great Santini”, I thought “Wow. Really nailed the life of living on a base, being a military family and all...”
I love him in “Lonesome Dove”, but my all time favorite with him has to be “Open Range” followed by “Second Hand Lions”...hell, I am grinning while I type, that is how much I enjoy his work.
Yes, a treasure...
Du Vall is truly and amazing actor. When he was starting out as an actor in New York he roomed with Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman. What are the odds of all three winning Academy Awards and being that successful.