Anthony Hopkins is one of those few actors that almost everyone agrees is a master of his craft. Unlike most movie stars who draw in a crowd simply by being a recognizable name, audiences are compelled to experience a film starring Hopkins based solely on his skill as a performer. Instantly recognizable, within seconds of watching him appear on the screen, we forget who he is and invest completely in his performance. That’s not to say that he was perfect in everything, but he is so good more often than not that we can forgive his missteps and eagerly anticipate his next appearance.
A native of Wales, Hopkins studied drama at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama before attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, giving him the necessary groundwork to become a renowned stage actor. While he appeared in film and on television during the late-60s and through the 70s, it was in the early-80s that his silver screen career really started to take off, resulting in a slew of incredible films up through the 90s. Not content to do the same thing over and over again, Hopkins has had a long and varied career that has spanned nearly every genre imaginable. Some of his most highly regarded work, however, is in drama. To honor his work, we’re ranking some of his best films in the genre.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
8 Shadowlands
Price Entertainment
A fictionalized account of how author C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters) met and married Joy Gresham is a more obscure entry on Hopkins’ incredible resume, but that doesn’t mean Shadowlands should be ignored. Hopkins plays Lewis as a detached, unemotional man who is deeply set in his ways (a characterization that many have disputed), who marries an American fan for the sole purpose of helping her escape the United States and the ex-husband making her life miserable. Debra Winger is perfectly outspoken and charismatic in her role as Joy, convincing the audience that if anyone can break through Lewis’ icy exterior it’s her. Although the story is captivating in its own right, it’s the chemistry between the two actors that makes the film worth your time. By the time Lewis sheds the metaphorical shell protecting him from harmful emotions like love and pain, you are so caught up in his romance with Joy that you’re desperate for them to live happily together, making it truly heartbreaking when we discover what little time Joy has left.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
7 Howards End
Merchant Ivory Productions
The first of two collaborations between Anthony Hopkins and director James Ivory included on this list, Howards End is a 1992 film based on the 1910 novel of the same name written by E. M. Forster. It tells the story of a woman named Margaret Schlegel (played by Emma Thompson) marrying a wealthy widower named Henry Wilcox (Hopkins) following the death of his wife Ruth (Vanessa Redgrave), who had formed a friendship with Margaret towards the end of her life. What seems like romance to Margaret is actually a manipulative plot by Henry to make sure that Ruth’s house (named Howards End) remains in his family’s possession. What Margaret doesn’t know is that Ruth left it to her before passing away, but Henry’s family destroyed the evidence. Beautifully shot with stellar performances across the board, Howards End is a classic period drama that holds up.
6 Legends of the Fall
Sony Pictures Releasing
Legends of the Fall is the kind of grand historical drama like Dances With Wolves and A River Runs Through It that doesn’t get made much anymore unless it’s a limited streaming series. It has that misty nostalgia for the earlier 20th Century when things were considered simpler (despite how terrifying world events were), masterfully captured by gorgeous cinematography and a sweeping score by James Horner. Chronicling the turbulent life of the Ludlow family, the film follows three brothers who fight a literal war and a metaphorical one amongst themselves over the heart of a woman named Susannah (played by Julia Ormond) to find some kind of happiness. Hopkins is the patriarch of the family, who left the ravages of war a long time ago, only to witness his sons participate in it willingly. If you can excuse the skewed idolization of the past and accept it as nothing more than gripping drama, then Legends of the Fall deserves your attention.
5 The Father
Embankment Films
Sometimes, as artists grow older, they lose a bit of the magic that propelled them during the earlier parts of their careers. For whatever reason, they fall out of love with the work and are often shoved aside for younger, hungrier talent. If you give them truly great material to devote themselves to, however, then they can turn out some career-best work that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with their most famous work. Such is the case with Hopkins in The Father. The story of a man struggling to maintain his grip on reality while struggling with dementia, Hopkins proves he hasn’t lost a step of his long and storied career. He plays a man who is essentially displaced in time because of the erosion of his mind and not only do we believe it, but our hearts break for him. It’s a deeply human performance in a tragically too-human story.
4 The Remains of the Day
Columbia Pictures
Hopkins, Thompson, and Ivory reunite in the historical drama The Remains of the Day. This time, instead of focusing primarily on the wealthy class of Britain, the story is aimed squarely at those who serve them. This time around, Hopkins plays a butler who has spent his entire life working for his employer and has defined himself by this servant role. Meanwhile, Thompson is more open and independent. Their relationship and the events of World War II shine a light on just how much of his life Stevens (Hopkins) has wasted. Again, the film is wonderful to look at, and the performances are spot-on (this is one of Emma Thompsons’ best). Also, to anyone who is used to making a living serving others (in a superficial capacity rather than a noble one), the message about the folly in believing there is nothing else for you should resonate.
3 The World’s Fastest Indian
Magnolia Pictures
Despite its problematic title (a reference to the motorcycle featured in the film) and historical inaccuracies, The World’s Fastest Indian is an inspiring story about committing yourself completely to a dream. Hopkins plays Burt Munro a real-life New Zealand motorcycle racer (sans accent), who travels to the Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States to test his motorcycle after having a heart attack. As someone who has spent his whole life loving the sensation of going as fast as possible, he refuses to let the fact that he has angina stop him. In a world where people are constantly having to compromise themselves because of what others expect of them, it’s uplifting to witness someone throwing caution to the wind to make a dream come true and that is why this film ranks as one of Hopkins’ best.
2 The Elephant Man
Paramount Pictures
After baffling/dazzling audiences with his surreal feature debut Eraserhead, director David Lynch was recruited by Mel Brooks (of all people) to tell the life story of John (sometimes referred to as Joseph) Merrick in The Elephant Man. After his mother was killed by an elephant while pregnant with him, Merrick was born with such extreme deformities that he was labeled The Elephant Man. Hopkins plays Dr. Fredrick Treves, a man so struck by the pain Merrick must be in that he makes it his mission to help him. Although it doesn’t contain nearly as many nightmarish elements as much of his other work, Lynch effectively captures the horror of being trapped in one’s own body to such an astounding degree that no one who watches this film (and has a conscience) will be the same once the credits start to roll.
1 The Silence of the Lambs
Orion Pictures
There is a reason that the role of Hannibal Lecter has followed Hopkins for decades. It may be a cliché now, but his chilling and uncomfortably charming performance as the cannibalistic psychiatrist is an undeniable masterclass in how to embody a character by subverting expectations. Luckily, the film itself is equally inviting and disturbing. Though the subject matter is deeply troubling and horrific, there is a hypnotic pace to this film about a young FBI agent hunting a serial killer that envelopes the viewer completely, carrying them away into its macabre and depraved world of good and evil. The Silence of the Lambs is a horror film, a psychological character study, and a stone-cold masterpiece.
