Ellen Foster (1997)

[superglue]

Someone on YouTube posted a very good quality version of this Hallmark TV movie TO was in as an embryo back in 1997, one of his earliest roles. He plays Amanda Peet's husband. They are hippies in 1972 who take in a neglected and abused student in her art class. I think this is one of his only period roles, along with Deadwood and When Trumpets Fade. 

Skimming through, I think he first shows up about 38 minutes in. 



I don't think I'd even seen screen grabs from this one. He was so green but very sweet in this movie. 

[sarad]

Thanks for posting this, I've only seen short clip before.  There's something Jim Carey-esque about Tim in this, looks like he's about to goof-ball at any moment.  Very sweet though.

[superglue]

This character is really unlike any other he's played that I've seen. He just seems like a sweet, mellow and sort of shy guy. It might just be his lack of polish but he seems very awkward in his physical acting ie prop work. This was before his epiphanies with Holly Hunter in the moment and concentrating on what other people are doing. 

By the way this was right after Bastard Out of Carolina (one of the most upsetting films you'll ever see). Jena Malone sure made an early career about playing an abused little Southern girl. She's really tremendous though. Would love to see her in a Justified reboot.

Anyway he seems beyond stoked to be in this and almost giddy. I wonder if he got some good hotel silverware out of this one? And if Amanda Peet was one of his movies-are-like-summer-camp crushes? 

[bluerain]

Just finished watching this, super depressing. You can tell Tim is pretty green, especially with the prop work but he did a good enough job with it. I find it so interesting to go back and watch an actors early performances compared to their more current stuff. Especially with with actors like Tim who I don't discover until they have been at it for so long. 

[superglue]

His improvement is really something. I've never seen Scream 2 except for Tim's parts but it was probably filmed around the same time. He was pretty great in Sex & the City (talking about that dream, so funny) and completely stole Go. Some critic wrote that Go is the only movie where Hollywood understood his talent. I would put Girl Next Door and A Perfect Getaway in that category too. But he's mostly been in forgettable films until the Year of the Olyphant. From Go to 2016 I sort of forgot about him so had to catch up. 

Have you seen GQ's great series where they have actors go over their characters? I would love them to do one with him with all his roles and get him to comment on the more obscure stuff. I would love to hear stories about his the stuff he doesn't usually get asked about.

[bluerain]

I watched Scream 2 last summer when it was on Netflix, I would venture to guess that Ellen Foster was filmed before Scream 2, he seemed a little more confident and less green in Scream 2 than Ellen Foster. They both came out in December of 1997. I've seen all his movies from 2009 onward with the exception of Elektra Luxx. Prior to 2009 is hit or miss with things I have seen. Loved his Sex and the City episode. I just watched When the Trumpets Fade this week.

He really did steal the movie in Go. And I have to say I loved loved loved A Perfect Getaway and The Crazies. I don't know what it was about The Crazies but after I saw it I couldn't stop thinking about it. Which is saying something because its not a movie genre that I normally watch.

I don't think most of Hollywood quite knows what to do with his talent. Hopefully some awards recognition for Deadwood the Movie and OUATIH will change that. 

[superglue]

Electra Luxx is just awful. If I remember correctly, there's a sex scene but it's very unusual in that I almost think they used a stunt double. I'll put his scenes on RuTube.

I think you're right that Scream 2 was probably filmed after this. It was shot in the summer of 1997 and came out a few months later. 

I'm going to watch When Trumpets Fade next. I bought the DVD of Advice from a Caterpillar but then I lost it. I think it's in my car or something. There's a thread on here about which of his stuff you've seen so it will be fun to update that.