The Best Tobey Maguire Movies : Cinescopia

Born on June 27, 1975, he began his career in television, but it was not until 1993 that, with the help of DiCaprio (with whom he formed a close friendship where they mutually agreed to support each other in getting roles), he made his film debut with the film “This Boys Life.”

Known in the media for playing the best Spiderman in cinema (Thanks Raimi), his career was pigeonholed into roles of the classic nerd archetype, calm, sober but charismatic, which affected him quite a bit when it came to getting more serious characters. Being at times somewhat limited and pigeonholed into Peter Parker, unlike his best friend he has struggled to break out of that mold, managing to have 5 (plus two bonus) notable films and a decent career (something that 50% of the actors in the industry would like)

Here are tapes:

Bonus – Deconstructing Harry (Woody Allen, 1997)

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In his tribute to Ingmar Bergman (especially Wild Strawberries), we have the most irreverent version of Allen with a story about a writer who in a personal book has left those close to him in a bad light and as a result no one wants to accompany him with an award. Making practically a self-reference to his career, with a surreal setting accompanied by absurd and acid humor, Woody Allen teaches us that nihilistic, valueless, cynical, sarcastic and orgasmic people also suffer and can become president in France . One of the first relevant roles of Tobey Maguire, who does not do badly at all, being lucky enough to have worked with Allen before the decline

Bonus – Seabiscuit (Gary Ross, 2003)

By José Roberto Ortega

The triumphs of a racehorse during the Great Depression served as the perfect metaphor to reflect the efforts of an entire society on the road to economic reconstruction. Thus, an eclectic group of people, including a jockey with vision problems, a businessman overcoming the grief of his son and a trainer with unusual methods, lead Seabiscuit to reap unexpected triumphs at each circuit, filling the masses with hope. Impeccably crafted, with outstanding technical aspects, including music, editing, art direction and first-class cinematography, this film inspires optimism even to the most cynical viewer.

5 – Brothers (Jim Sheridan, 2009)

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A somewhat generic melodrama that tells the story of a soldier in the Iran war who, after being declared dead, is taken care of by his brother who begins a romantic relationship with his wife. Although it is one of Sheridan’s lesser works and pales in comparison to the original, the acting is effective, with Tobey Maguire being an important pillar of the story when he plays a soldier who, between the suffering of war and personal suffering, slowly begins to become unhinged (with very intense scenes in between). A good way to break out of his pigeonhole and land a role that earned him some nominations.

4 – Babylon (Damien Chazelle, 2022)

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Even though his participation is limited to 15 minutes, it is not so much the time he remains on screen, but rather his character represents the final point of Chazelle’s criticism of the Hollywood industry, being the symbol of the darkest side of California in the 30’s (not for nothing the makeup they put on him alludes to the horror films of the time). His execution between the extroverted and the terrifying (adding a claustrophobic sequence where the most sordid side of this world is hidden in a catacomb and where each degree of perversion acquires a lower level), make the role of Tobey Maguire one of the highest points of the film. Besides, it breaks the mold of the typical roles we saw him in.

3 – Pleasantville (Gary Ross, 1998)

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The plot about two young people who are transported to a black and white 1950s sitcom could sound like a sweet romantic comedy, and indeed the first half of it is, however, in its second act with the arrival of TV From Color the narrative begins to propose a comic, existentialist story with a certain social criticism using this fictional town as a starting point. Effective in its reflections on the impact of art and society and cultural and generational transitions, with good production design and a decent pairing with Tobey Maguire and Witherspoon, this film offers more than perhaps one might expect.

2 – The Cider House Rules (Lasse Hallstrom, 1999)

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A film that escapes the melodramatic cliché by developing its characters in a natural way, highlighting the questioning of certain “ideologies” and “ethical” rules in combination with the work of their human relationships. In a measured, even-tempered, helpful, but endearing role, Tobey Maguire plays the protagonist Homer, whom we will follow from his experiences in the orphanage to his journey after leaving that place and whose nobility will be his shield of protection against a cruel and harsh world. A captivating film that within the category of “beautiful cinema” is remarkable, and which earned Michael Caine the Oscar for best supporting actor. Maguire showed that he could rub shoulders with greats.

1 – Spiderman 1 and Spiderman 2 (Sam Raimi, 2002, 2004)

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In terms of acting, it’s clear that Holland and Garfield are on a superlative level with Tobey Maguire, and yet he still plays the best Spiderman. This was partly thanks to an excellent director (Raimi) who, in the pigeonholing of Leo’s best friend (a too passive but endearing nerd), found the perfect Peter, combining coming-age with the superhero subgenre in a well-rounded first part and a more mature sequel. Let’s admit it, the cliché of Tobey’s roles suited him perfectly, being one of those cases where the actor was born for the role. Raimi sculpted one of the first stones of a commercial style that became repetitive. The spider webs here were natural and did not come from plastic cartridges, perhaps that was the difference.

Tags: BabylonBrothersPleasantvilleSpider-ManThe Cider House RulesTobey Maguire