The movie Jack Nicholson said was “poorly handled”
A key figure during the New Hollywood movement, Jack Nicholson played a pivotal part in changing the way actors approached their craft. By collaborating with pioneers such as Stanley Kubrick and Dennis Hopper, Nicholson emerged as an immensely talented artist during a time when the industry was rapidly changing to accommodate radically different ideas about filmmaking.
Ranging from his haunting embodiment of Jack Torrance in The Shining to his incredibly nuanced performance in Miloš Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Nicholson often elevated the quality of a production through his on-screen presence. This brilliant skill quickly turned him into one of the most sought-after stars in Hollywood.
While only a handful of actors have as many gems in their filmography as Nicholson does, the American icon has also participated in his fair share of duds throughout his career. One such example is Man Trouble, the 1992 black comedy directed by none other than Bob Rafelson.
Nicholson had previously collaborated with Rafelson on multiple occasions, including the critically acclaimed Five Easy Pieces, which is now hailed as one of the crowning achievements of the American New Wave. However, Man Trouble failed to garner the same kind of success and became a major flop at the box office.
When asked about the film in an interview, Nicholson said: “I didn’t feel bad about it. I thought it was charming… In all honesty, I think the movie was poorly handled. You got the people involved and the newspapers arguing about it. These days, everyone wants to be in the know about the movie business. It’s amazing how resonant the smallest piece of insider gossip is. People who are far removed from the moviemaking scene, you’d think they were Darryl Zanuck the way they talk.”
The actor added: “The entrepreneur-impresario in me has always felt that it’s been a long, big mistake getting the public involved at this level of how much a film costs and who’s doing what. Filmmaking changes every year. The most outspoken people now are the executives. They used to be kind of silent but deadly in the background.”
Man Trouble starred Nicholson as the operator of a guard dog service who gets pulled into the tumultuous life of a beautiful classical singer. Although Nicholson pointed out that the movie was only a commercial failure due to mismanagement, it was also critically panned for its mediocre screenplay and the noticeable absence of Rafelson’s usual touch.
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