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Matthew McConaughey names his five favourite films of all time
The career transformation of the American hunk and acclaimed actor Matthew McConaughey, was so iconic in the realms of pop-culture that it was given its very name; ‘The McConaissance’. Converting his industry identity from a typecast rom-com staple to one of Hollywood’s most impressive leading actors, McConaughey’s revival has been one of the most impressive in contemporary cinema.
Appearing in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused in 1995, McConaughey kicked off an impressive career that has led him to collaborate with such iconic names as Martin Scorsese, William Friedkin, Steven Soderbergh, Jeff Nichols, Guy Ritchie, Harmony Korine, Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg. Winning an Academy Award in 2014 from his leading role in Dallas Buyers Club, McConaughey completed his career revival to the applause of the industry elite.
Shortly before the actor picked up the Oscar in 2014, he sat down with Rotten Tomatoes to discuss his favourite movies of all time, revealing an ecclectic taste in cinema that spans classic and modern cinema.
First on the list is the 1963 western, Hud, directed by Martin Ritt, and starring Paul Newman, Patricia Neal and Brandon De-Wilde. “Family, generations, hero worship, a classic American landscape and anti hero… Paul Newman,” McConaughey states, describing the movie, adding, “Great example of how brilliant drama can happen even if the lead character never changes. P.S. – Patricia Neal”.
Angel Heart, starring Robert De Niro, Mickey Rourke and Charlotte Rampling, takes the second spot on McConaughey’s list, a dark mystery following a private investigator who is hired to track down a famous singer. Explaining his love for the movie, the actor explains, “The thriller; superstitions, New Orleans, Mickey Rourke, a barefoot Lisa Bonet in soft white eyelet cotton dresses on sandy roads”.
The modern Spike Jonze masterpiece Adaptation is next on the list, a strange drama that follows Nicolas Cage as a troubled screenwriter trying to adapt a beloved novel. Also starring Meryl Streep and Tilda Swinton, McConaughey calls the film, “A life lesson. Also, most effective car crash I’ve seen on film: jarring and lethal, it makes me feel like I’m the one getting hit every time I see it”.
The lesser-discussed Sean Penn-directed movie, The Indian Runner takes the fourth spot on McConaughey’s list, with the drama following a Vietnam war veteran who comes back home only to find more conflict. Praising the performance of Viggo Mortensen, McConaughey picks out “Brothers, family, blood, loyalty, and the thin line between civilisation and human nature,” as his favourite aspects of the movie.
Released in 2012, Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master is the newest film on the actor’s list of favourites, taking the fifth and final place on the list. With Joaquin Phoenix, Jesse Plemons and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, Anderson’s film is seen as a classic, with McConaughey calling it “a considerately staged documentary. Identity of place and people. I could smell and taste it”.
Matthew McConaughey’s five favourite films of all time
- Adaptation (Spike Jonze, 2002)
- Angel Heart (Alan Parker, 1987)
- Hud (Martin Ritt, 1963)
- The Indian Runner (Sean Penn, 1991)
- The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012)
