The movie Richard Gere calls “my best film”
There’s been a deep versatility in Richard Gere that has afforded him the position of one of Hollywood’s all-time heroes. Whether in his roguish effort in American Gigolo, his steadfast lawyer portrayal in Primal Fear or even his sophisticating and charming turn in Pretty Woman opposite Julia Roberts, Gere has delivered excellent performances time and time again.
In addition, Gere has also made many contributions to humanitarian causes and the brilliance of the cinematic medium. By advocating for human rights in Tibet, Gere has established himself not only as an important actor in America but also as a key philanthropic figure across the world.
That kind of giving attitude was likely only possible due to achieving a status of fame and celebrity, though, so Gere certainly has his best movies to thank for his position. While the likes of Chicago, An Officer and a Gentleman and I’m Not There slot in amongst Gere’s greatest efforts, there is one film that he considers his “best”.
After appearing on the stage in the early part of his career, Gere eventually transitioned to the big screen, and an early part in 1977’s Looking for Mr. Goodbar, he was given the leading role in Terrence Malick’s excellent 1978 romantic period drama film Days of Heaven, in which he featured alongside Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard and Linda Manz.
The film takes place in the early part of the 19th century and tells of two lovers who travel to the Texas Panhandle to take jobs harvesting crops for a rich farmer. The farmer is coming towards the end of his life, so Gere’s character convinces his lover, played by Adams, to trick him into a false marriage and take his fortune for their own.
Days of Heaven arrived as Malick’s second feature effort, following the equally brilliant Badlands starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek. In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Gere once named his favourite movies of all time and began with Days of Heaven, mostly because it served as such an important movie in his career.
“OK, so, I’m gonna start with my first film, Days of Heaven, because it’s my first film,” Gere explained. “It’s probably, unfortunately, my best film. It’s very hard to follow up on a film like that.” Indeed, Days of Heaven is a rather beautiful movie that shines like a golden sun, but even Gere managed to land a hit just two years later in the shape of American Gigolo.
“It was the first film that Terry Malick made that kind of became Terry Malick in that movie,” Gere added. “It also was the first film of mine at the Cannes Film Festival. So, everything about that film kind of was important to me as an actor and as a person.”
Interestingly, there were some production issues with Days of Heaven, including those concerning budget and a tight shooting schedule. Once the shoot had been completed, though, Malick spent two years editing it, finding that he could not quite get it to flow as he wished, an issue that was eventually resolved by having Linda Manz provide narration.
Gere’s performance was commendable but was largely overshadowed by Nestor Almendros’ stunning cinematography, which rightfully won an Academy Award. Still, Gere considers Days of Heaven to be the “best film” he ever made, even if only because it was such an important one in his early career.
