Pollock (2000)

★ 6.7 2h 12m 344 votes IMDb
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In August of 1949, Life Magazine ran a banner headline that begged the question: "Jackson Pollock: Is he the greatest living painter in the United States?" The film is a look back into the life of an extraordinary man, a man who has fittingly been called "an artist dedicated to concealment, a celebrity who nobody knew." As he struggled with self-doubt, engaging in a lonely tug-of-war between needing to express himself and wanting to shut the world out, Pollock began a downward spiral.

Pollock

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Cast

Ed Harris
Ed Harris as Jackson Pollock Age 75 · Englewood, New Jersey, USA Edward Allen Harris (born November 28, 1950) is an American actor and filmmaker. His performances in Apollo 13 (1995), The Truman Show (1998), Pollock (2000), and The Hours (2002) earned him critical...
Marcia Gay Harden
Marcia Gay Harden as Lee Krasner Age 66 · La Jolla, California, USA Marcia Gay Harden (born August 14, 1959) is an American film and stage actress. She is the recipient of many accolades including an Academy Award and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for a Cri...
Tom Bower
Tom Bower as Dan Miller Died 2024 · Denver, Colorado, USA Ralph Thomas Bower (January 3, 1938 – May 30, 2024) was an American actor who appeared in a wide variety of television and film roles from 1973 to 2023. On television, he played physician Curtis Willa...
Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Connelly as Ruth Kligman Age 55 · Cairo, New York, USA Jennifer Lynn Connelly (born December 12, 1970) is an American actress. She began her career as a child model before making her acting debut in the 1984 crime film Once Upon a Time in America. After h...
Bud Cort
Bud Cort as Howard Putzel Died 2026 · Rye, New York, USA Walter Edward Cox, known professionally as Bud Cort (March 29, 1948 – February 11, 2026) was an American film and stage actor, writer, and director. He is best known for his portrayals of Harold in Ha...
John Heard
John Heard as Tony Smith Died 2017 · Washington, District of Columbia, USA John Heard Jr. (March 7, 1946 – July 21, 2017) was an American actor. Heard made his debut appearance in film with the ensemble Between the Lines (1977).

Audience Reviews

Wuchak 7/10 Dec 22, 2020
_**Downer biography starts weak, but becomes, um, artistic… and moving**_

Abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock (Ed Harris) is a struggling artist in New York City in the early 40s when he meets his future wife Lee Krasner, a fellow artist (Marcia Gay Harden). They move to the far end of Long Island where he finally catches a break, but alcoholism threatens his life. Jennifer Connelly shows up in the last act.

“Pollock” (2000) is an honest biography covering the final fifteen years of the artist’s life from 1941-1956. It was a long-term passion for director/star Ed Harris to bring to the screen.

The film starts weak with Pollock being portrayed as a troubled artistic weirdo. While I have no doubt that this is true-to-life, the opening act fails to capture the attention of the viewer. What’s worse, there’s an unintentionally amusing scene reminiscent of the Seinfeld episode "The Visa" where Jerry pretends to be morose and disturbed, which unexpectedly turns on George’s Asian girlfriend. This “meh” opening is probably why the film failed at the box office.

Thankfully, the story perks up when the couple moves to a remote area on Long Island. At one point a journalist asks Pollock how he knows when he’s finished with a painting. He insightfully responds, “How do you know when you're finished making love?” This showed that Jackson loved his work and equated creating art to making love. He was a troubled soul, very much so, but painting was his escape, his bliss. It was Pollock’s area of genius and, indeed, his peculiar art is stunning and somehow aesthetically pleasing. I was so moved I wept.

Unfortunately, alcohol was his downfall.

If you don’t mind downer biographies of artists, like “The Doors” (1991) and “Big Sur” (2013), check this one out. There are inspiring moments amidst the melancholy.

The movie runs 2 hours, 2 minutes and was shot in New York City and East Hampton, Long Island. ADDITIONAL CAST: Jeffrey Tambor, Bud Cork, Val Kilmer and John Heard.

GRADE: B

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