Jack Nicholson's Best Performance, According To Roger Ebert, Is Still A Hidden Masterpiece After 24 Years

Roger Ebert called a 24-year-old Jack Nicholson movie the actor’s best performance, but is the underrated movie really that good? One of the cornerstones of modern acting, Jack Nicholson helped to blaze a trail on the big screen during the New Hollywood era. Known for his naturalistic performances, Nicholson made film acting a legitimate art form.

From the 1960s all the way until the 2010s, Nicholson played dozens of characters, all of whom carried a piece of himself into the performance. No matter the genre, the actor excelled at bringing humanity into the project, which could make him frightening, lovable, or sympathetic, depending on what the movie called for.

Even as he neared retirement, Jack Nicholson hadn’t missed a step, and some of his later films are bona fide hidden gems. Roger Ebert particularly liked one of the actor’s later works, and even went as far as to call it his greatest performance ever. While that might be debatable, the thriller is certainly worth watching nearly 25 years later.

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Roger Ebert Called The Pledge Jack Nicholson’s Best Performance

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Jack Nicholson pointing at a picture in The Pledge

Though it has largely faded into the background in Jack Nicholson’s impressive filmography, The Pledge was popular with Roger Ebert. The critic reviewed the film in 2012, and wrote that the movie “may be Nicholson’s finest performance,” noting that it has “none of the relish of characterization, none of the sardonic remove” of his more popular films.

Ebert isn’t off the mark about Nicholson’s performance, and his turn as jaded retired detective Jerry Black is a far cry from the over-the-top heroes and villains from earlier films. Though the movie’s serial murder case is somewhat cliche, it’s Nicholson’s performance and the depth of his character that makes The Pledge so compelling.

It’s a character study instead of a procedural, though it does have the familiar elements of a cop thriller. Ebert awarded The Pledge a four-star review, which is much better than the 78% score the film currently holds on Rotten Tomatoes. There are quite a few underrated Jack Nicholson movies, and The Pledge is one of the better examples.

The Pledge was a minor box office bomb, grossing only $29 million against a $35 million budget (via Box Office Mojo).

Is The Pledge Really A Better Jack Nicholson Movie Than The Shining, Chinatown, Etc?

The Pledge Is Good, But It Isn’t That Good

The Pledge is a pleasant surprise from the later era of Nicholson’s career, but it isn’t excellent. The actor has so many brilliant movies on his resume, that anything from the later days has no chance of supplanting his classics. Films like The Shining and Chinatown aren’t just great Nicholson movies, they’re important pieces of cinema.

Films like The Shining and Chinatown aren’t just great Nicholson movies, they’re important pieces of cinema.

While the film is worth watching, Ebert might have gone a bit overboard when he called it Nicholson’s best performance. It’s one of his best, but it wilts in comparison to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest or Terms of Endearment in terms of pure acting skill. Jack Nicholson elevated The Pledge to underrated gem status, but only just so.

Source: Roger Ebert