Julia Roberts' Brother, Eric

First of all, Happy Anniversary to the Drive-In Movie! It was 79 years ago today that the first drive-in opened in New Jersey. Where are they now?

Eric Roberts (b. 1956) is a very experienced actor, but I had never taken notice of him before. He is also Julia's older brother. Eric sports 245 titles on IMDb, compared to his sister's 50 roles, but I bet she made money money! That alone probably makes him a Bit Actor. Julia won an Oscar and has 39 other awards. Eric was nominated for an Oscar and won 3 other awards.

Eric started his career on the stage and moved into television work in 1974. His first movie was King of the Gypsies (1978) starring Susan Sarandon and Judd Hirsch. Next came Raggedy Man (1981), starring Sissy Spacek (b. 1949) and it was a big opportunity. He would go on the star in several movies, but his career never fully carried him to real stardom. His next movie, Star 80 (1983) would bring him some notice among casting directors. Star 80 also brought his first award as Best Actor by the Boston Society of Film Critics.

In 1984 he starred with Mickey Rourke and Daryl Hannah in The Pope of Greenwich Village. By this time, his character was becoming known as the brooding young man with a gravelly voice. It worked well for him.

In 1985 he was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in Runaway Train, starring Jon Voight. He was also in Nobody's Fool (1986) co-starring Rosanna Arquette (b. 1959). Not long after these good parts, he made more movies like Rude Awakening (1989) with Cheech Marin. Definitely a step down.

By the late 1980s, Eric had fallen from popularity and was taking roles that didn't do him any good. He was fighting with drug addiction, but he managed to get himself straightened out. He married Eliza Garrett, now Eliza Roberts, and they have appeared on screen together at least 20 times. Eric also worked once with Julia in Blood Red (1989), which was also not very good.

Some better roles started coming Eric's way. He played a dark character, well within his grasp, in Final Analysis (1992) starring Richard Gere, Kim Basinger and Uma Thurman. Not bad, and also a pretty good movie! He also appeared in The Specialist (1994) with Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone, though this is not one of my favorites.

Eric has now started pouring on the work. Previously making 4 or 5 movies a year, he turns out 14 movie and TV titles in 1996, including the role of Perry Smith in the mini series "In Cold Blood" from Truman Capote. 14 titles a year would repeat in 1999 and 2001. He does some fine television series work in "C-16: FBI," "Falcone," "Less Than Perfect," and "Heroes." Most recently you can find Eric in "The Young and the Restless."

Eric was also making many, many movies, but no real hits, and no real big roles in blockbusters. But does that really matter? He is working, and working very hard. For an actor who loves his work, that is all that matters. For movie and TV fans, it presents a challenge to see how many times you can recognize Eric Roberts when you see him. Maybe you can start a notebook.

We just recently saw Eric and his wife, Eliza, in a great kid's movie, First Dog (2010). Eric and Eliza played the president and first lady, but he still came across as the brooding character he used to play so well. I doubt that I would have voted for him, and when he first appeared on the screen I thought, 'That's the president? He looks like trouble.' He turned out to love kids and dogs, so I will give him a chance.

Most of Eric's awards and nominations came between 1979 and 1986, his best years. He is now starting to gather a few new ones, with a 2012 win in the L.A. Indie Awards for Silver Case (2011). On IMDb he lists 34 projects that are not yet released, including Lovelace, the bio pic about Linda Lovelace that was originally to go to Lindsay Lohan, but will star Amanda Seyfried. Keep up the good work, Eric! Maybe stardom can still be yours.

Final Analysis

Final Analysis (1992) is a murder mystery starring Richard Gere, Kim Bassinger and Uma Thurman.  It is made in the style of Alfred Hitchcock, and it is a good movie, but it doesn't quite make the mark. 

Gere is a psychiatrist treating Thurman, and she asks him to talk with her sister, played by Bassinger.  To make a long story short, and hopefully not give away the plot, Bassinger's husband, a gangster, is murdered.  Bassinger is charged with the crime and Gere gets pulled into the action.

My blog is not about plots, stories or stars, so let's get to the important stuff.  Bassinger's husband is played by Eric Roberts (b. 1956) and he is superb.  I wouldn't mess with this gangster!  Roberts has close to 200 titles on IMDb, starting on TV in the 1970s.  He has worked with stars as different as Shelley Winters, Sylvester Stallone and Cheech Marin.  He has eight projects in the works for release this year, and he plays Vance Abrams on television's "The Young and the Restless."

The detective who has to sort out the story is played by Keith David (b. 1956) and he is also perfectly cast.  Stern and serious, he gets the job done...eventually, and with help from Gere.  David has 190 titles listed, so he is no stranger to acting.  His first movie credit came in John Carpenter's The Thing (1982), starring Kurt Russell.  He also appeared in Platoon in 1986, The Quick and the Dead (1995), Volcano (1997), There's Something About Mary (1998), and was a pastor on "ER" for two years.  David has nine productions in the works for this year.

The rest of the cast is almost invisible.  The only other characters that are important are played by Paul Guilfoyle (b. 1949) and Robert Harper (b. 1951).  Guilfoyle, the defense attorney, has 97 titles and Harper as a witness for the defense, has 60.  Both, once again, pull off their part very well, but without becoming etched in your memory.  Nonetheless, they are important bit parts to the story.

Lastly, Harris Yulin (b. 1937) plays the prosecuting attorney.  There is a name you probably don't know, but you will remember him when you see his face or hear his voice.  A veteran of 113 titles, including everything from playing Wyatt Earp in Doc (1971) to a guest spot on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."  He has also played Barabbas, George 'Machine Gun' Kelly, J. Edgar Hoover and Leonardo da Vinci. 

I would say, if you have never seen a Hitchcock film, Final Analysis would be a very good film.  If you are familiar with Hitch, it is still a good movie to watch some evening.