DramaHistory

Pollock

- A true portrait of life and art.

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.

Release Date : 2000-09-06

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Zeke ProductionsFred Berner Films

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Jackson Pollock

Original Name : Ed Harris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lee Krasner

Original Name : Marcia Gay Harden

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dan Miller

Original Name : Tom Bower

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ruth Kligman

Original Name : Jennifer Connelly

Gender : Female

Character Name : Howard Putzel

Original Name : Bud Cort

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tony Smith

Original Name : John Heard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Willem DeKooning

Original Name : Val Kilmer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Charles Pollock

Original Name : David Leary

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sande Pollock

Original Name : Robert Knott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Helen Frankenthaler

Original Name : Stephanie Seymour

Gender : Female

Character Name : Arloie Pollock

Original Name : Molly Regan

Gender : Female

Character Name : Stella Pollock

Original Name : Sada Thompson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Arloie's Baby

Original Name : Eulala Scheel

Gender : Female

Character Name : Reuben Kadish

Original Name : Matthew Sussman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Peggy Guggenheim

Original Name : Amy Madigan

Gender : Female

Character Name : James Johnson Sweeney

Original Name : Everett Quinton

Gender : Male

Character Name : May Rosenberg

Original Name : Annabelle Gurwitch

Gender : Female

Character Name : Harold Rosenberg

Original Name : John Rothman

Gender : Male

Character Name : William Baziotes

Original Name : Kenny Scharf

Gender : Male

Character Name : Franz Kline

Original Name : Tom McGuinness

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clem Greenberg

Original Name : Jeffrey Tambor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Barbara Kadish

Original Name : Katherine Wallach

Gender : Female

Character Name : Kadish Child

Original Name : Cassandra Clewicki

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dot Miller

Original Name : Sloane Shelton

Gender : Female

Character Name : Alfonso Ossorio

Original Name : Eduardo Machado

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ted Dragon

Original Name : Moss Roberts

Gender : Male

Character Name : Herbert Matter

Original Name : Robert O'Neill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mercedes Matter

Original Name : Isabelle Townsend

Gender : Female

Character Name : Young Redhead

Original Name : Jennifer Piech

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dorothy Seiberling

Original Name : Rebecca Wisocky

Gender : Female

Character Name : Martha Holmes

Original Name : Linda Emond

Gender : Female

Character Name : Delivery Man

Original Name : Tony Palazzolo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Betty Parsons

Original Name : Barbara Garrick

Gender : Female

Character Name : William Wright

Original Name : David Cale

Gender : Male

Character Name : Vita Peterson

Original Name : Claire Beckman

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jay Pollock

Original Name : Stephen Beach

Gender : Male

Character Name : Alma Pollock

Original Name : Jill Jackson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Elizabeth Pollock

Original Name : Donna Mitchell

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jeremy Pollock

Original Name : Sondra Jablonski

Gender : Female

Character Name : Frank Pollock

Original Name : Frank Wood

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marie Pollock

Original Name : Julie Anna Rose

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jonathan Pollock

Original Name : Kyle Timothy Smith

Gender : Male

Character Name : Karen Pollock

Original Name : April Petroski

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jason Pollock

Original Name : Nicholas Petroski

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jason Pollock

Original Name : Noah Petroski

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hans Namuth

Original Name : Norbert Weisser

Gender : Male

Character Name : Edith Metzger

Original Name : Sally Murphy

Gender : Female

Character Name : Veterinarian

Original Name : Bob L. Harris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Gyp

Original Name : Jake

Gender : Male

Character Name : Old Gyp

Original Name : Trecker

Gender : Male

Character Name : News Broadcaster (voice)

Original Name : John Madigan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Newspaper Boy (uncredited)

Original Name : Matthew Hart Landfield

Gender : Male

Character Name : East Hampton Police Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : John Nesci

Gender : Male

Reviews

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-06-23

_**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