Randy Quaid is a useful ensemble actor, especially when foolishness needs a little sympathy. We value the sensitivity beneath the broad comedy, though an eccentric supporting character cannot compensate for a film that has neglected its writing.
Fi1m perspective
Randy Quaid’s supporting characters are often eccentric, hapless or exuberant enough to make trouble for everyone else. We like him most when the comedy leaves room for sympathy, rather than making foolishness the whole point of a person. That makes him welcome company, though we would not choose a film solely because he is in it.
Peter Bogdanovich cast him in The Last Picture Show (1971), and the sensitive sailor Larry Meadows in The Last Detail (1973) showed how well innocence suited him. Cousin Eddie in National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) took him towards broader comedy and became a recurring part. His comic relief in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) allows for pathos alongside the humour; there is still someone to care about beneath the foolishness.
In Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day (1996), he plays Russell Casse in a cast that gives the spectacle much of its appeal. We had fun with this one because the actors keep the business of saving the world cheerful, even amid the patient menace and enormous destruction. The foolish script and excessive patriotism remain drawbacks, however much we enjoy the company. It is the stronger of the two films we have reviewed here, and a useful reminder that supporting players matter even when destruction is the principal attraction.
Days of Thunder (1990) is a weaker reason to seek him out. He plays Tim Dalander for Tony Scott, whose stock-car racing supplies the film’s chief excitement. Robert Duvall provides someone worth listening to, but the romance receives too little attention and the writing remains thin. Quaid’s presence does not change our advice: this is for racing enthusiasts, rather than anyone hoping that a good cast will make the rest worth their evening.
The later dramatic work matters too: Joe Aguirre in Brokeback Mountain (2005) belongs in any account that might otherwise stop at Cousin Eddie. Broad comedy was never the whole job. Start with Independence Day for an evening’s entertainment; try The Last Detail for the sensitive actor that the louder parts can obscure.
Biography
Randy Quaid is an American actor. Born on 1 October 1950 in Houston, Texas, he studied acting at the University of Houston. His film debut came in The Last Picture Show (1971).
He is known for roles including Leroy in Paper Moon (1973), Jimmy Booth in Midnight Express (1978), Cousin Eddie in National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), Tim Daland in Days of Thunder (1990), Russell Casse in Independence Day (1996), Ishmael Boorg in Kingpin (1996), Mr Briggs in Not Another Teen Movie (2001), Alameda Slim in Home on the Range (2004), and Joe Aguirre in Brokeback Mountain (2005).
Quaid received an Academy Award nomination, a BAFTA Award nomination and a Golden Globe Award nomination for The Last Detail (1973). He won a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of Lyndon B Johnson in the television film LBJ: The Early Years (1987) and earned Emmy Award nominations for other television work. He is the brother of actor Dennis Quaid.
