(Photo by Lionsgate/ courtesy Everett Collection)
35 Fresh Christopher Plummer Movies
Christopher Plummer, who rose to international fame as Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, began his screen career with an “and introducing” credit on Sidney Lumet’s 1958 Stage Struck. By 1965 he would be known everywhere as papa Trapp, but Sound of Music was lighter fare for Plummer, a movie that punctuated a career building around military epics and classic-style adventures like The Fall of the Roman Empire, Battle of Britain, Waterloo, and The Man Who Would Be King.
The Silent Partner, Murder by Decree, Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country, and 12 Monkeys were among his movie highlights until a career resurgence with 1999’s The Insider, the Michael Mann big-tobacco expose with Al Pacino and Russell Crowe. This opened to a string of critical and commerical hits, including Best Picture-winner A Beautiful Mind, Inside Man, and Up.
At 80, he recieved his first Oscar nomination for The Last Station. He won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Beginners, as a man finding a new lease on life in his later years, at age 82, becoming the oldest to ever win an acting Oscar. He also became the oldest to be nominated for an acting Oscar at age 88 for his last-minute casting to Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World.
Among Plummer’s final roles were as Ebenezer Scrooge in The Man Who Invented Christmas, and as Harlan Thrombey in Rian Johnson’s whodunit Knives Out. And now we look back on Plummer’s career with 35 Fresh Christopher Plummer movies. —Alex Vo
#35
Adjusted Score: 93740%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Toward the end of his reign, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Alec Guinness) intends to hand over his throne to the...
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#34
Up (2009)
98%
Adjusted Score: 110173%
Critics Consensus: An exciting, funny, and poignant adventure, Up offers an impeccably crafted story told with wit and arranged with depth, as well as yet another visual Pixar treat.
Synopsis: Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner), a 78-year-old balloon salesman, is about to fulfill a lifelong dream. Tying thousands of balloons to...
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#33
Adjusted Score: 122374%
Critics Consensus: Knives Out sharpens old murder-mystery tropes with a keenly assembled suspense outing that makes brilliant use of writer-director Rian Johnson's stellar ensemble.
Synopsis: The circumstances surrounding the death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey are mysterious, but there's one thing that renowned Detective Benoit...
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#32
Adjusted Score: 100296%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Based on a short story by Rudyard Kipling, this adventure film follows the exploits of Peachy Carnehan (Michael Caine) and...
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#31
Adjusted Score: 102886%
Critics Consensus: Intelligent, compelling, and packed with strong performances, The Insider is a potent corporate thriller.
Synopsis: After seeking the expertise of former "Big Tobacco" executive Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe), seasoned TV producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino)...
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#30
Adjusted Score: 91653%
Critics Consensus: A beautifully animated diversion, My Dog Tulip is as comforting and delightful as cuddling with your own canine companion.
Synopsis: Despite a lack of affinity for dogs, a confirmed bachelor (Christopher Plummer) adopts an Alsatian and forms a close bond...
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#29
Adjusted Score: 93261%
Critics Consensus: The plot's a bit of a jumble, but excellent performances and mind-blowing plot twists make 12 Monkeys a kooky, effective experience.
Synopsis: Traveling back in time isn't simple, as James Cole (Bruce Willis) learns the hard way. Imprisoned in the 2030s, James...
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#28
Adjusted Score: 96438%
Critics Consensus: Brutal yet captivating, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is the result of David Fincher working at his lurid best with total role commitment from star Rooney Mara.
Synopsis: Disgraced financial reporter Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) finds a chance to redeem his honor after being hired by wealthy Swedish...
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#27
Adjusted Score: 94608%
Critics Consensus: Spike Lee's energetic and clever bank-heist thriller is a smart genre film that is not only rewarding on its own terms, but manages to subvert its pulpy trappings with wit and skill.
Synopsis: A tough detective (Denzel Washington) matches wits with a cunning bank robber (Clive Owen), as a tense hostage crisis is...
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#26
Adjusted Score: 92192%
Critics Consensus: Wearing its twee heart on its sleeve, Beginners explores the depths of modern, multi-generational romance with wit and depth.
Synopsis: After his mother dies, Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is stunned when his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), recently diagnosed with terminal cancer,...
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#25
Adjusted Score: 89146%
Critics Consensus: Post-Misery Kathy Bates proves to be another wonderful conduit for Stephen King's novels in this patient, gradually terrifying thriller.
Synopsis: In a small New England town, Dolores Claiborne (Kathy Bates) works as a housekeeper for the rich but heartless Vera...
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#24
Adjusted Score: 87653%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After he lets a robbery transpire right under his nose, the ever-bumbling Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) is suspended by Chief...
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#23
Adjusted Score: 93353%
Critics Consensus: Unapologetically sweet and maybe even a little corny, The Sound of Music will win over all but the most cynical filmgoers with its classic songs and irresistible warmth.
Synopsis: A tuneful, heartwarming story, it is based on the real life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of...
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#22
Adjusted Score: 34865%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: This docudrama chronicles the life of gossip columnist Walter Winchell (Stanley Tucci). Rising to fame in the mid-1930s, Winchell helps...
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#21
Adjusted Score: 87899%
Critics Consensus: The Undiscovered Country is a strong cinematic send-off for the original Trek crew, featuring some remarkable visuals and an intriguing, character-driven mystery plot.
Synopsis: Capt. James Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the USS Enterprise are carrying Klingon Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner) to...
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#20
Adjusted Score: 93325%
Critics Consensus: All the Money in the World offers an absorbing portrayal of a true story, brought compellingly to life by a powerful performance from Christopher Plummer.
Synopsis: In 1973, kidnappers demand $17 million from billionaire J. Paul Getty in exchange for his grandson's release. Getty refuses to...
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#19
Adjusted Score: 86567%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After learning of mass murderer Jack the Ripper's gruesome reign of terror, private detective Sherlock Holmes (Christopher Plummer) decides to...
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#18
Adjusted Score: 88022%
Critics Consensus: The Man Who Invented Christmas adds holiday magic to the writing of A Christmas Carol, putting a sweetly revisionist spin on the story behind a classic yuletide tale.
Synopsis: In 1843 London, author Charles Dickens finds himself in financial trouble after writing three unsuccessful novels in a row. Desperate...
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#17
Adjusted Score: 82972%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to a strong cast of experienced actors and director Douglas McGrath's steady hand, Nicholas Nickleby is a worthy and respectful adaptation of the Dickens novel.
Synopsis: After the death of the family patriarch, young Nicholas Nickleby (Charlie Hunnam) and his family are left with no means...
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#16
Adjusted Score: 83000%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to Al Pacino's stirring central performance - and excellent work from an esteemed supporting cast -- Danny Collins manages to overcome its more predictable and heavy-handed moments to deliver a heartfelt tale of redemption.
Synopsis: An aging rocker (Al Pacino) decides to change the course of his life after receiving a long-undelivered letter from the...
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#15
Adjusted Score: 81384%
Critics Consensus: Dreamscape mixes several genres -- horror, sci-fi, action -- and always maintains a sense of adventure and humor.
Synopsis: Selfish teen Alex Gardner (Dennis Quaid) is coerced into joining a government project in which psychics like him are trained...
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#14
Adjusted Score: 73222%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: New York City custodian Daryll Deever (William Hurt) is a big fan of local news reporter Tony Sokolow (Sigourney Weaver),...
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#13
Adjusted Score: 81883%
Critics Consensus: The well-acted A Beautiful Mind is both a moving love story and a revealing look at mental illness.
Synopsis: From the heights of notoriety to the depths of depravity, John Forbes Nash Jr. experiences it all; as a mathematical...
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#12
Adjusted Score: 77134%
Critics Consensus: The Exception (The Kaiser's Last Kiss) elegantly blends well-dressed period romance and war drama into a solidly crafted story further elevated by Christopher Plummer's excellent work and the efforts of a talented supporting cast.
Synopsis: German soldier Stefan Brandt goes on a mission to investigate exiled German Monarch Kaiser Wilhelm II. The Kaiser lives in...
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#11
Adjusted Score: 85714%
Critics Consensus: Exquisitely animated, An American Tail is a sweet, melancholy, immigrants story.
Synopsis: A young mouse named Fievel Mousekewitz (Phillip Glasser) and his family emigrate from Russia to the United States by boat...
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#10
Adjusted Score: 75519%
Critics Consensus: Michael Hoffman's script doesn't quite live up to its famous subject, but this Tolstoy biopic benefits from a spellbinding tour de force performance by Helen Mirren.
Synopsis: In 1910, famed novelist Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) and his wife Sofya (Helen Mirren) vehemently disagree over the rights to...
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#9
Adjusted Score: 71739%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: John Barrymore, mere months away from death, rehearses for a revival of his 1920 Broadway triumph in Richard III in...
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#8
Adjusted Score: 72158%
Critics Consensus: Remember risks wandering into exploitative territory, but it's bolstered by some of Egoyan's best latter-day directing and a typically stellar performance from Christopher Plummer.
Synopsis: With help from a fellow Holocaust survivor (Martin Landau), a widower (Christopher Plummer) who struggles with memory loss embarks on...
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#7
Adjusted Score: 78074%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A bank teller (Elliott Gould) skims $50,000 for himself during a robbery, and a Santa Claus crook (Christopher Plummer) wants...
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#6
Adjusted Score: 67418%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: At a seminal moment in World War II, British Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding (Laurence Olivier) must rally his...
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#5
Adjusted Score: 16101%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A youngster learns about true friendship with the help of a magically gifted reindeer from the North Pole....
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#4
Adjusted Score: 63011%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: On a British army base in India, two newcomers react in very different ways to their new setting. Lt. Millington...
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#3
Adjusted Score: 71768%
Critics Consensus: Terry Gilliam remains as indulgent as ever, but The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus represents a return to the intoxicatingly imaginative, darkly beautiful power of his earlier work, with fine performances to match all the visual spectacle.
Synopsis: Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), the leader of a traveling show, has a dark secret. Thousands of years ago he traded...
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#2
Adjusted Score: 70068%
Critics Consensus: Despite arresting visuals and strong lead performances, The New World suffers from an unfocused narrative that will challenge viewers' attention spans over its 2 1/2 hours.
Synopsis: Arriving with a British expedition in Virginia in 1607, Capt. John Smith (Colin Farrell) is captured by Native Americans. His...
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#1
Adjusted Score: 53483%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In 1972, playwright Richard Collier (Christopher Reeve) becomes fascinated by a photo of Elise McKenna (Jane Seymour), a turn-of-the-century stage...
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