A surprise legend of the '80s
Ready for this proclamation? Aidan Quinn, who turns 49 this weekend, was a consistently better actor in the '80s than Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Kevin Costner -- just about anybody.
Starting with Daryl Hannah in 1984's Reckless and then vastly improving movies like Desperately Seeking Susan,
Quinn appeared in just five big-time movies in the 80s -- Crusoe, The Mission and Stakeout were the others -- with three more for TV. And unlike Cruise, who still gets zinged for "Legend" and "Losin' It," Quinn's work was excellent.
He's probably better known today for his '90s work, when he starred in 18 films including The Handmaid's Tale, Avalon, Legends of the Fall ("I followed all of the rules, man's and God's. And you, you followed none of them. And they all loved you more.") and the vastly underappreciated The Assignment.
What makes him so watchable? His ability to play the good guy and bad guy with equal skill (sometimes in the same movie -- again, see "The Assignment.")
TOP 5 AIDAN QUINN MOVIES -- ALL TIME:
5. AVALON (1990): "He wets the bed. My dad wets the bed."
4. STAKEOUT (1987): "Isn't love great, Chris? One minute you're a god, the next minute you're a scum-suckin' pig."
3. LEGENDS OF THE FALL (1994): "You have won her. I am bringing her home."
2. RECKLESS (1984): "Well, I'm pretty f---in' upset and it's definitely your fault."
1. THE ASSIGNMENT (1997): "I've made you and the children a target because someone out there is going to kill you unless I kill him first. That's my job. And if you don't mind, I'm late for work."
Relive the music, movies and culture of the greatest decade ever with Times online editor Steve Spears. A teen during the decade, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to Reaganomics.
E-mail Steve Spears:
THIS WEEK'S SHOW: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers rock Tampa Bay. To hear the latest "Stuck in the 80s" episode now, 
Steve,
Aidan Quinn, great, great call. Reckless, what an awesome movie. A top 5 movie of all time (you know that). You can't go wrong with Kim Wilde, Romeo Void and a little known band at the time called INXS (to look at you).
I'll have to watch The Assignment.
Posted by: Mike in Austin | March 09, 2008 at 10:39 AM
He seems to be one of the many actors who isn't given the credit he deserves.
I remember him most notably from "An Early Frost" and "Benny and Joon." I know that latter flick isn't from the 80s, but it's good enough to have been.
Posted by: Marissa | March 09, 2008 at 11:16 AM
Theatre geek here has to mention his work in the TV adaptation of Arthur Miller's "All My Sons." It's been a long while since I saw this, but Quinn's work holds up nicely next to some heavyweights (James Whitmore, Joan Allen.)
Posted by: jane | March 09, 2008 at 12:16 PM
I'm a big fan of the movie Benny & Joon. Quinn was great as the put upon older brother.
Posted by: Bassnote | March 09, 2008 at 02:37 PM
Wow, Steve, I don't think I can follow you into battle on this one. Quinn did some fine work and is certainly underappreciated. But saying he did better work in the 80's than Harrison Ford is kind of like saying Bo Jackson was a better ballplayer than Willie Mays. Even if Ford had done nothing but "Raiders", "Blade Runner", "Witness" and "Mosquito Coast" he would still own the decade outright.
Posted by: Clark | March 09, 2008 at 05:40 PM
"better than just about anybody"?
I'd be more comfortable asserting that he's "better than just about anybody gives him credit for".
Posted by: Jeff in Cuba | March 09, 2008 at 09:22 PM
Wow, that's the list of his best movies? Not an impressive list, although I am with Jane that he was amazing in "All My Sons."
I think I'd put The Mission in there in place of Reckless. Visuall stunning if a little confused of a movie. And Avalon is the 2nd best movie on this list. The Assignment, like Aiden Quinn, is a better movie than most people realize. It released the same weekend as another movie of the same genre that had more hype and a bigger star but significantly less substance - The Peacemaker.
And, "Aidan Quinn, who turns 49 this weekend, was a consistently better actor in the '80s than Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Kevin Costner." OK, Costner can't act his way out of a Waterword audition and TC is more movie star than actor, but he can't touch Ford.
Posted by: DoctorDrew | March 10, 2008 at 05:41 PM
ok, the only movie i have seen from the list is stakeout, but saying he's better than costner. i just don't know. untouchables, no way out, bull durham, silverado, field of dreams, all classics imho
Posted by: chad | March 10, 2008 at 06:44 PM
Speaking of Aidan Quinn, I was surfing around the telly and noticed that he's a cast member in the new program Canterbury's Law (about which I know next to nothing other than it stars Julianna Margulies and that it's on Fox.) So there you are.
Posted by: jane | March 10, 2008 at 08:03 PM