Nicolas Cage Is the Madness Within Us All

By Charlie Denison

What is it that makes Nicolas Cage such a national treasure? In the ‘90s, it was “The Rock,” “Con Air,” and “Face/Off.” Cage was on fire. The dude who played quirky Charlie Bodell in “Peggy Sue Got Married” became a household name, an action hero making out with Angelina Jolie in a Mustang in “Gone in 60 Seconds.” 

Those were the glory days not just for Cage, but perhaps for our nation. Anxiety seems to be a pandemic all its own today. We’re all out of sorts. Times aren’t as simple as they used to be – and they're not as optimistic, either. We’re all scatterbrained, uptight, and invested in our own screens, one phone alert away from some iconic Cage rage. It’s easy to lose it and, with that in mind, I find it easier to identify with loose cannon Cage. I doubt I’m the only one, so here’s a Cage compilation for your viewing pleasure.

This list has no particular order to it. I base it on notable performances (especially eccentric ones) and examples of this bizarre actor’s unique ability to become someone else while still staying Cage.

One thing I admire about him is how each role comes off as sincere, even when it’s over-the-top. This shouldn’t be a surprise; what we know about Cage is often overindulgent, so why wouldn’t it appear effortless for him to come off that way?

It Could Happen To You (1994)

In this Frank Capra-inspired feel-good movie, Cage studies the Jimmy Stewart playbook and gives an underrated performance as Charlie Lang, a charming, honest, relatively calm police officer who wins the heart of young waitress Yvonne (Bridget Fonda) after leaving a lottery ticket as a tip, agreeing to split the winnings if they’re so lucky. And they are. It ends up being a $2 million tip. 

This seemingly improbable tale is actually based on a true story. Also directed by Bergman, the film shows Cage’s versatility as a leading man and paves the way for Brett Ratner’s “The Family Man” (2000). Cage also tried his hand at slapstick in ’94, starring in George Gallo’s oddball comedy “Trapped in Paradise” alongside Saturday Night Live stars Jon Lovitz and Dana Carvey. Who knew two years later he’d star in Michael Bay’s “The Rock” and become one of the biggest action heroes in the late ‘90s with lead roles in “Con Air” and “Face/Off?”

Raising Arizona (1987)

Ethan and Joel Coen bring out one of Cage’s all-time best performances as H.I. McDunnough, a petty gas station robber looking to get ahead in Reagan’s America. He falls in love with Officer Edwina (a superb Holly Hunter) and together they try to start a family. The couple struggle to conceive, so they come up with an elaborate plan to steal a baby from a furniture magnate who just had quintuplets. As you can imagine, hilarity and absurdity ensues. The Washington Post called it a “wacky, happy, daring, darkly comic tale” and I’d have to say that covers it pretty well. Cage, who was 23 at the time, delivers a winsome, likable performance. You can’t help but root for this dimwitted ex-con trying to do right. He’s got a little bit of the everyman in him while maintaining the classic Cage explosiveness. This performance also features some of his best physical comedy.

It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing H.I. McDunnough with the same intensity. A young Ryan Gosling could come close, but this role really catapulted Cage’s career and really showed off his range, especially considering he played Cher’s love interest in Norman Jewison’s Oscar-winner “Moonstruck” that same year. 

If you love “Raising Arizona,” you’d also enjoy Cage as Sailor Ripley in David Lynch’s “Wild at Heart” (1990). Ripley is a more confident, more intelligent version of H.I. McDunnough that’s also a little reminiscent of Christian Slater in “True Romance.”

Drive Angry (2011)

Patrick Lussier’s “Drive Angry” paved the way for a different direction in Cage’s action film career. As Milton, Cage plays a career criminal who has broken free from Hell to pursue the cult that killed his daughter and abducted her baby, racing to save the infant before the group sacrifices her. He’s more Terminator than demon in this role. He has one mission, and he’ll stop at nothing. When it comes to any other matters he seems heartless, but there’s still a conscience in there somewhere. By the end of the film he’s somehow redeemable and likable. This formula is also effective in Kevin Lewis’s delightfully absurd “Willy’s Wonderland,” as well as the film featured next in this Cage Watch lineup.

“Drive Angry” is mindless pulp that will not disappoint. It also features one of the better Amber Heard performances (we’ll just leave it at that and not rehash what’s become of her career) and my personal favorite William Fichtner role. He’s like a poor man’s T-1000 here. Don’t take my word for it. See it for yourself, and enjoy. 

Mandy (2018)

If you haven’t seen this film, let me paint a picture for you: pantless and drenched in blood, Red Miller (Cage) screams psychotically while furiously chugging a vodka bottle. Then, he weeps.

I won’t spoil where the rage and sorrow comes from, but I will tell you “Mandy” is an unforgettably disturbing revenge movie absolutely made for Cage. His explosiveness, his intensity, his charm (you see some of this early on), his high level of anger and anxiety are all here in this two-hour time bomb. Written and directed by visionary Panos Cosmatos, this film is a tribute to eighties horror and is like one long, horrifying acid trip. The cinematography and what Swope calls “vivid, neon color-soaked visuals” take you to another dimension. As Miller, Cage goes on a Ramboesque one-man rampage against the Children of the New Dawn cult (he refers to them as “bikers and gnarly psychos”). It’s not for everyone, but those who appreciate vintage horror and enjoy seeing Cage really go for it, it’s a must-see.

And if that’s not enough Cage Rage for you…

Mom and Dad (2018)

“Ghost Rider” director Brian Taylor’s horror/dark comedy shitshow has a starkly unsettling premise, as all moms and dads attempt to kill their children, including parents Brent Ryan (Cage) and his wife Kendall (Selma Blair). Like Taylor’s “Crank” movies, it’s an adrenaline-fueled manic thrill ride. Albeit disturbing, the movie knows what it is and has fun playing with the horror genre. It gives the viewers what they want, especially when it comes to Cage reaching a Shining-like level of insanity, which gives way to one of Cage’s funniest angry rants: “The world you kids are living in… the things you see on the Internet: mouth to dildo, dildo to ass, ass to ass, ‘Hi, Brent,’ anal beads.”

It’s difficult to capture a career as diverse and unusual as Cage’s. This only scratches the surface. Not satisfied? Gore Verbinski’s “The Weather Man” (2005), “Matchstick Men” (2003), and David Gordon Green’s “Joe” (2014) are a few more to seek out. And, of course, as recently announced, we must all stay tuned for Cage’s highly anticipated performance as “Tiger King” Joe Exotic in the inevitable scripted series.

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Charlie Denison is a writer, musician, and newspaper editor who lives with his wife in Boulder, Montana. He’s been a loyal DVD Netflix member since 2009. Find him on Twitter at @charliebigsky.