Eighteen Brilliant But Unawarded Acting Performances
11. Gene Wilder – Young Frankenstein
The grandson of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein, Wilder as Frederic Frankenstein is a man tormented by his ancestry, who only wants to make his own small contribution to science without being typified because of his grandfather’s insanity.
When his grandfather’s will is discovered, however, Frederic must travel to Transylvania, where he is eventually overcome by the desire to re-create his grandfather’s experiments and design his own Frankenstein’s monster.
Wilder is both a reasonable scientist and a madman, and he blends perfectly the solemnity needed to hold the plot together and the comedy that makes the film worth watching over and over.
He and Mel Brooks were nominated by the Academy for Best Writing, but they didn’t win, and Wilder’s talent as an actor was completely disregarded. He did, however, win a Nebula Award for Best Dramatic Writing from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.
If you’re looking for a hilarious, quotable, ingeniously written film with superb acting, “Young Frankenstein” is the movie you need to see.
