The Rookieended a key era of Clint Eastwood’s career, and its failure put him on the path toUnforgiven. Eastwood didn’t become a true A-list star until the first movie in theDirty Harryfranchiseexploded in 1971. From there, Eastwood became one of the most prolific actor/directors in the business. He would also use his stardom in smart ways, funding more personal projects likeHonkytonk ManorBirdby fronting traditional action movies or thrillers likeThe Gauntletor a newDirty Harrysequel.
OnceClint Eastwood directedprojects gathered more critical and commercial attention than his starring vehicles, he largely retreated behind the camera. Still, he cut a pretty convincing figure as an action hero for many years. This includes his violent cop movieThe Rookie, aLethal Weapon-inspired buddy offering that paired his grizzled vet with Charlie Sheen’s titular newbie.The film bombed back in 1990, grossing $21 million on a $30 million budget(viaThe Numbers) and earning some poisonous critical notices.
The Rookie Is The Last Clint Eastwood Movie That Didn’t Comment On His Age
The movie quietly ended a key Eastwood era
The Rookiemines a lot of humor from how unconventional Eastwood’s gruff cop is in contrast to Charlie Sheen’s “soft” rookie. Now, the film takes a few potshots at the age of Eastwood’s Nick, but it’s not something the film really interrogates.Nick can outrun, outpunch, and outshoot every opponent, including criminals half his age. The movie isn’t about Sheen’s sensitive younger cop teaching Nick how to be more open-minded or thoughtful, it’s about how Sheen’s character has to man up to be just like his mentor.
The Rookieis the end of the action hero phase of Clint Eastwood’s career, as every subsequent leading role he took on added commentary about his age or his screen legacy.
In Clint’s defense, he looks very fit and imposing inThe Rookie, so it’s still believable that Nick would be running around the streets at age 60. Still,The Rookieis the end of the action hero phase of Eastwood’s career, as every subsequent leading role he took on added commentary about his advancing years or his screen legacy. A mere three years afterhis final cop movieThe Rookie,In the Line of Firewould make constant mention of Clint’s Secret Service agent, Frank, being over the hill and past his prime.
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Frank sweats when he runs, tires easily and has begun to question his mortality.The Rookiehas no interest in making Nick’s age a feature of the character, but the response to the film made it clear Eastwood could no longer avoid the topic. In hindsight, this was the best thing that could have happened to his career during this time.
Unforgiven Forever Changed The Kind Of Roles Clint Played
Unforgiven introduced audiences to Old Man Clint
Eastwood famously sat on the screenplay forUnforgivenfor many years, believing he had to age into the role of Will Munny. There are many reasons the Western is now considered a masterpiece, from the masterful direction to Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman’s supporting performances. More than anything,Eastwood is perfect casting since the entire film plays on his own screen legacy as a violent gunslinger.
Munny is a fascinatingly egoless performance from Clint; not only does he do nothing to conceal his age, he makes himself look older and frailer. Munny is about as far from the Man with No Name or Dirty Harry as it’s possible to get.In the aftermath ofUnforgiven’sacclaim, Eastwood leaned hard into roles that made his age a featureinstead of a bug.In the Line of Firewas one of the best, but everything fromAbsolute PowertoBlood Workoffered commentary on his past roles and that he’s not as spry as he once was.
Before Clint Eastwood took over the project, Francis Ford Coppola planned to directUnforgivenwith John Malkovich in the lead role.
Hell, the entire premise of Clint’sSpace Cowboys involved NASA recruiting a bunch of elderly astronauts for an important mission, with their experience being an important part of the plot.PostThe Rookie, Eastwood smartly weaponized his own history as a performerand often framed himself in more mythic terms.
A tepid run in the 1980s forced Clint to rethink his screen image
Ultimately, the only lasting legacy ofThe Rookieis that the film employed more stunt people than actors. It does feature impressive action, from a creative opening car chase to a gigantic warehouse explosion. Still,the chemistry between Eastwood and Sheen isn’t fully formed, the comedy often misfires, and the movie is often unpleasantly mean-spirited. The thriller capped off a poor run of Eastwood starring vehicles, including other box-office disappointments likePink Cadillacand the finalDirty Harrysequel,The Dead Pool.
The Rookiesaw Eastwood try his hand at a genre that was becoming hip, but it proved his grasp on what younger audiences want was slipping. It also showed he couldn’t keep returning to the same action movie well that had previously served him so well. Clint needed to reinvent himself onscreen, and he couldn’t have picked a better follow-up toThe RookiethanUnforgiven.
The Rookie
Cast
The Rookie (1990) stars Clint Eastwood as seasoned detective Nick Pulovski and Charlie Sheen as his rookie partner, David Ackerman. Directed by Eastwood, the film follows the duo as they navigate the dangerous world of car theft rings in Los Angeles. As Pulovski seeks justice for the murder of his former partner, Ackerman must overcome personal demons and prove himself in a high-stakes environment.
Unforgiven
Unforgiven follows retired gunslinger Will Munny as he is drawn back into his former life for a final mission, seeking justice with his old partner and a young outlaw called The Schofield Kid.
