To say that Robert De Niro is in the conversation about the greatest actor of all time would be a significant understatement. While perhaps Daniel Day-Lewis or Jack Nicholson have more consistent track records, it would be hard to name another living actor who has appeared in just as many classics as De Niro has. De Niro was arguably the most successful actor of the 20th century, but his career faced a bit of a decline in the 2000s. Despite the occasional hit like Meet the Parents or Stardust, De Niro spent the majority of his time appearing in bad comedies like 15 Minutes, Showtime, Analyze That, and Little Fockers. While it was disappointing to see the star of multiple Academy Award Best Picture winners take roles that were clearly beneath him, De Niro earned a serious comeback role in the powerful family drama Being Flynn, which was based on an amazing true story.

One of De Niro’s best qualities as an actor has been his ability to work with many versatile directors. While he has certainly developed strong relationships with all-time greats like Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann, Quentin Tarantino, and Brian De Palma, De Niro has also taken a chance on many up-and-coming filmmakers, including the Being Flynn director Paul Weitz. Weitz may have started his career with juvenile comedies like American Pie and Down to Earth, but more serious-minded projects like About a Boy and In Good Company indicated that he was interested in a nuanced examination of familial dysfunction. In the case of Being Flynn, De Niro gave a heartbreaking performance as a regretful father that elevated the entire film.

What Is ‘Being Flynn’ About?
Image via Focus Features

Based on the memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, Being Flynn follows the story of an aspiring writer who reconnects with his absent father, who he has not seen since his childhood. Nick Flynn (Paul Dano) has managed to justify his interest in writing by spending time working at a local homeless shelter in Boston, where he aids in rehabilitating those who are suffering from physical and mental illness. It is in the midst of these noble intentions that Paul reconnects with his father, Jonathan (De Niro), who left his mother Jody (Julianne Moore) years earlier, and cut himself off entirely from communication. Despite clearly having serious issues with his memory and cognition, Jonathan claims that he is a “master storyteller” who can help Nick in his pursuits to find great stories.

De Niro is able to create a sensitive depiction of regret and depression, as Jonathan is a character who is often unwilling to admit what he is actually dealing with. There are times in which he attempts to willfully ignore what happened when Nick was young, and there are other points in which he clearly does not remember what he did; Jonathan’s refusal to accept any assistance or admit to any wrongdoings makes it even more challenging for Nick to connect with him on an emotional level. What does become evident is that Jonathan regrets no being able to spend time with Nick; although the advice that he gives his son about being a writer is only occasionally useful, Nick understands that his father needs to feel that he is needed.

‘Being Flynn’ Is a Powerful Father-Son Movie

Being Flynn is a great father-son film because it shows the evolution that both men need to go through to preserve their relationship. Nick is told that it is in his best interest to accept his father’s apologies, but cannot get over all the feelings of resentment that have built up in him ever since he was young. Similarly, Jonathan is so intent on earning Nick’s respect that he doesn’t offer any chance to show his vulnerability; there’s nothing that Nick wants more than for his father to just be honest, but in order to listen to him, he’s forced to sit through various stories that only tangentially relate to the truth. It’s an interesting examination of the way that writers communicate with one another, and how they choose to create works that they know will span the test of time. In many ways, Jonathan is both trying to ensure that he is remembered and allow Nick to define his own legacy by developing engaging prose.

The chemistry between Dano and De Niro is excellent, as the former had only just been considered a Hollywood breakout following his work in Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood. It’s a fascinating example in which both stars appear to be drawing from each other’s qualities. There are times in which Dano begins to have the intensity that De Niro made iconic in his many crime movies; similarly, De Niro begins to have some of the soft-hearted, intimate moments that made Dano such an engaging breakout star. Both literally and behind the scenes, Being Flynn is about passing the torch from one great artist to the next. It was impressive and admirable for De Niro to appear in such an emotional project that clearly served as an allusion to his own career.

Robert De Niro Has Done Some of His Best Work Recently

Despite a few rocky decisions in the previous decade, De Niro’s career started to become exciting once again after the release of Being Flynn, which reminded audiences that he was still the same star that had appeared in some of the greatest movies of all-time. Between playing a disheveled dad in Silver Linings Playbook, an aging insult comic in The Comedian, an irresponsible businessman in Joy, a lifelong mobster in The Irishman, and a terrifying villain in Killers of the Flower Moon, De Niro has been on a hot streak thanks to the doors that Being Flynn opened up for him.

Being Flynn is available to rent on Amazon in the United States.

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