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According to a recent interview,Michael Keatondoesn’t like to call his turn in 2014’s satirical comedyBirdmana comeback, but there is no denying the total career resurgence that the actor experienced once the film was released.The performance led to Keaton’s first Academy Award nomination, and after seeing some of his more major roles subside before that, he began popping up in mainstream and prestige projects that solidified his place in the industry.
The comeback label may not be something that Keaton asked for, but given the film’s subject matter and how much more the actor began appearing on the big screen,Birdmancertainly boosted his career.
Michael Keaton’s Mainstream Roles Begin to Dry Up
Following the success ofBatman, Keaton stayed busy in a variety of roles that included the thrillerPacific Heights,the dramaMy Life, and a return as Bruce Wayne inBatman Returns. However,by the mid-’90s, the actor began to appear in a series of films that weren’t well-received by audiences or critics, such asSpeechless,Multiplicity,Jack Frost,andDesperate Measures. Despite mixing that time up by working with Quentin Tarantino inJackie Brown, his output following this was also lacking, following roles inFirst Daughter,White Noise, andHerbie: Fully Loaded. He was still busy during this time, but he wasn’t hitting the box office heights ofBatman, and his more mainstream roles began to dry up.
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Even though he lent his voice to box office successes likeCarsandToy Story 3,Keaton’s true resurgence came when he appeared in 2014’sBirdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), adark satirical comedydirected by acclaimed director Alejandro González Iñárritu. In the film, Keaton portrayed a washed-up actor named Riggan Thomson, who was once world-famous for playing the superhero Birdman in a trilogy of films from 1989 to 1992. There is no denying how this mirrored some of Keaton’s own life.
One would probably never say he was washed up, even when appearing in lesser material, but he was famous for playing a superhero during a tenure that began with 1989’sBatmanand concluded with 1992’sBatman Returns.The movie depicts Riggan trying to stage a comeback by writing, directing and starring in a Broadway adaptationof the short storyWhat We Talk About When We Talk About Loveby Raymond Carver and the pratfalls that come along with securing the proper comeback, especially alongside his mocking internal monologue that comes to him as the Birdman character, his recovering drug addict daughter and assistant Sam (Emma Stone), his lawyer and best friend Jake (Zach Galifianakis), who is also producing the play and method actor, Mike Shiner (Edward Norton).
The Hollywood Satire in Michael Keaton’s Birdman
Birdmancleverly speaks about Hollywood life, how the industry can celebrate you and tear you down, and how that all could affect your psyche once the shine of celebrity begins to wear off. It also shows how one’s self happens to be one’s own worst critic, as shown through the critical internal voice that Riggan manifests in his own mind. There is nothing to suggest that Keaton has gone through such an aggressive state of self-loathing because of his acting career, butthe performance indicates that he can relate to aspects of the role, which makes his work in the film so incredibly strong.
Birdmanshowcases some of thebest work the actor has donein years, tapping into the comedic chops that made him a star in the first place while also not ignoring some of the darkness of the part. After being on top for a period of time, it has to mess with the mind to suddenly lose that firm grasp of success.Birdmanis always mostly funny, but it does speak to maintaining a level of fame for some actors and what they will do to regain that feeling of gratification.
Keaton certainly felt the gratification ofBirdmanfrom critics, who universally lauded his performance.Varietycalled it the"comeback of the century,“whileRichard Roepersaid,“Keaton made a serious case for an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination. Many critics echoed these sentiments, with his performance earning him arguably the best reviews of his long career, and all that talk of Oscar nominations was soon about to become a reality.
Birdman Led to Critical and Box Office Success for Michael Keaton
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Birdmanwent on to become a commercial and critical success, grossing over $103 million worldwide on a reported $18 million budget. It also became the toast of the awards season, and Keaton himself led that charge. The actor earned his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Although he didn’t go on to win, he did snatch his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, and he won a SAG award as the film’s ensemble took home the award for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture. In addition to those nods,Birdmanwas nominated for several Academy Awards, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography.
Keaton felt the glow of success fromBirdmanalmost immediately. The following year, the actor starred as Walter V. Robinson in Tom McCarthy’s critically acclaimed dramaSpotlight. Keaton was surrounded by astrong ensemble cast, including Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, and Liev Schreiber. While Keaton didn’t receive an Academy Award nomination for his work, the film itself was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, which it would go on to win. The actor also secured another SAG Award when the film took home honors for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. For his performance,James Berardinellispoke of Keaton and Ruffalo in his review by saying they"both give forceful, compelling portrayals that, by all accounts of the men they’re playing, are eerily on target.”
In a bit of fun, full circle moment, Keaton would appear in another superhero film, this time as a villain, portraying Adrian Toomes, aka Vulture, inSpider-Man: Homecoming. The film became a commercial and critical success, grossing $880.2 million worldwide and registering a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Keaton’s performance as Toomes earned raves from some critics, with many pointing to a key scene between the actor and Tom Holland’s Peter Parker when he realizes that the young kid who is taking his daughter to the dance is actually Spider-Man.
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Micheal Keaton’s upcoming role in the family-themed dramedy Goodrich will be a treat for fans of the actor’s earlier projects.
In a review onUPROXX, critic Mike Ryan said,“Michael Keaton is at his villainous best, chewing scenery as Adrian Toomes.“He elaborated on a specific moment by saying,“There’s a scene about halfway throughSpider-Man: Homecomingthat puts Peter and Adrian Toomes' relationship in perspective, and it’s played brilliantly by both Keaton and Holland. This is one of my favorite scenes from any MCU film.”
Keaton has maintained steady acting work for the majority of his career, and maybe that’s why he didn’t like it when the industrycalledBirdmanhis comeback vehicle. During his promotional run forBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, which became another critical and box office hit for the actor, Keaton talked about all theBirdmanchatter and expressed why, to him, it wasn’t a comeback.
“A really, really, really, smart guy, a guy I liked a lot, said, ‘Comeback’ - that’s the story. I went, ‘Honestly, it’s kind of bullsht…I thought I could make that story up, but I knew I’m going to be bullshittng every time I talk about it. By the way, I know business. I like business. Doesn’t bother me. You go, ‘This is a business, man, If you get desperate, you’re f***ed. Don’t ever get desperate. you’re able to get insecure and nervous, and go, ‘Wow, boy, I’m not doing so great right now.’ But when you get desperate, you are dead.”
Maybe it’s not fair to call it a comeback. Keaton never went anywhere, and he was a working actor in Hollywood, something most would take with open arms. Perhaps the best way to describe whatBirdmandid for his career was that it gave him a meaty role to sink his teeth into — something he could truly be passionate about. It also allowed the industry to see something that they may have forgotten: that Michael Keaton is one of our best-working actors to grace the screen today.Birdmanis now streaming onHulu.
