Brendan Fraser's highly praised comeback film The Whale is soon to premiere on December 9 2022, featuring the tenacious actor as an obese gay English teacher.
A24 dropped the movie's emotionally intense preview video a week ago, showcasing Fraser's frail character Charlie, his onscreen daughter Sadie Sink as Ellie and his BFF character Liz (Hong Chau). 'Do you ever get the feeling people are incapable of not caring?' presumably narrated by Brendan in his notable deep hoarse voice.
Before his long break from Hollywood, the Canadian-American star found success in big hits of the 90s and aughts, such as The Mummy franchise, George of the Jungle, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Monkeybone, among others.
Fraser was one of the few lucky stars who had the whole world rooting for him until a string of health complications and his coming out story of the sexual assault he underwent that Hollywood decided to blacklist him.
Nonetheless, the 53-year-old is back, hopefully with a bang. Before the release of his upcoming movie, we’ve prepared some films you probably forgot Fraser starred in, especially the most underrated and underappreciated ones.
Furry Vengeance is a family comedy film featuring Fraser as a real estate developer Dan Sanders, who oversees the construction of a greenhouse center in the Oregon woods. However, the animals of the forest oppose Dan’s project, led by a raccoon.
Fraser served as the movie's executive producer alongside Mohammed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei, Jeffrey Skoll, Ira Shuman and Jonathan King.
Starring with Sanders are Hollywood favorites Brooke Shields, Ken Jeong, Angela Kinsey, Wallace Shawn, and Rob Riggie, among others.
Starring alongside Sean Astin as Dave Morgan and Pauly Shore as Stoney Brown, Fraser played the role of Link a caveman, who was excavated by the college guys who tried to pass him off as a student.
Link strives to adjust to modern-day life as he establishes a bond with his college buddies, Dave and Pauly.
Encino Man also features Rose McGowan, Robin Tunney, Michael DeLuise, Esther Scott, Erick Avari, Megan Ward, Rick Docummun and others.
Though the movie was intensely lambasted by critics, it found good reception with the audience. It’s a great comedy film to watch with your grandma.
Mrs Winterbourne is one of the underrated rom-com of the 90s. Heavily pregnant and desperate Connie, who got dumped by her black-hearted boyfriend, winds up on the wrong subway train. She meets Patricia, who is also almost due to give birth and her husband, Hugh Winterbourne. Sadly, the train crashes, killing Hugh and his wife. Connie winds up in a hospital, mistaken for Patricia Winterbourne.
Taken in by the Winterbourne family, Connie finds it hard to keep up with the rouse, especially under suspicion by Hugh's identical twin Billy.
The film’s main cast includes Ricki Lane as Connie Doyle, Brendan Fraser as Hugh/Bill Winterbourne, Shirley MacLaine as Grace Winterbourne and Miguel Sandoval as Paco.
Dudley Do-Right is a slapstick comedy film starring Brendan Fraser as the titular character, a dim-witted Mountie who becomes a hero in the end.
The story starts with three childhood friends and a horse Dudley Do-Right, Nell Fenwick and Snidely Whiplash. The trio talks about their future dreams- Dudley wishes to be a Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer, Nell a world traveler and Snidely a “villain”.
Several years later, each of them has fulfilled their supposed destinies. Snidely is a notorious bank robber who feuds with the upright Dudley. The Mountie must fight Snidely to save the Kumquat tribe. Dudley also falls in love with Nell, and they live together eventually.
Sarah Jessica Parker portrays Nell Fenwick, while Alfred Molina plays Snidely Whiplash.
With such an impressive voice cast, it's hard to believe that this animated film didn't score beyond 13% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, 72% of Google Users like The Nut Job.
The tale focuses on the ex-communist Surly the Squirrel, who decides to rob a nut store to provide food for his former colony and find redemption. Unfortunately, bank robbers also plan to rob a bank, with the nut store as a front.
Among the stellar voice cast enlisted in the film is Will Arnett as Surly Squirrel, Brendan Fraser as Grayson, Katherine Heigl as Andie, Maya Rudolph as Precious, Liam Neeson as Raccoon, Gabriel Iglesias “Fluffy” as Jimmy and Stephen Lang as King.
The Air I Breathe is another hopelessly underappreciated film of the crime drama genre that also presents an A-list cast.
Its concept is derived from an ancient Chinese proverb that describes life using four fundamentals, Happiness, Pleasure, Love and Sorrow.
Happiness, an unassuming bank employee, places the wrong bet on a horse race. Pleasure, a mob enforcer can't enjoy the pleasures of life because of his ability to see people's futures. Sorrow, a pop dancer/ singer, undergoes a traumatic life since witnessing her father's death in a hit-and-run accident when she was a child. Finally, Love, a doctor, tries to save the life of his former girlfriend.
Brendan Fraser stars as Pleasure, Forest Whitaker as Happiness, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Sorrow and Kevin Bacon as Dr Love.
Other honorary mentions include Andy Garcia as Fingers, Julie Delpy as Gina, Emile Hirsch as Tony, Clark Gregg as Henry, Jon Bernthal, John Cho, Taylor Nichols and Evan Parke.
Pawn Shop Chronicles was Paul Walker’s final movie, released four months before his sad death. Walker starred alongside Fraser, Matt Dillon, Normal Reedus, Vincent D’ Onofrio, Chi McBride and Elijah Wood.
The film centers on the happenings in and around a pawn shop, where three stories overlap, all involving items linked to the store. A man is searching for his abducted ex-wife, an Elvis impersonator struggles with life issues, and three meth junkies plan to rob their supplier.
With Honors is a comedy-drama film that sees law major Harvard student Montgomery 'Monty' Kessler (Brendan Fraser) sharing a house with friends- a neurotic medical student Jeff (Josh Hamilton), art student Courtney (Moira Kelly) and womanizer Everett (Patrick Dempsey).
Monty losses his senior thesis on the street, which is found and abducted by a homeless man Simon Wilder (Joe Pesci). Despite meeting under such unfortunate circumstances, Monty and Simon become unlikely close friends. Simon teaches Monty essential life lessons such as appreciating the underprivileged, becoming vulnerable and open-minded and much more. Though Simon, unfortunately, dies from a serious health issue, his impact on Monty's life, including his roommates, is unforgettable.
With Honors is a sweet movie about life priorities that you can't miss to watch.
Hair Brained is a comedy film that features Alex Wolff as a 13-year-old child prodigy Eli Pettifog, who gets rejected by Harvard and joins a liberal arts college instead. Eli makes friends with middle-aged freshman Leo Searly starring Brendan Fraser, a former gambling addict.
Other actors featured as well include Parker Posey, Greta Lee, Julia Garner, and Elisabeth Hower, among others.
The Scout is a heart-warming sports comedy about a New York Yankees scout Al Percolo (Albert Brooks), who's sent to Mexico to recruit a new baseball player after his prospect Tommy Lacy (Michael Rapaport), has a breakdown during a game.
Al meets extremely talented player Steve Nebraska (Fraser) and signs him with the Yankees. However, Steve begins to experience psychiatric issues and needs professional help from Doctor H. Aaron (Dianne Wiest).
J.K. Simmons, Barry Shabaka Henley and John Capodice also appear in the movie.