what happened to the career of Chris O'Donnell?

Rewatching "Scent of a Woman," in which Pacino's brilliant turn is in every way connected to the emotional responses of a very young O'Donnell, one cannot help but wonder why this young actor's career failed to ignite. (Yes, he won kudos in the revived Miller play, but since then--what?)

It was particularly ironic, because the bad boy in the "Scent" story, a grinning, smug Jack o'lantern preppie who almost brings Chris down, was played by ... a young, creepy Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Who would've looked at that film in 92, and predicted that Hoffman would be the Oscar nominee in 06? O'Donnell was the one on course. Anyway, O'Donnell's work holds up remarkably; in several scenes, he single-handledly sustains the raw tension so persuasively so that Pacino's shell of a world-weary Col. can shine in counterpoint. The movie is a duet, and how sad it is, 14 years later, to see so little of O'Donnell.

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Who would've looked at that film in 92, and predicted that Hoffman would be the Oscar nominee in 06?

Count me in. O'Donnell never matched this performance again, so I'm not surprised he's slowly faded.

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Personally, I find O'Donnell to be boring and tedious as an actor. I find that he slows scenes down and I don't really care for him. I liked him in Scent of a Women, but even in that I think it was more a case of Pacino making those around him better than a glimpse of a bright career.

Batman & Robin didn't help him. He was atrocious in those films. He chose some poor parts.

He is going to have a story arc on Grey's Anatomy soon.

He defninitely needs a good director to guide him. His performances have been all over the map, from near-brilliant (Scent of a Woman) to very forgettable (too many to mention).

Problem is... you give a few forgettable performances in a row in box office bombs... and Hollywood forgets you.

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He did a play at the Roundabout a few years ago. It was a forgotten Arthur Miller play that should have remained forgotten. I think it was called THE MAN WITH ALL THE LUCK. Chris was quite good in the title role, but the play was a mess.

Got to meet him afterwards. He's a real sweetheart.

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He kind of took an Affleckian Career Trajectory without the tabloid girlfriends.

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"He's too white bread. He needs a scandal to make him more interesting."

...and that's really kinda tragic.

I'm completely OVER getting our leading players from rehab, juvenile hall or the mental hospital.

Seriously... It's called acting. We need to have more people who can "act" interesting, instead of the audience marveling at how many obstacles they had to overcome just to say their damn line without screwing it up.

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I think he'll go the Timothy Hutton route -- he was a boy wonder, but resurfaced in KINSEY looking like Clark Gable in THE MISFITS. Having begun this thread, moved by a revisiting of SCENT, I must also agree with those who've found his subsequent work erratic. More critically, in terms of Hollywood, he comes across a bit asexually.

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Corine's missing in action and we're talking about bongos?

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