In August of 1949, Life Magazine ran a banner headline that begged the question: "Jackson Pollock: Is he the greatest living painter in the United States?" The film is a look back into the life of an extraordinary man, a man who has fittingly been called "an artist dedicated to concealment, a celebrity who nobody knew." As he struggled with self-doubt, engaging in a lonely tug-of-war between needing to express himself and wanting to shut the world out, Pollock began a downward spiral.
Acting
Harris physically transforms into Pollock's twitchy, explosive energy.
Practical Effects
Harris actually painted every drip and splash you see on screen.
Direction
Harris's debut captures the claustrophobia of genius and marriage.
Director
Ed Harris
Ed Harris
Jackson Pollock
Marcia Gay Harden
Lee Krasner
Tom Bower
Dan Miller
Jennifer Connelly
Ruth Kligman
Bud Cort
Howard Putzel
John Heard
Tony Smith
Val Kilmer
Willem DeKooning
David Leary
Charles Pollock
Robert Knott
Sande Pollock
Stephanie Seymour
Helen Frankenthaler
Sada Thompson
Stella Pollock
Eulala Scheel
Arloie's Baby
Matthew Sussman
Reuben Kadish
Amy Madigan
Peggy Guggenheim
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Harris built a studio in his backyard and trained for months to paint Pollock's signature drip technique authentically.
The real Lee Krasner outlived Pollock by 28 years and never stopped defending his legacy — Marcia Gay Harden met with her before filming.
US
