This Is My Father (1998)

Tagline: A Journey Of The Heart.
Cusack plays: The pilot, Eddie Sharp

Very much the brothers Quinn film with Aidan as the lead and Paul writing and directing. History teacher James Caan travels to Ireland with his nephew to track down his own heritage and see if he can find out about the father he never knew. Thankfully the B and B owners mother has been around for years and can fill him in. The action then flashes back to rural 1939 Ireland to see his pretty 17 year old mother fall for an shy older farm worker (Aidan Quinn).

I found this enjoyable and touching, although the Cusack appearance is very short and sweet. He meets the couple one night on a beach after landing his plane and takes their picture. And guess what, the photo has a part to play in the story. Caan and Quinn are both excellent and it's a shame that lead actress Moya Farrelly, playing Fiona, didn't seem to do much after this.

The (spoilery) trailer doesn't make it look so great.

Con Air (1997)

Tagline: One wrong flight can ruin your whole day

Cusack Plays: US Marshal Vince Larkin

Family Connections: Bill Cusack gets a role as a paramedic

Die Hard, stand aside, for Con Air has to be my favourite action film of all time. I take your "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker", and raise you a "put the bunny back in the box". Utterly ridiculous, but rather joyfully so. Cusack plays the straight(ish) man in the this over the top action fest. Criminals (all with fabulous names and backstories) being transported on a plane take it over. Thankfully good-ish guy Nicolas Cage and his mullet are on board to help Cusack who's down on the ground.

If I had a criticism it would be that the end scenes in Vegas aren't really all that necessary, but the ending (which Bruckheimer didn't originally want) is fairly fantastic in making you feel terribly happy a mass murderer walks away unscathed. Also I suspect that there must be several brilliant drinking games you can play along to this one.

He did this one for the money, but John, you really don't have to be that ashamed. It was nominated for two Oscars. And two Razzies.

The Road to Wellville (1994)

Tagline: A comedy of the heart and other organs.
Cusack plays: Aspiring cereal businessman Charles Ossining

Make sure you're not having your tea when you watch this one, because they talk a lot of shit in this film. Anthony Hopkins is Dr Kellogg (he of the cornflakes) who runs a health farm in the early 20th century to return people to well health through enemas, vegetarianism, anal yoghurt treatment and a raft of other procedures. Married couple Matthew Broderick and Bridget Fonda visit to get better, but find themselves recieving some sexual healing from other residents.

Cusack features in the parallel story where he attempts to start a company cashing in on the recent craze for health food cereals and ends up with Kelloggs wayward adopted son as a partner.

The story keeps viewers interested, although it keeps getting sillier throughout. No performance really stands out as particularly special and Hopkins bunny rabbit buckteeth are rather irritating. Fine for one watch but not repeat viewings.