I don’t even know how to preface this. I was behind in my film class because of health issues and was told I could write an essay to make up credits. It could be about any topic of my choosing. What else is a girl to choose but Chris Evans himself? For the record, this roughly 600 word essay brought my grade from around seventy percent to a perfect one hundred. The Chris Evans effect.
The Chris Evans Cinematic Universe
The Chris Evans Cinematic Universe is an extensive one. From cheesy rom-coms like Playing It Cool and What’s Your Number, to dark and dramatic films such as Snowpiercer and Puncture, it’s not hard to tell that Chris Evans has range. While making my way through his credits, I would often experience whiplash from seeing his egotistical character of Ransom Drysdale in Knives Out to his broken down Syd in London. Not to mention his best known role of Steve Rogers in the Avengers and Captain America movies.
Much like fans of Chris Evans have a preference for “bearded Chris Evans” or “non-bearded Chris Evans,” his fans also tend to have a preference for which roles he plays. Some enjoy the light-hearted characters, while others enjoy the dark and more fearsome ones. There will also always be the ones who never see him as anything but Captain America. Who knows, maybe some people enjoy his two-line cameos in movies like Don’t Look Up and Free Guy.
One of my favorite Chris Evans films is Gifted. Chris plays the loving and desperate father figure, Frank, to 7-year-old Mary Adler. After Mary’s mother, Frank’s sister, passes away, Mary falls into Frank’s care. It’s clear from a young age that Mary is special. Gifted follows the story of Mary’s young genius trying to navigate through elementary school and the oncoming struggles of familial disagreements and troubles. Frank experiences loss when Mary is removed from his home to live with a host family so she can attend a school for “gifted” children, and legal battles ensue between her uncle and grandmother. Another role where Chris Evans plays a father figure is to his character Andy Barber’s son in the Apple TV Series Defending Jacob. This can also be perceived in the movie Push, though in my opinion, his character Nick seems more like an older brother to Dakota Fanning’s Cassie.
Closely beating Snowpiercer for my second favorite Chris Evans film is Before We Go, due to its light-heartedness in comparison. It certainly isn’t the best movie I’ve ever seen, but I find it to be a refreshing story. In Before We Go, Chris’s character Nick meets Alice Eve’s Brooke Dalton under unfortunate circumstances. She’s trying to catch a train home after a work meeting in New York but ends up missing her train. This results in her meeting Nick who was trying to earn money by playing his trumpet in the train station. While trying to help her find a way home (her phone broken and purse stolen, Nick with no money and a dead phone), Nick takes Brooke on a wild goose chase around the city, later learning that the reason she’s so desperate to make it home that night is because she left a letter for her husband that she doesn’t want him to read. My favorite part of the film is their goodbye. The moment between them in their shared hotel room for the night leads the viewers to believe that they will end up together in the end. Something you rarely see in films like these is the characters staying loyal to their relationships. The two characters share nothing more than a sentimental moment in the train station before Brooke embarks on her journey back home to her husband.
Among Chris’s credits lie roles in sub-genres such as murder mysteries, superhero movies, and movies where his co-star is Scarlett Johansson. Whatever your favorite genre is, I am almost certain that at least one movie Chris has starred in will fit into that category. Even those who prefer stageplays over movies will be satisfied, as Chris gave an incredible performance in the play Lobby Hero on Broadway. Chris’s success in the film industry is no surprise. He’s an incredible actor, and a very likeable person. It’s hard to watch Chris in one movie, and not be inspired to watch another.
