Amistad (1997)
More period finery, as Postlethwaite plays DA William S. Holabird. Grilling people in court with fiery, unrepentant ferocity, Pete cranks the tension effortlessly up to unbearable.
His screen time may not be a patch on many of his co-stars', but this is a pivotal, unforgettable moment.
Lost For Words (1999)
Another ITV film, and another one co-starring Thora Hird. Pete plays Dedric, whose mother Annie (Hird) is suffering from dementia.
Hird went on to receive a National Television Award for her part, while the film itself landed an International Emmy for Best Drama.
The Divine Ryans (1999)
More dynastic disharmony, as Pete plays Uncle Reg. When Draper Doyle’s father drops dead two days after his birthday, Draper realises that he his memories of visiting his father two days previously have vanished.
With the help of Uncle Reg, he attempts to piece his memory back together. A quirky, funny little dramedy.
Rat (2000)
What would you do if your husband turned into a rat? That’s the problem facing Imelda Staunton’s Conchita when her hubbie Hubert (Postlethwaite) returns home from work one day and transforms into a rodent.
Should his family kill him? He is a pest after all. An oddball comedy from the chap who directed Coneheads and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles .
The Shipping News (2001)
A film more celebrated for its stunning cast than its ability to weave a bewitching tale, Shipping News is still masterful in evoking mood and detailing painfully realistic character studies.
Based on E. Annie Proulx’s novel, Kevin Spacey is Quoyle, who returns to his ancestral home with his daughter after feeling beaten by the world. Postlethwaite plays the old editor of The Gammy Bird , a Newfoundland newspaper.
Strange Bedfellows (2004)
Wacky Aussie drama starring Crocodile Dundee ’s Paul Hogan as a bloke who pretends he’s in a gay relationship with Michael Caton in order to receive government benefits. It's mostly daftness, notable only for Postlethwaite's excellent turn as the auditor who becomes suspicious of the authenticity of the guys’ relationship.
The producers sued Universal after they released I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry, which has an almost identical premise.
The Constant Gardener (2005)
In an odd thematic link to Strange Bedfellows , Postlethwaite’s character in Constant Gardener wears a cap bearing the logo of the Human Rights Campaign, a group seeking equal rights for all sexual orientations.
A celebrated adaptation of John le Carré’s novel, Gardener follows a British diplomat whose wife is murdered in Kenya. In his investigation, the diplomat tracks down Postlethwaite’s mysterious character, who may or may not hold the key to her death.
The Age Of Stupid (2009)
“It’s extraordinary,” Pete told us back in 2009 of his eco-movie. “I turned up to meet Franny [ director ] thinking that I was going to do a voice over. The first thing she said to me was, ‘The make-up trailer's over there, and the wardrobes over there, will you go to wardrobe first?’
“I said, ‘Hang on, this is a voice over isn’t it?!’ And she said 'No, no, you’re on camera! You’re the archivist!’ I went ‘What?!’ So it was scramble, bollock and run, and get up and do it, really.” The result is surprisingly coherent and watchable.
Inception (2010)
A return to epic filmmaking after a concentration on smaller projects, Postlethwaite pitched up in one of 2010’s most hotly anticipated films. He’s playing a father again, this one the dying owner of a massive empire who is bequeathing everything he owns to his son (Cillian Murphy).
Reminding us that he can do more with a small role than most actors do with a massive one, Pete tears out our heartstrings as a cynical, mean old man.
The Town (2010)
Proving he’s always had a nose for good projects, Postlethwaite jumped aboard Ben Affleck’s sophomore directing gig for what turned out to be a great follow-up project to his critically lauded Gone Baby Gone.
It’s another modest but pivotal role, Pete playing Fergie the Florist, a savage, fearsome crime boss. As a penultimate role, it’s a blinder, and a reminder of what a talent the world has lost. We’ll have to wait ‘til April for Postlethwaite’s last film, Killing Bono.
