3 in a Row: The History of Matthew Broderick’s Movie Debut

Matthew Broderick might not have the star power he once had, but his legacy as a movie star is unlike most, even with a tragic and controversial accident behind the wheel that would end most careers. A teen actor at the start, he had this wholesome boy next door look mixed with mischievous undertones that set him apart from a slog of hunky lookalikes. A trained theater actor, he began working on stage, earning fame in a production of Harvey Fierstein‘s critically-acclaimed play Torch Song Trilogy (still from the filmed version above).From there, he was on Broadway in Neil Simon‘s Eugene Trilogy (two of which would become movies, with Broderick reprising his role in the first). Doors flew open and soon enough, it was off to the movies where Broderick would become a household name, dominating the 80s early 90s with hit after hit. That would all begin though with 3 in a Row that spun the actor in a series of different directions and roles, beginning with a hometown tale of family and hope …

Max Dugan Returns

Most of you probably have never heard of this Neil Simon comedy-drama directed by Herbert Ross, and that’s not all that surprising. The film was a modest box office hit in 1983 with mostly positive reviews from critics, following the story of the titular Max Dugan (Jason Robards), an older man, who has unexpectedly returned home to his grown single daughter Nora McPhee (Marsha Mason), bringing with him a substantial load of embezzled cash from a Las Vegas casino and news that he’s soon to die. Hoping to patch old wounds between them, he plans to take care of her and her son Michael (Broderick).

Broderick was grieving the loss of his own father at the time, and his emotional and highly-convincing turn as a young man unsure what to do and feel about his grandfather is the real highlight of the film. This is Broderick’s film debut and makes a strong impression, even if the movie itself is rather simple, at least by today’s standards. While that might make his first foray on celluloid feel somewhat mediocre (it shouldn’t), it wouldn’t last long. Just three months later, he would find international fame as hacker and smart alec.

WarGames

A lot of people tend to think of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off as Broderick’s first big hit, and it’s easy to see why, the John Hughes comedy a ridiculously popular and influential film that came to define a whole generation. You’re probably quoting from it right now. However, a full three years before that movie made universal waves, came this excellent thriller from John Badham, playing on fears of world war 3 and the burgeoning age of computer technology. Broderick is David, a high-schooler troublemaker, who hacks into what he thinks is a video game company, only to reach a new computer system controlling the launch codes at N.O.R.A.D. What could go wrong? Well, everything it turns, including a countdown to nuclear armageddon.

With his innocent girlfriend (Ally Sheedy) in tow, they set out to save the world, but will they be too late? Fast-paced, superbly-written and directed, and featuring a host of great performances, WarGames is endless good times with Broderick so natural in the lead, it’s almost unnerving. Seriously, watch how cool he plays David and how effortlessly you just follow him no matter what he does. It’s no wonder critics heaped praise on him and the story and why he’d slip right into Ferris Bueller. It’s great movie magic. And yet no one would have thought he’d take this and go to where he did next. A castle in Europe?

LadyHawke

There’s a good chance you’ve already heard of this fantasy film, it sort of clinging here and there in popular culture as a cult classic. Director Richard Donner was at the peak of his success and had struggled to get the film made for years with a whole different cast that eventually got on screen (Kurt Russell was to star). However, casting Broderick in Ladyhawke was surely the most questionable, the part intended for Sean Penn and then Dustin Hoffman no less. The story is set in medieval times with Broderick playing a pickpocket named Phillipe “The Mouse” Gaston who comes be in the service of one Captain Navarre (Rutger Hauer), a disgraced former leader of the dangerous local Bishop (John Wood – who starred with Broderick in WarGames).

Turns out, Navarre is cursed, as is his beautiful lover Isabeau (Michelle Pfeiffer), both by the Bishop for her refusal to entertain the holy man’s desires. No #MeToo in those days. Navarre is a wolf by night and Isabeau a hawke by day, the two unable to be together. Thankfully, with Gaston’s help, there might be a way to break the spell. A rousing epic, it’s also a kind of human comedy, with Broderick talking to himself throughout with amusing asides to God, that sometimes keep the whole things from hitting its stride (as does a painfully outdated electronic score that hopelessly dates the production). Either way, this is a truly fun movie, unique enough to set it leagues apart from expectations. Don’t miss it.

The Aftermath

Matthew Broderick was only just getting started by the time LadyHawk was released, the aforementioned Ferris Bueller right around the corner and a slew of coming hits like the Civil War drama Glory, the Marlon Brando comedy The Freshman, his voicework in Disney’s The Lion King, and many many more. While a few missteps fell his way, including the misguided Godzilla (1998) and the Christmas flop Deck the Halls (2006), Broderick has steadily found his way into decade’s worth of great entertainment, transitioning from child star to legendary actor status, both on screen and on stage.