Aaron Eckhart may be best known for his work as Harvey Dent in the blockbuster titan The Dark Knight, but he’s also one of the best dramatic talents in the biz—reserved, nuanced and criminally overlooked. Heck, he’s even compelling amidst a fury of CG alien destruction in fluff like Battle: Los Angeles. I have no doubt Eckhart will one day be taking the stage to receive his Academy Award. It’s just a matter of when.
If rumblings on his latest project turn out to manifest themselves, that time could be sooner than later. Variety reports that Eckhart is lining up to play the late Dennis Wilson, drummer for The Beach Boys who later went solo for the 1977 album Pacific Ocean Blue. The movie will chronicle the last six year’s of Wilson’s life, a time where the artist was abusing alcohol and dealing juggling relationships that ended tragically when Wilson drowned in the ocean. The movie, running with the title, The Drummer, will also feature re-recorded versions of Pacific Ocean Blue featuring Eckhart. The man can sing, apparently.
If The Drummer pans out, it could finally be the meaty performance Eckhart needs to breakout. Dennis Wilson’s situation sounds a little like The Wrestler, swapping headlocks and turnbuckles for recording studios and surf tunes. Mickey Rourke’s performance in that film put him back on the fast track and The Drummer could do the same for the dashing actor. His quieter movie,s like the brilliant Rabbit Hole fail to attract awards folks—maybe injecting a little rock and roll into the equation is just what he needs.
