Underrated: John Cusack, The Post Office and The Library System

How can things that work so good get so little respect?

August 8, 2003
By: O. J. Cunningham

Underrated actor: John Cusack

Is there a more likable actor working today? At least a dozen terrific performances, no Oscar nominations. Amazing!



Check out this list of successful movies . . .

Identity (2003).... Ed
Max (2002/I) .... Max Rothman
Serendipity (2001) .... Jonathan Trager
America's Sweethearts (2001) .... Eddie Thomas
High Fidelity (2000) .... Rob Gordon
Being John Malkovich (1999) .... Craig Schwartz
Cradle Will Rock (1999) .... Nelson Rockefeller
Pushing Tin (1999) .... Nick Falzone
Jack Bull, The (1999) (TV) .... Myrl Redding
Thin Red Line, The (1998) .... Captain Gaff
This Is My Father (1998/I) .... Eddie Sharp, the Pilot
Chicago Cab (1998) .... Scary Man
Anastasia (1997) (voice) .... Dimitri
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997) .... John Kelso
Con Air (1997) .... U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin
Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) .... Martin Blank

Underrated government service: U.S. Postal Service

Neither Rain Nor Sleet Nor Snow -- All for 37 Cents



Let's see. They come to our doors every day, bringing welcome family letters, magazines and Victoria's Secret catalogues. They pick up whatever mail we leave for them. They drive it to the post office. They sort it. They drive it to the airport. They put it on a plane. They fly it across the country. They takeit off the plane. They put it on a truck. They drive it to the address regardless of where he or she may live and deliver it to the door. Within three days. For 37 cents.

And we complain about the cost and efficiency of mail delivery? We shouldn't be complaining, we should be asking how the heck they can do it.

(Runnerup: The library system. You can check out the latest bestseller or a book that's been out of print for 50 years. You check out a video or a CD. You can use their computers to surf the web and exchange email. And it's all free.)