I Finally Watched A Real Pain, And I Think Jesse Eisenberg's Performance Is Being Overlooked

I really wanted to see A Real Pain, a film one of my colleagues said was somehow the saddest and funniest movie of 2024. I had screening invites, and the movie showed in my town for several weeks, so I had no excuse. My delay changed upon discovering I could watch the dramedy with my Hulu subscription. And while I thoroughly enjoyed (both laughed and cried) watching two estranged cousins reconnect on a journey through Poland to see where their recently deceased grandmother grew up, there’s one thing that’s bothered me since.

I don’t think Jesse Eisenberg is getting enough love for his work in the film. Yeah, he received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay, but I feel like his performance is being largely overshadowed by Kieran Culkin’s highly decorated role. I guess what I’m saying is that I really need to talk this out…

Don't Get Me Wrong, Kieran Culkin's Performance Is A Tour De Force

Before I get started, I think Kieran Culkin winning a Golden Globe and being nominated for an Oscar (as well as numerous other awards) for his portrayal of the outspoken and free-spirited Benji Kaplan in A Real Pain is warranted. The performance, which some would argue is the film’s lead, is an absolute tour de force that reminds me so much of several of my own family members and friends.

Electric, dynamic, charismatic, and pained are some of the words that came to mind when I was watching the movie on Hulu a few weeks ago, and I am still blown away by just how captivating of a performance the Succession alum was able to pull off. I constantly found myself being amazed by Culkin’s great comedic timing in one scene and then incredible rawness and depth in the next. It was honestly one of the realest things I’ve seen in a movie in a very long time.

It's Just That Jesse Eisenberg's Performance Isn't Getting Talked About Nearly Enough

Like The Big Lebowski, Tombstone, and Jurassic Park before it, A Real Pain is one of those movies where the audience ends up loving a side character more than the main, for better or worse. And I honestly think that this is leading to Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of the more reserved and emotionally restrained David Kaplan not being talked about nearly enough.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say Eisenberg was snubbed in the Best Actor category at the Academy Awards, but his highly personal performance is simply overshadowed by the chaotic and scene-stealing showing by Culkin throughout the movie. His writing and directing are receiving praise, but it’s a bummer that Eisenberg’s actual acting in the movie is somewhat being treated as an afterthought.

If Anything, I Thought David Kaplan Was The Most Relatable Character In A Real Pain

There were times throughout when I really connected with Benji and his lack of social graces and inability to simply let things go, but for the most part, I thought David was the most relatable character in the entire movie. David always felt like he was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack, except for a few brief moments when he would finally allow himself to relax and enjoy what life was throwing at him, and I often feel like I’m bouncing back and forth on the same path.

Eisenberg’s ability to play a character who is willing to sacrifice so much of himself to please those around him and keep the peace (to the detriment of his own mental health) while also contemplating his own past, present, and future, is something to behold. It’s taxing, that’s for sure, but the balance and realness found in his performance is something I haven’t been able to stop thinking about in the days and weeks since the credits rolled.

And The Scene Where He Breaks Down At Dinner Is Some Of Eisenberg's Best Stuff

I could go on and on about the richness and magic of the biggest scenes here, but the moment that sticks out the most to me is the group dinner. Shortly before the one-hour mark, Benji goes on another of his outspoken outbursts and becomes confrontational with their tour group before storming off. With his cousin out of the picture, David opens up about their complicated relationship, his own mental health, and not wanting to be a burden on anyone.

The camera is primarily focused on Eisenberg throughout this extensive scene, and it’s just pure magic. Up there with his character’s rant at the opening of The Social Network, the talented actor goes on a spiel, saying things like “I know that my pain is unexceptional so I don’t feel the need to like burden everybody with it,” when talking about not sharing too much with others,” and “I love him, I hate him, I want to kill him, and I want to be him” when discussing his cousin.

It’s magnificent, but also maddening because we won’t get to hear that speech in a clip played during the Best Actor nominees at the Oscars in March.

But At Least He's Getting Some Recognition For His A Real Pain Screenplay

Jesse Eisenberg made his directorial debut with 2022’s When You Finish Saving The World, but it was A Real Pain that put him in the category of great actors who became directors. Though the multi-talented star didn’t receive a Best Actor nod at the Oscars, and is left out in the cold in the Best Director category (along with the snubbed Edward Berger), he’s at least getting some recognition for his screenwriting capabilities.

A Real Pain is up for one of the biggest races of the night, but it’s also one of the upcoming award show’s most competitive categories. Anora (Sean Baker), The Brutalist (Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold), September 5 (Moritz Binder and Tim Fehlbaum; co-written with Alex David), and The Substance (Coralie Fargeat) also have a rightful claim when it comes to Best Original Screenplay, but I would love for Eisenberg’s personal and relatable story to win it.

All in all, I think Jesse Eisenberg is being seriously overlooked and overshadowed when it comes to his role in A Real Pain. Hopefully, the Academy Awards will put some respect on his name by awarding him the Best Original Screenplay Oscar when the ceremony airs in early March.