Actors' Month: Edward Norton

Picking a favorite Edward Norton role is a little like picking a favorite child. It's a difficult decision because they all have their quirks and they are all special and spectacular in their own ways. Granted, there are the ones that you just can't get alone with (Stone and Down in the Valley...really, Norton?!?!), but you still love them for the diversity they bring to the family. However, when it comes down to it, there really is just one that stands out from the rest, and for Norton, that would have to be his role as Derek Vineyard in American History X.

Derek is a skinhead who was arrested after brutally murdering two black men who were trying to break into his car. His younger brother, Danny, watched everything happen. Three years later, Derek is being released and Danny is a skinhead himself. After turning in a history paper on Mein Kampf, Danny is told by the principal that he must write a paper on his brother and the situations involving his arrest. With this assignment, we are able to see how Derek became a skinhead, how he was put in prison, and what caused him to change while there.

Norton portrays Derek beautifully. Everything from the teenage boy who turns mean to the hardcore skinhead he becomes to the guy who is just trying to do the right thing. One of the most beautifully acted scenes in that film is pictured above when Derek is arrested. Norton makes you fully believe what he's feeling at that moment and that is why he is such a fantastic actor.