Bartenders have always played a crucial role in cinema. Unsung heroes, they offer liquid comfort and a friendly ear to the distraught and weary. What would have happened, say, if The Dude didn’t get his bowling alley White Russian in The Big Lebowski? Or if Nick and Nora Charles were suddenly cut off from martinis in The Thin Man? (well, they’d probably be less hungover, but dull as hell). This month, I’m highlighting my Top Five Movie Bartenders.
1. Brian Flanagan, Cocktail
Image credit Touchstone Pictures, 1998, Cocktail
Oh what Tom Cruise can do with a cocktail shaker. Flair bartending at its finest!
2. Knobby, Burglar
Image Credit Warner Bros, 1987, Burglar
Any bartender who can actually understand Bobcat Goldthwait is worth his weight in gold.
3. Lloyd, The Shining
Image credit Warner Bros, 1980, The Shining
Always accommodating, whether it’s mixing a cocktail or engaging in idle chit-chat with psychopathic murderers.
4. Brad, Magnolia
Image credit: New Line Cinema, 1999, Magnolia
Braces- HOT.
5. Lil, Coyote Ugly
Image credit: Touchstone Pictures, 2000, Coyote Ugly
Like a sexy Mrs. Garrett, Maria Bello dispenses life lessons and cocktail wisdom to the young and unskilled. If only her bar weren’t SO tacky.
