Grodin to the max: "Midnight Run"

Here's something that surprised me: According to IMDB, Robin Williams was considered for and interested in the part opposite Robert De Niro in "Midnight Run." This would have been after "Good Morning, Vietnam" and before "Dead Poets Society," when Williams had left behind his Mork days and was pretty hot as a movie actor. That may have been why the studio wanted him. Yet director Martin Brest said no, going instead with Charles Grodin.

Great call. I liked Williams as much as anyone in the '80s -- even "The Best of Times." But what makes "Midnight Run" so good is the pairing of a quiet bookworm, not a hyperkinetic spaz, with tough guy Bobby D.

And why not Grodin? While De Niro is One of Our Great American Actors, Grodin rarely gets any recognition. Hey, doing not one but two "Beethoven" movies has its price. Yet Grodin has been a funny supporting guy in multiple movies -- "Dave," "The Woman in Red" and especially "Seems Like Old Times" -- and he definitely holds his own against the Man Who Was Bickle-La Motta-Pupkin.

"Run" has De Niro as a bounty hunter charged with bringing a mob accountant (Grodin) who jumped bail back from NYC to L.A. Alas, with the FBI, the mob and another bounty hunter chasing the duo, it's not an easy trip. Grodin's character doesn't make it any easier, which is understandable. Even if he makes it back to jail alive, the mob boss will have him bumped off before trial. Drag.

While the chase leads to all sorts of fun scenes, the real treat here -- again -- are the exchanges between De Niro and Grodin. Of course, De Niro is all "f*ck this" and "f*ck that," and doesn't mind punching guys out. Meanwhile, Grodin always seems to be shrinking within his overcoat, quietly taking in the situation and asking questions in monotone. He really has a distinctive voice; there's nothing overly unpleasant about it -- like, say, Fran Drescher -- but I can see how it would grate on you after a while, and you understand why De Niro wants him to "shut the f*ck up."

Of course, this is as much buddy movie as chase movie. Again, the two leads are perfect, delivering the right balance between antagonism and grudging respect and even friendship. You aren't quite sure how it will end, but it's clear these two guys are getting to each other in a good way as much as a bad one. The scene with them at Red's bar -- "do the Litmus Configuration" -- is one good example.

"Run" also has a solid supporting cast -- Yaphet Kotto as FBI agent Alonzo Mosely, John Ashton as a rival bounty hunter and Dennis Farina as the mob boss. But this really is about the two guys on the run, and I'll always have a soft spot for Grodin no matter what else he does. Yes, that includes "Beethoven's 6th: Scoop the Poop."