In honor of the 26th Anniversary of the theatrical release of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me on August 28, 2018, I share this love letter to Ray Wise’s performance as Leland Palmer during the famous Intersection and Mo’s Motor scene. The range of emotions he displays is nothing short of spectacular.
On August 5, I published a story about the actual location used for Mo’s Motor in the motion picture which briefly mentioned Wise’s impressive performance. He retweeted the article and noted that it was his “favorite scene in the movie!” (By the way, make sure you follow Ray Wise on Twitter at @TheRealRayWise).
I can easily see why it was his favorite. The sequence runs approximately six minutes – from Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) and he pulling up to the intersection to the “conversation” with Mike, the One Armed Man (Al Strobel) to decompressing at Mo’s Motor (Treat Him Right!). During that time, he conveyed every emotion imaginable – anger, rage, fear, paranoia, happiness, confusion and more. As an actor, it had to be a true delight to be given such an opportunity.
Overall, it’s a powerhouse performance, complemented by Lee and Strobel who give equally as much as Wise.
Need proof? Check out the gallery for Leland Palmer many emotions.
THE INTERSECTION
MO’S MOTOR
