Mark Wahlberg reveals his worst movie choice, and to the surprise of both audiences and critics, it isn’t the much-maligned The Happening, but Jonathan Demme’s The Truth About Charlie, a fact he shared during an interview with Yahoo UK in 2013. Despite a long filmography full of divisive titles, Wahlberg identifies The Truth About Charlie as the lowest point of his career, a claim that stands out given the existence of films like Max Payne, Infinite, and The Happening.
Two-time Oscar nominee Mark Wahlberg, who built his reputation with roles in acclaimed movies such as The Departed and The Fighter, has acknowledged his share of failures alongside successes. In a career that spans more than three decades, Wahlberg’s list of commercially and critically unsuccessful projects includes Max Payne, Flight Risk, Infinite, Uncharted, Broken City, Transformers: Age of Extinction, and Daddy’s Home 2, among others. Still, Wahlberg’s own self-appraisal landed squarely on The Truth About Charlie when asked in a 2013 interview, even though many fans and critics might have predicted otherwise.
Wahlberg’s Surprising Choice for His Worst Film
When asked to reflect on his body of work during the promotion of Broken City, Mark Wahlberg singled out The Truth About Charlie as his most regrettable film role. Wahlberg, whose time in Paris filming seemed to offer some personal highlights, remained critical of his own performance and the final product.
“There were a few good things about ‘The Truth About Charlie.’ I spent four months in Paris. I spent my 30th birthday in Paris. I was introduced to beautiful French cuisine, beautiful Bordeaux…and some other beautiful things in Paris. The movie just didn’t turn out the way I had hoped. I was pretty awful.”
—Mark Wahlberg, Actor
The movie’s failure was puzzling not only because of its notable director, Jonathan Demme, but also because it was based on excellent source material. Demme, highly respected for classics like The Silence of the Lambs and Something Wild, brought considerable credibility to the project. The original story, Charade, starring Cary Grant, is viewed as a staple in romantic-comedy suspense films, so expectations for Wahlberg’s take on the remake were high. With such strong ingredients, Wahlberg’s disappointment in both the project’s outcome and his own performance became more understandable.
Attributing the poor showing to a combination of mismatched expectations and execution, Wahlberg’s criticisms stand as both self-reflection and an acknowledgment of missed opportunities, especially given the rare misstep by director Demme, whose career was filled with high points.
The Case for ‘The Happening’ as Wahlberg’s Real Career Low
While Wahlberg’s pick may seem justified from his personal vantage point, many fans and observers argue that The Happening holds the dubious honor as his worst film—and by a large margin. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, The Happening centers on high school science teacher Elliot (played by Wahlberg) and his wife Alma Moore (Zooey Deschanel) as they navigate a bizarre scenario where New Yorkers are dying in inexplicable waves of mass suicides. As the plot unfolds, audiences watch a group led by Elliot and Alma, joined by survivors including John Leguizamo and Ashlyn Sanchez, try—and struggle—to uncover the events’ cause.
Rather than delivering suspense or intrigue, The Happening was criticized for unintentionally earning laughs, with wooden performances and awkward dialogue that left many viewers and critics baffled. Wahlberg’s role as a science teacher and Deschanel’s performance as his wife were noted for their lack of emotion and believability. The cast’s efforts, despite including recognizable names like John Leguizamo and Ashlyn Sanchez, weren’t enough to elevate the material.
It failed so thoroughly in both tone and storytelling that it received four Razzie Award nominations: Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Mark Wahlberg), Worst Director (M. Night Shyamalan), and Worst Screenplay. Many believe that its weaknesses were so apparent that even attempts at mocking the film felt pointless. Infamously, the plot ultimately points to the wind as a potential villain, a twist considered by many to insult the audience’s intelligence and patience rather than provide entertainment.
Even with these setbacks, The Happening was a commercial success, earning $163 million worldwide from a reported production budget of no more than $60 million, according to Box Office Mojo. By contrast, The Truth About Charlie failed at the box office, bringing in only $7.1 million against a matching budget. Some suggest that Wahlberg’s decision to refer to The Truth About Charlie as his worst project may be influenced by its financial failure, despite The Happening’s wide reputation as a cinematic disaster.
This discrepancy makes Wahlberg’s self-critique look less like self-awareness and more like a strategic distancing from a film that, while poorly received, was far more lucrative than some of his other unsuccessful ventures. Regardless of his personal experience, the general consensus among fans and critics is that The Happening represents an artistic low point that even its commercial performance cannot redeem.
Reflection on Wahlberg’s Legacy of Hits and Misses
Mark Wahlberg’s career has been a dynamic one, featuring dramatic highs with performances in films like The Departed and The Fighter, balanced against notable disappointments that continue to shape discussions about his place in Hollywood. Directors like Jonathan Demme and M. Night Shyamalan, associated with both critical successes and memorable flops, have played roles in defining Wahlberg’s unique path.
Audience reaction remains split, with some sympathizing with Wahlberg’s candidness and others skeptical of his judgment. Characters like Elliot, Alma Moore, and the ensemble from The Happening live on in pop culture, often for reasons Wahlberg might prefer to forget. Yet, his willingness to admit regret, even if the choice differs from popular opinion, keeps his career accessible for scrutiny.
As Wahlberg continues to navigate new projects, it remains to be seen if another role will dethrone his current pick for worst film, or whether The Happening’s remarkable missteps will endure in public memory. Either way, the ongoing debate demonstrates how both critical and personal perspectives can be shaped by factors beyond just box office numbers or critical acclaim.
