Hair and Southern Charm = Box Office Magic

Matthew McConaughey made a memorable splash as Dave Wooderson, the nearing-30 "wish I was in high school" stud of Dazed and Confused. Although it was his 2nd film (preceded by My Boyfriend's Back with the meaty role of Guy #2), Wooderson stood out in this indie gem particularly for those clever quips ("watch the leather man" and "love them red-heads"). However, has McConaughey made a decent film in the 15 years since Linklater's ensemble feature?

Phase 1: Budding star
Angels in the Outfield - supporting role reminiscent of Corbin Bernson in Major League
Return of Texas Chainsaw Massacre - plays Vilmer, brother of the inane Leatherface who is sadly a "deeper" character in this mess.
Judgement, Boys on the Side, Lone Star - a trio of films in which he plays a redneck cop. Lone Star is probably the best thus far.
A Time to Kill - the great wanker Joel Schumacher gives McConaughey "his big break" starring alongside then-hot Sandra Bullock in this cliche-filled Grisham adaptation exploring racism.
Larger than Life - destined for type-casting as Texas/Southern lawman, this was a change of pace acting alongside a pre-Wes Anderson Bill Murray. Did I mention the star of this film is a pachyderm?
Glory Daze - a film about the days just before graduating high school starring Ben Affleck. Sound familiar?

Phase 2: Makes a Splash
Contact - forgetable attempt to explore ideas of metaphysics and alien life. I prefer to invoke Mr. Garrison's summation of this film: *vomits* "That movie was terrible! Wait the entire movie to see the alien and it's her goddamn father!"
Amistad - Spielberg's attempt to explore the plight of another race. Cocky Southerness will work in a period piece, right?
The Rebel-star power enables him to be an auteur. This film proves he's no Welles.
The Newton Boys - four bros. become bank robbers in depression era Texas. PG-13 rating means it takes no cues from Bonnie and Clyde, the best of the genre.
Making Sandwiches - Sandra Bullock made a film?
EDtv-remember how this was supposed to compete with "The Truman Show"? Well it didn't.
U-571 - Oscar-winning film. For Sound.
The Wedding Planner - marks the beginning of his rom-com roles. Shit. All of them.
Thirteen Conversations about One Thing - "heady" film makes you think about interconnectedness of people's lives. I don't recall any of the conversations or what the "thing" is.

Phase 3: Can't Go Wrong
Reign of Fire - Dragons. Action. Explosions. Acting? Writing?
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days - Kate Hudson sets feminism back 20 years with her portrayal of a woman who wants to get dumped by her macho man.
Sahara - McConaughey plays Dirk Pitt, explorer extraordinaire accompanied by a wise-cracking sidekick. The two cross paths with heart of gold UN scientist Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz). Nothing derivative about this film.
Two for the Money - stars alongside Al Pacino is this picture that no one knew existed. I'm sure he learned a ton from the veteran on this one.
Failure to Launch - the cover art to this does not resemble "How to Lose a Guy" in the slightest. He plays a 30-something immature man living with his parents. Must have been a stretch.
We are Marshall - ra-ra football, tragedy, triumph, and director McG!

Phase 4: Oscar
Out today, Fool's Gold with McConaughey and Hudson teaming up again on a crazy treasure seeking trip around the world. Sounds golden!

The IMDb average of the film's in McConaughey's canon following Dazed and Confused comes to 5.7* With his agent securing him challenging roles in the likes of steaming piles Surfer Dude, Tropic Thunder, The Ghosts of Girlfriend's Past and Hammer Down (all in production), we can expect that rating to rise, surely.

I miss Wooderson.

* = FYI, IMDB places Leon, Se7en, American History X, and Memento in the Top 50 of ALL-TIME.