Gene Seymour : James Garner won a devoted following playing the coolly principled coward . He was also an excellent actor, and he had some of his best lines in this movie. Seymour : His movies uneven , but `` The Americanization of Emily '' was a perfect fit . Seymour : Garner 's persona was not Oscar bait , but audiences loved him .
Gene Seymour : James Garner won a devoted following playing the coolly principled coward . He was noted for `` Rockford Files '' and `` Maverick , '' in which he played reluctant do-gooder . Seymour : His movies uneven , but `` The Americanization of Emily '' was a perfect fit . Seymour : Garner 's persona was not Oscar bait , but audiences loved him .