That should prove to everyone how important a director's role is in getting a good performance out of an actor. There are no good actors, only good directors. And actors really have to trust the director they're working for isn't going to make them look foolish.
God, even Anthony Hopkins (voted best actor of all time) has been made to look bad. Anyone remember "Bad Company" with him and Chris Rock?
In short, it's not Hayden's fault. Like someone else has already pointed out, "Life as a House" and "Shattered Glass" were both top-notch.