OK kids. The question of the day is: When did Kieran Culkin become the poster boy for disaffected youth?
If you’ve been to the Bijou anytime in the last month, you’ve likely seen the little scamp in either “The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys” or “Igby Goes Down.” It doesn’t really matter, because he plays the same rebellious role in both movies.
That said, it’s a role he’s good at, and both movies are highly entertaining. Learning from his brother Macaulay’s face-slapping screaming mistakes, Kieran has broken onto the scene this year in two edgy roles that recently won him the Newcomer Award at the VH1/ Vogue Fashion Awards– not that VH1 and Vogue have anything to say about movies.
Fortunately, I do. “Igby” is about a young misfit from an upper-class family which is, of course, totally dysfunctional, thus playing on the tried and true hypocrisy of “success.” Though Kieran pulls the weight as the title character, he is supported by innovative performances from co-stars Susan Sarandon, Jeff Goldblum and Claire Danes. Not so innovative is Amanda Peet, who I think has yet to keep her top on in a movie. (For more information about “Altar Boys,” read my Oct. 10 column)
But let’s get back to our boy Kieran. When you think about it, who better to angst-up the screen? Follow the logic: His brother was a superstar at the ripe age of 10; stardom inevitably makes life hectic for the family; parents of child stars are generally crazy, anyway; Kieran is one of seven children raised by said crazy parents.
The following Kieran quote is listed on imdb.com: “Until my brother Mac started making major money, our house was really wild. The outside world didn’t know how chaotic our life was because, though we’d live at home like a bunch of critters, we’d go off to school and act all sedate and normal.”
Who better indeed.
The malcontent-coming-of-age role is an interesting archetype that can be found through entertainment history that probably goes all the way back to “Hamlet” in whatever form you’ve seen it (though Ethan Hawke’s performance is an especially strong example). It was Tobey Maguire a couple years ago in “Wonder Boys” and “The Cider House Rules” — which, funnily, Kieran was in as well.
When “8 Mile” opens Nov. 8, Eminem will try his hand playing the troubled protagonist, and I suspect he’ll do a bang-up job. I have been totally suckered into needing to see this movie, mostly because of the song “Lose Yourself” which gives me goose bumps every time I hear it. I love the ominous, pounding riff that drives the song and totally captures what I expect to be the mood of the film.
Eminem has had plenty of time to prove to the public how tough he is and how real he is with his devil-may-care attitude toward public opinion. But an essential part of the Holden Caulfield-esque character is a sense of vulnerability, and Eminem may have already killed any chance of earning viewer’s sympathy.
Still, I’m excited to see him try. And if he bombs, we’ll still have Macaul … KIERAN! I mean Kieran. I swear I didn’t see “Richie Rich.” Really.
Crap.