It’s a cold fact that the first thing I thought when I heard that Corey Haim died of a drug overdose was “Well of course he did.” Corey Haim had become a joke, a walking punchline who when he did bother to lurch back into the collective consciencous did so to show up wasted to the premiere of his own TV show or like this.
Even if his persona and personal life wasn’t such a tabloid ready mess, another bloated wreck of a former child star, what are you really mourning here? The kid who was in Lost Boys? License To Drive? This isn’t Gene Hackman we’ve lost here, the body of work just isn’t that worthwhile.
And then you remember that he was in Lucas.
It’s a weird bit of synchronity that I actually ended up name checking the movie about a week ago when writing up Beetlejuice. You probably haven’t seen Lucas, its not exactly a well known film. Its not really all that different or groundbreaking or special. What Lucas is, in its own way is kind of perfect.
There’s not a lot to write about Lucas, though Roger Ebert disagreed calling it the best movie about adolescence since The 400 blows. While I can’t go that far, I admire Lucas for what it is, a well written movie about the hopes and pains of adolescence that treats its characters with (gasp) respect, aided immensely by the three perfectly modulated performances by Haim, Ryder, Sheen and Keri Greene at the film’s center.
Looking back at Ebert’s review one comment stands out in sharp relief.
“He creates one of the most three-dimensional, complicated, interesting characters of any age in any recent movie. If he can continue to act this well, he will never become a half-forgotten child star, but will continue to grow into an important actor. He is that good.”
Well he was that good, and he did end up a half forgotten child star. Just more grist in the mill. But if you happen to feel a bit nostalgic tonight, I recommend putting on Lucas. And reflecting that even the most tawdry of careers have that one perfect movie. You can ask yourself if its worth it. I doubt Haim would find it so.
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2 comments:
THis is without a doubt his best movie, I remember, this movie made me cry when I was about 12 or 13 years old, that scene where the girl rejects his kiss broke my heart.
All other performances are great, Wynona, Charlie Sheen, and the girl from Goonies, but it was Corey Haim who truly shined. I sympathized with that character, he was so poor, yet so intelligent.
He got to bang Nicole Eggert in "Blown Away" so I don't feel too bad. I wasn't surprised that he died either. Drug addicts will probably die young. This should be expected.
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