So, last night I made the mental mistake of tuning into the MTV Movie awards. I had wanted to see if Eminem had talked Jessica Simpson into actually singing with him. I thought there might be a chance. I had also heard that Abigal Breslin was going to be there and be funny (which she was) so that was cool. The thing is, I am a movie guy. I love movies. A lot. I was one of those guys geeked for new Star Wars movies, and one of those guys academically disappointed when George Lucas revealed himself to be a total hack.
But last night, while watching the Twillight kids win everything, I realized that the guy from Twillight, Robert Pattinson is literally the new Hayden Christensen. Let me explain why.
1. Came out of nowhere. Prior to Twillight, he has about 4 imbd.com film credits. So, it is fair to say that he has not spent a lot of time becoming a charecter actor, and got his big break taking on a franchise role. Nothing wrong with that, nothing at all. The marketing machine saw the good looks, and pointed a director at him, and she got something out of him.
Hayden…Prior to Star Wars, it is mostly nothing but television. Suddenly he is handed Darth Vader by George Lucas. Not questioning it, but apparently you do not need years in the minors before making it to the big show.
2. The Summer House. After Twillight wrapped, and he had a little bit of money, Pattinson went and shot a Short with his friends.
Hayden did the same thing.
3. The Serious Drama. After Twillight, Pattinson has now shot and is promoting “How to Be” where he plays a socially awkward young man having an existential crisis who brings…blah blah blah.
Hayden…did life as a house. Where he played an existentially troubled young man who is forced to spend time with his terminally ill father Kevin Kline.
Both of these features are about young men coming of age, and feature the new young boy actor being schooled by more established charecter people.
4. Shattered Glass and Little Ashes. Both movies take on the young man as a young adult in highly dramatic situations where we can see them as men, instead of boys or jedis or vampires.
I did not catch this until last night. I am shocked by this actual textbook way of doing this sort of thing. It literally weirds me out. Is there no more time for an actor to be an actor, or are we literally putting people into franchises and betting millions of dollars on them before they know what is going on.
What has happened to Hayden recently, where is he at? ‘Jumper’ sort of sucked.
What will happen to the vampire kid? Is this how a career is started, ground up, and ended?