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Today's topic today for the Monday Movie Meme with the Bumbles is all about memorable child actors. This was an easy one! But then I had to decide...do I pick the Oscar winner Anna Paquin? Do I continue my one or two song act and talk about the little guy from The Shining? Do I steal from the Bumbles and talk about the kids from Stand By Me? No! I'm all about keeping you on your toes, so here are a few kids that came to mind early this morning. Ones that I think totally stole the show:
1. Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense) - You can't fake that haunted, tortured look that this guy has on his face almost the whole movie.
2. Ricky Schroeder (The Champ) - I've heard the original movie is even better, but when I was growing up, this was the movie we all saw and let loose those ugly cries, especially at that last scene. Even the coldest heart would be cracked open with that performance.
3. Brandon De Wilde (Shane) - This talented kid was unforgettable in his role as a hero-worshipping boy who would have rather had Shane as a daddy (and I don't think his mother would have minded either). Sadly, Brandon was killed in a motorcycle accident when he was only 30, cutting short a potentially successful career.
4. Justin Henry (Kramer v. Kramer) - Another great movie to watch if you need a good cry. Even watching this movie as a self-absorbed 13 year-old, it was quite clear to me the devastation and collateral damage of divorce.
5. Linda Blair (The Exorcist) - I was never really sure how talented you would have to be to act possessed by the devil, but who cares? This movie scares the hell out of me even now, and I've never been able to watch Ms. Blair in another movie.
OK, now it is time for you to remind me of all the other child actors I've forgotten in my early morning daze! What say you?
18 comments:
Good job of keeping on your toes, but I would have to include Anna Paquin, especially now that she has transformed her talent into the character of a part-fairy loved by vampires and werewolves - can't hardly beat that!
Great list! The ones that popped into my head are Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver, Kirsten Dunst in Interview with a Vampire, Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine, and Henry Thomas in E.T.
Actually, it's rather amazing how many wonderful performances by child actors are out there; when I first started brainstorming, I thought it would be difficult!
Good ones! And I'm with Trisha -- Taxi Driver is a good one and so was (do I have the title correct?) Paper Moon.
What about Kirsten Dunst in Interview with the Vampire? That's the only one I can come up with right now, though your list has some really good ones!
I loved Kramer vs Kramer. It was an excellent movie and it opened my mind to the idea of french toast. For that alone, I am grateful because I used to be a very picky eater.
Recently saw Poltergeist on TV and thought of Heather O'Rourke ("They're heeeere") who sadly died at age 12. Also:
Corey Haim- The Lost Boys
Eric Stoltz- Some Kind of Wonderful
Jared Rushton- Big
Dakota Fanning- I Am Sam
Michael O'Keefe- Caddyshack
Also, think about all the young actors in the John Hughes' movies! Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, Jon Cryer, Emilio Estevez, Eric Stoltz, Macaulay Culkin...etc. etc.
Fun meme!
how young to qualify as a 'child'?
Haley Joel Osment..have to agree, outstanding..and I have to agree with those you choose Jodi Foster. What role at and age, was she not great in?
I will add an unknown..Jeni Courtney as Fiona in The Secret of Roam Inish. Mostly because I love this movie.
I'm drawing a blank this morning. I guess I need to watch more movies to prime my memory. :) The only one that comes to mind at all is Jodie Foster (and that's only because I watched one of her old movies with my kids a few days ago).
I adore Ricky Schroeder, and had a slight crush on his acting growing up ;)
That was Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon. I just recently watched it again. It's wonderful. She's fantastic. She got the Oscar that year for supporting actress over Linda Blair who was nominated for The Exorcist.
Jackie Cooper was the kid in the original version of The Champ.
Going way, way back...Jackie Coogan in Charlie Chaplin's movie The Kid is wonderful. He grew up to play Uncle Fester on television.
Gosh. What was the name of that disgustingly cute kid from Little Miss Sunshine?
Very nice for early AM!! The only one that comes to mind at the moment is Kirsten Dunst in Interview with a Vampire. She creeped me out...still gives me the creeps!
To your list I would definitely add Dakota Fanning.
Lots of folks mentioned Jodie Foster from Taxi Driver but she was a teen when that was made and I created my list to be pre-teen. But seriously, she was the first I thought of.
Haley Joel Osment was awesome - I felt so much for that poor kid in the movie. That role took some serious acting chops.
Liz Taylor in National Velvet (and Tatum O'Neal in International Velvet).
Drew Barrymore in ET...she was adorable.
The Exorcist scared the wits out of me. Took me a year to get over it. I bought the book and will be reading it. I heard that the book is not as horrific as the movie but just as creepy.
I think Anna Paquin should have been included. I loved that movie .. and she was awesome. So neat to see her grown up and being Sookie.
Kirsten Dunst was awesome in Interview with a Vampire.
And I'm a big fan of Dakota Fanning.
Great choices, Sandy! Linda Blair, I think, finished out her career in some pretty awful made-for-tv movies. I couldn't bear to watch The Exorcist after reading the book which scared the bejeesus out of me.
One child actress I haven't seen listed is Mae Whitman. I loved her in Hope Floats. She cries very convincingly.
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