On Tue, 14 May 1996, Todd Phillips wrote:
> Ok, i have one question that has been on my mind! what's up with Johnny
> Depp??/ why does he insist on doing these independent _Artistic_ films??
> he can't deny the fact that he's a celebrity, and he always tries to in
> some form or another make everyone think he's different or an outcast...
> to me, he just keeps boiling further and furtehr down into PRETENTION!!!
> He makes me sick... does anyone have any thoughts on this??
Rising to take the bait...
Actually, I rather like Depp's choice of films, that hideous Jerry
Lewis-Faye Dunaway thing notwithstanding ("Arizona Dream"?); "Gilbert
Grape," "Ed Wood," and "Edward Scissorhands" are all fine films. But
that's not the reason to admire Depp. The reason to admire Depp is that
he's the only popular teen of his generation, male or female, who's
managed to make the transition to credible post-pubescent actor (and he
overcame television stardom to boot), and he did it by figuring out that
he had to break with his teen persona completely. He retains his
celebrity not in spite of his choice of films but because of it, whereas
if he were doing straightforward commercial crap one suspects he would now
be exactly as much a household name as, say, Anthony Michael Hall. I don't
know if Depp is any more talented than Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally
Sheedy, or any of the rest of the Brat Pack, but I know who's going
straight to video these days and who's not. Even if you don't like his
choice of films, you have to admire his career savvy.
JRG
______________________________________________________________________________
John R. Groch <[log in to unmask]> | "Work! FINISH! THEN sleep."
English Department/Film Studies Program | -- The Monster,
Univ. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 | "Bride of Frankenstein"
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