(no subject)
CHARLIE ST. CLOUD COULDN'T LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND...
Like many of you, I've been inundated with ads for Zac Efron's newest opus, Charlie St. Cloud.
UNTIL HE FOUND A FUTURE WORTH FIGHTING FOR!
And, like many of you, I am incredibly excited.
Yes, it looks abysmal. Yes, the trailer alone features every movie cliche ever created. Yes, Zac Efron apparently has a nose for terrible films. And that's exactly why I can't wait for it.
Look, these are actual quotes from just the TV ads for Charlie St. Cloud:
You probably know that Charlie St. Cloud is based on a novel, The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, by Ben Sherwood. What you may not know is that the plot has been somewhat altered. The original story takes place 13 years after Sam's death, when our hero is pushing 30 and now working as the undertaker at his brother's cemetery. Not only does he see his brother's ghost, but he also sees the spirits of other graveyard residents. And when a young yachtswoman disappears at sea, he begins to see her ghost as well. He rescues her body from the ocean, deep in a coma, but the experience finally teaches him that he needs to move on. He quits his job, but when he visits the girl in the hospital for the last time, he is struck by a car. The next time he awakes, he is a ghost in his old graveyard, and he realizes that he will never be able to leave.
I would feel bad about spoiling the ending for you, but I'm pretty certain that the movie isn't going to end with Zac Efron getting pulverized by a Hyundai Sonata.
Now, you may be thinking that the original story actually sounds pretty interesting, kind of a dark little drama that twists you at the end. And you're right, but that's not Zac's style. Because he would never appear in anything that could be described as "dark."
It's hard to put a finger on what I love about Zac Efron, but I think it's something like this: while he is clearly incredibly talented -- and there's no denying it* -- he has a pitch-perfect nose for movies that are both incredibly earnest and incredibly bad.
*Look, don't you argue with me, buster. The dude can sing (even if he was dubbed with another singer in High School Musical 1), and he was actually really good in Hairspray. Stop being too cool for school.
The first thing Zac Efron ever acted in was one episode of the brilliant TV series Firefly, one of the greatest shows ever made. But don't hold that against him! When you're a young actor, you have to take every role you can get. Shortly thereafter, he got his first regular role on Summerland, and clearly he had found his niche:
All of these movies were actually really successful, largely because girls who haven't hit puberty want to do... something... to Zac (they're not quite sure what yet). But the Zac Efron that I believe in is not a cynic that knows he can bat his eyelashes in fluff films and get teenage girls to hand over their tanning salon money. No, the Zac Efron that I believe in read the script for Charlie St. Cloud, which calls for him to shout "THIS IS WHY I WAS GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE!" and said to himself "Zac, my boy, start clearing the mantle, because Uncle Oscar is coming to visit."
Maybe he even called up the director and said "What if, in this scene, I furrow my brow and say 'The more I'm in your world... the less I can be in his.' Genius, right?!"
After seeing Hairspray, I was a little worried about Zac Efron. That movie wasn't my normal cup of tea, but it was certainly a great film and he was certainly good in it. I even remarked to my friend Liz, "Can you imagine if, 25 years from now, Zac Efron is considered one of the best actors of his generation?"
As it turned out, I didn't have to worry. Zac is still the actor I love. He signs on for one lousy movie after another, and in each one, he gives it his absolute all. There is no more earnest actor in Hollywood today.** In another time, if Disney hadn't discovered him, he might have been giving 110% to terrible horror films with names like Sharktopus. He's that kind of actor.
**Zac inherited this title from Brendan Fraser. Brendan surely knows that he hasn't appeared in a single decent film in his 20 year career, but there's no way he's phoning in The Mummy 4: Rise of the Aztec.
I might not even go see Charlie St. Cloud. I'll probably get it on Netflix at some point. But I like knowing that there's one certainty in movies these days, one actor that will deliver a hilarious performance every time whether he means to or not.
There are a lot of cynics out there who, like the grizzled old sailor in Charlie St. Cloud, will look at Zac Efron and say, "No one can survive these waters!" But Zac will look them in the eye, grab the mooring line, and -- with his voice breaking -- shout "I've got to save Tess! I CAN DO THIS!"
Yes you can, Zac. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.
Like many of you, I've been inundated with ads for Zac Efron's newest opus, Charlie St. Cloud.
UNTIL HE FOUND A FUTURE WORTH FIGHTING FOR!
And, like many of you, I am incredibly excited.
Yes, it looks abysmal. Yes, the trailer alone features every movie cliche ever created. Yes, Zac Efron apparently has a nose for terrible films. And that's exactly why I can't wait for it.
Look, these are actual quotes from just the TV ads for Charlie St. Cloud:
- "A small-town hero... a tragic accident... a miraculous gift."
- "He'll become the person he was meant to be."
- "What if there was a way to hold on? What if there was a reason to let go?"
- "Love doesn't wait for you!"
- "Trust your heart, Charlie St. Cloud."
- "You just have to believe!"
- "Is that why you gave up... everything?"
- "You can't put life on hold, Charlie!"
- "Charlie, at some point, we all have to let go!"
You probably know that Charlie St. Cloud is based on a novel, The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, by Ben Sherwood. What you may not know is that the plot has been somewhat altered. The original story takes place 13 years after Sam's death, when our hero is pushing 30 and now working as the undertaker at his brother's cemetery. Not only does he see his brother's ghost, but he also sees the spirits of other graveyard residents. And when a young yachtswoman disappears at sea, he begins to see her ghost as well. He rescues her body from the ocean, deep in a coma, but the experience finally teaches him that he needs to move on. He quits his job, but when he visits the girl in the hospital for the last time, he is struck by a car. The next time he awakes, he is a ghost in his old graveyard, and he realizes that he will never be able to leave.
I would feel bad about spoiling the ending for you, but I'm pretty certain that the movie isn't going to end with Zac Efron getting pulverized by a Hyundai Sonata.
Now, you may be thinking that the original story actually sounds pretty interesting, kind of a dark little drama that twists you at the end. And you're right, but that's not Zac's style. Because he would never appear in anything that could be described as "dark."
It's hard to put a finger on what I love about Zac Efron, but I think it's something like this: while he is clearly incredibly talented -- and there's no denying it* -- he has a pitch-perfect nose for movies that are both incredibly earnest and incredibly bad.
*Look, don't you argue with me, buster. The dude can sing (even if he was dubbed with another singer in High School Musical 1), and he was actually really good in Hairspray. Stop being too cool for school.
The first thing Zac Efron ever acted in was one episode of the brilliant TV series Firefly, one of the greatest shows ever made. But don't hold that against him! When you're a young actor, you have to take every role you can get. Shortly thereafter, he got his first regular role on Summerland, and clearly he had found his niche:
Click to viewAll of these movies were actually really successful, largely because girls who haven't hit puberty want to do... something... to Zac (they're not quite sure what yet). But the Zac Efron that I believe in is not a cynic that knows he can bat his eyelashes in fluff films and get teenage girls to hand over their tanning salon money. No, the Zac Efron that I believe in read the script for Charlie St. Cloud, which calls for him to shout "THIS IS WHY I WAS GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE!" and said to himself "Zac, my boy, start clearing the mantle, because Uncle Oscar is coming to visit."
Maybe he even called up the director and said "What if, in this scene, I furrow my brow and say 'The more I'm in your world... the less I can be in his.' Genius, right?!"
After seeing Hairspray, I was a little worried about Zac Efron. That movie wasn't my normal cup of tea, but it was certainly a great film and he was certainly good in it. I even remarked to my friend Liz, "Can you imagine if, 25 years from now, Zac Efron is considered one of the best actors of his generation?"
As it turned out, I didn't have to worry. Zac is still the actor I love. He signs on for one lousy movie after another, and in each one, he gives it his absolute all. There is no more earnest actor in Hollywood today.** In another time, if Disney hadn't discovered him, he might have been giving 110% to terrible horror films with names like Sharktopus. He's that kind of actor.
**Zac inherited this title from Brendan Fraser. Brendan surely knows that he hasn't appeared in a single decent film in his 20 year career, but there's no way he's phoning in The Mummy 4: Rise of the Aztec.
I might not even go see Charlie St. Cloud. I'll probably get it on Netflix at some point. But I like knowing that there's one certainty in movies these days, one actor that will deliver a hilarious performance every time whether he means to or not.
There are a lot of cynics out there who, like the grizzled old sailor in Charlie St. Cloud, will look at Zac Efron and say, "No one can survive these waters!" But Zac will look them in the eye, grab the mooring line, and -- with his voice breaking -- shout "I've got to save Tess! I CAN DO THIS!"
Yes you can, Zac. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.