I just saw this article about Wes Bentley and thought it was worth sharing. I can remember seeing Spacey on “Charlie Rose” when the American Beauty wave was cresting and I recall him saying something to the effect that what he and Annette Benning et al get out of this movie are awards, but what Wes Bentley gets is that he gets to work for the rest of his life.
It kind of stuck with me because it is a kind of peculiar thing to have said. There are a million teens who give a strong performance or two then fall away to obscurity (such obscurity that I can’t summon an example right now). Plus, Hollywood is so fickle that there is little rhyme or reason as to why one actor is a star while another can’t find work. Then there is the trick of actually finding projects that end up as good on celluloid as they seem on paper.
That’s without even mentioning what actually befell Mr. Bentley, which is probably one of a million land-mines that need to be side-stepped when one is young, rich and famous (I wouldn’t know. I’m none of those things now and have only been one of them ever (young)).
Hopefully Mr. Bentley is on the right path now because his performance in American Beauty (simultaneously cool and passionate) was one of those things that made you feel like your heart couldn’t take it and it was just going to cave in.
I saw Spacey on “Charlie Rose” in the documentary My Big Break as they followed Wes Bentley through fame and heroin addiction. Very intense and predictable.
I have that in my netflix queue. Is it worth bumping to the top? “Julie and Julia” is there now.
My big break was intense and memorable because I got to see fame from the inside and I have to say it disturbed me. I caught a preview of it in PA. I definitely recommend it. I don’t understand celebrities and their lives and I don’t think they do themselves.
Hey- That movie is finally going to be out on DVD. Finally!
One of my favorite movies with one of the best performances. Just looked up Wes Bentley on IMDB.com, he has alot going on, good for him!