 "Photo: Paramount Pictures")
When I read the story by Vanity Fair about how Shia LaBeouf could be the next Tom Hanks it made me realize that it may be true. If he is the next Tom Hanks, then who will be the next Meryl Streep? Julia Roberts? George Clooney? Each generation has its own group of actors that they can relate to. Our generation has its own promising stars of the future as well as those who may have prematurely overstayed their welcome. Such is the case with Lindsay Lohan, who was also on the cover of Vanity Fair four years ago next to other young female actresses and was dubbed as a great teen star.
Shia LaBeouf has quickly built up a strong resume and has churned out three blockbuster movies this year alone including: "Disturbia," "Surf's Up" and "Transformers." Now the latest "It" boy has an impressive line-up of films on his plate that includes the long awaited fourth installment of the "Indiana Jones" series with the title of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." And he is already attached to reteam with his "Disturbia" director D. J. Caruso for the 2008 thriller "Eagle Eye," a film that gives him the part of a young man who, along with his mother, becomes unwittingly mixed up with a terrorist cell's plot.
Another important note is the fact that he was named the ShoWest Male Star of Tomorrow, an award given to Ryan Gosling in 2004 and Heath Ledger in 2001, both of whom are Oscar nominees. In spite of all the success that he has earned, Shia refrains from the pitfalls of young stardom. Coming from a notoriously tough neighborhood in L.A. called Echo Park, he truly appreciates and understands the position that he is in. He has expressed in interviews that he knows that he can't mess up in his personal life. If only every great talent had this wisdom at the age of 21.
Lindsay Lohan was once poised to become the star of our generation. In 2007, however, she became less famous for her work and more famous for her troubled rehab hopping. Her multiple DUIs, club hopping, and her now infamous drunken car chase this past summer sold more tabloids than her films sold tickets. Her last few flicks have been nothing short of bombs with titles like this summer's "I Know Who Killed Me" and "Georgia Rule." In fact, her last hit was "Herbie Fully Loaded" which came out in 2005 and was, ironically, a wholesome Disney movie. It seems to me that the girl who once said that she wanted to win an Oscar by 30 peaked at 17 years old with 2000s first teen classic, "Mean Girls".
Another star dipped out of the limelight is former heartthrob Josh Hartnett. Rather than tangles with the police, however, his fall is due to poor career choices. Like Lohan, he was also considered to be a hot commodity a few years ago, but his star has burned out rather quickly. His past few films: "The Black Dahlia," "Lucky Number Slevin," "Wicker Park" and "Hollywood Homicide" all floundered with critics and audiences alike. To be fair, "Sin City" was a hit, but he was far from the headliner of the ensemble that centered on Bruce Willis's character.
He has quite a few film projects lined up that include plotlines that do not always sound promising. "30 Days of Night" is about an Alaskan town under siege by vampires while the skies are blanketed by darkness for one month. (I just pray that he was paid well to agree to this kind of film). His other upcoming film, "August," sounds promising, however, and involves two young brothers trying to salvage their small startup company on Wall Street one month before the September 11th terrorist attacks.
On a more positive note, James McAvoy is a promising newcomer who past projects, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "The Last King of Scotland" were both critical and commercial successes. His future projects includes the Oscar bait "Atonement" with Keira Knightley, the action flick "Wanted" with Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie and "Frost Flower" with Holly Hunter. All three of these projects have great plots and starring roles for him. He has earned his chance through his growing resume that includes his BAFTA award (the British Oscar), the Rising Star Award and the Chopard Trophy at the most highly regarded film festival, Cannes, for his brilliant performances.
The three strongest young actresses from our generation are Keira Knightley, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johanssen. All have been nominated for the big awards including Academy Awards and Golden Globes. Not to mention the fact that all three have had blockbuster successes and Indie cred. I chose these three women because of their great potential and the lack of scandal in their personal lives. Not everyone is Lindsay Lohan, but the tabloids never cover good behavior, unfortunately.
With our highs and lows on the acting front, much faith remains for the actors of our generation. The Shia LaBeoufs, Natalie Portmans, and the batch of promising newcomers leave me confident that we can look forward to quite a few great performances and have actors who we can claim as our own.
Be the first to comment on this article!