Monday, July 7, 2008

Can't Hardly Wait, or How let's play Who's Who?

So I indulged in some amazing 90s teen comedies the other day (Oh Clueless - so timeless!) and while watching Can't Hardly Wait, I couldn't help but gasp at every single person on screen. When it ended I realized I had to do a write-up of it or else I would never remember everyone who's in it who's since made a name for themselves. I mean, seriously - who was the genius behind the casting of this movie? If I were of the tally-making kind, I could tell you that just counting the people featuring in the poster, the actors of CHW have garnered 3 Emmy nominations, 1 Annie award, 2 Saturn Award nomination (+1 win), 5 SAG award noms (+2 wins).. and countless other awards. Impressive, considering that doesn't include the awards from some of the supporting cast post-CHW: 2 BET Award noms, 1 more Saturn Award, 4 Golden Globe noms (+1 win), 4 Emmy noms (+1 win) and of course one of the most infamous Best Kiss MTV Movie Awards in the history of the planet.

Ethan Embry: Okay, so I would only include Sweet Home Alabama in 'movies he made after CHW' that made an impact. He seems to have realised that, as a CHW alum his fate depended on a small screen career. Does anyone know anything of this Brotherhood show that lists him as a 7 episode guest star in the 06-07 season? I didn't think so.


Jennifer Love-Hewitt: Yeah, remember when she was all the craze? Well, neither do I, but after her MTV Movie Award nomination for her turn here, she went on to Party of Five - realizing that TV is where she's at: I mean, do we really need to talk about The Tuxedo or Garfield? Right now she's relishing her Saturn Award winning role in The Ghost Whisperer. Good times.

Seth Green: It's OZ! Before Buffy, of course. And he brilliantly showcased the comedic chops that would become a signature of his. True, just like everyone here his movie career never really took off (I mean, we all enjoyed his portrayal of Scott Evil, but did anyone suffer through Without a Paddle, or Rat Race?). Good thing he settled in the small screen where his Chris Griffin voice, his Emmy-nominated Robot Chicken show and of course his Buffyverse character have put him in the Geek Pantheon.

Lauren Ambrose: Claire herself. It seems the entire cast took to TV - I guess a Teen Comedy rarely leads you elsewhere (unless you're Mena Suvari and followup American Pie with American Beauty, but where is she now? Exactly). The spritzy redhead took her time before shining in Six Feet Under (including 5 episodes in Party of Five, I wonder if J-Lo-Hew got her the gig?) and garnering Emmy and SAG noms, but now she seems like a mainstay in Shakespeare in the Park - here's hoping a good TV role is coming her way.

Peter Facinelli: Again, embracing TV over the silver screen (save some Indie films and the upcoming "high profile" Twilight coming up) he has been (according to imdb) offering some good supporting work on the small screen: in Six Feet Under and Damages most prominently. Such a stretch from that moronic jock he played here.



And as for Charlie Korsmo, he seems to have changed the Thesp-gear for Republican politics crap. According to imdb he currently serves as Deputy Domestic Policy Analyst for the House Republican Policy Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. Oh well. We can't win 'em all can we?


But even the smaller roles were sizing themselves up for better things to come:

Count 'em, you have a future Save the Last Dance star, Betty's sandwich guy, the lovable Dharma, a Turk in the making, a Carpooler O'Donnel, a Robot Chicken Meyer, a Hellboy sidekick who sizzles, a teenage witch, a Less than Perfect girl, a Popular Cherry, Earl's spouse and a certain Ms DuVall.

6 comments:

Vance said...

Yup, Love CHW and LOVE watching for every OH THEY WERE IN THIS? moment.

I still love Ethan Embry. He deserves a better career.
You should check out that Disney abcFamily movie he did with Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and Roswell's Majandra Delfino called Celeste in the City. TV movie but super cute.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, it was an incredible cast - sort of like the cast of "The Outsiders" in 1983 or "Dazed and Confused" in 1993.

The movie was ruined for me, though, by the incredibly ugly and highly vocal homophobia of the script.

Dame James said...

I haven't seen this in years, but I can't believe Lauren Ambrose was in this. I never would have guessed. She was so amazing on Six Feet Under.

Anonymous said...

Astute observations here. This movie was truely a huge step for a huge chunk of its cast!

I have to defend Brotherhood. It's dark, but it's a damn good show!

Anonymous said...

Jesus Christ! Enough with Clea DuVall! Between you and Mercedes, I swear I hear her name dropped more than her own agent!

Also, you were unjustly hard on Jennifer Love-Hewitt. Singing career aside, she has given a lot to our culture. Would you wear your sleeves over your hands in weak attempts of coy sexuality without Jennifer to bravely blaze that trail in the 90s? I didn't think so.

Would Brandy have had the chance to join the small number of black actresses to survive a slasher flick? (Note: I'm listening to Afrodisiac right now and that girl deserves her own post!)

Don't even get me started on The Heartbreakers! Ray Liotta before he got all puffy, for heaven's sake!

I forget what my main point was, but the new one has turned into me renting I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. Jesus, even Jennifer Esposito was in that! Kevin Williamson must be due for a renaissance any day now.

And since you just saw it, mB, can you help me with this homophobia stuff? Tell me there was more than the polaroid plot...And can that not be forgiven with Ethan's turn in Sweet Home Alabama? Which brings me to a new main point. Ethan is still cute.

Okay, I believe I'm done now.

RJ said...

Tara from Buffy is in it too. The banana girl